Watch: saxophonist Brian Molley’s new single ‘Ayemenem’

Recorded with special guest, internationally acclaimed Indian percussionist Krishna Kishor, the album is the result of a collaboration that began in 2017. Shortly after meeting Chennai-based Kishor, Molley’s quartet played a headline show with the percussionist at Madras Jazz Festival.

"It was very much a meeting of similar musical minds," says Molley. "And despite Krishna and the four of us living on opposite sides of the planet, we’ve managed to keep in touch and are looking forward to playing more dates with Krishna at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer."

Intercontinental was recorded remotely and features eight tracks including a new setting of the Scottish love song ‘Ae Fond Kiss’, by Robert Burns, and compositions that Molley has written to showcase his group, which comprises Tom Gibbs (piano), Brodie Jarvie (bass) and Stuart Brown (drums), as well as Kishor's collection of instruments.

‘Ayemenem’ is named after the village in Kerala, in Southwest India, where Arundhati Roy’s novel The God of Small Things is based.

“The syllables of the village name match the rhythmic pattern at the start of the melody,” says Molley, a former Jazzwise ‘One to Watch’. “We aimed for a high energy piece here where the bustle of the quartet is matched by Krishna’s energetic and driving Konakol singing and the bagal bachha, a single-stringed instrument with a hollow leather or pumpkin base.”  

For more info visit brianmolley.bandcamp.com and see the video below