His latest release, featuring an all-star ensemble of GRAMMY® winners and nominees, is up for GRAMMY® consideration as Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. The second single, “Rising,” began collecting playlist adds on Monday.
World jazz guitarist Reza Khan has consistently kept the company of GRAMMY® winners and nominees on his seven albums, which he believes has elevated and inspired his own level of musicianship, performance, and composition. On his latest outing, “Mystical,” he gathered the most accomplished collective of collaborators to date and now, that resulting collection is up for first-round GRAMMY® consideration as Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.
“Mystical” is Khan’s first album on which he brought in an outside producer to help him craft a cohesive project blending contemporary jazz, fusion, world music, and new age. David Mann, a saxophonist, flutist and woodwinds player who has worked with GRAMMY® winners and GRAMMY® nominees Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga, Sting, James Taylor, Paul Simon, Madonna, Billy Joel, The Eagles, Chuck Loeb, Michael Franks, Dave Koz, and The Rippingtons, produced “Mystical” and cowrote half of the album’s ten songs composed by Khan.
Khan took a different albeit risky approach to the music he wrote for “Mystical,” writing seven new songs and reimagining three tunes culled from his catalogue. First, he wrote down a short list of marquee artists that he wanted to feature on the album. Artists such as two-time GRAMMY® winner Bob James, GRAMMY® winner Jeff Lorber, three-time GRAMMY® winner Jimmy Haslip, GRAMMY® winner Mark Egan, GRAMMY® nominees Keiko Matsui and Philippe Saisse, and Billboard chart-topper Nils Jiptner. He composed the songs with each artist’s unique instrumental voice in mind. Then Khan invited them to perform on the album. Luckily, they all agreed. And that leads to how Khan came up with the album title.
Khan finds the unknowns inherent in artists coming together to collaborate to be a curious and exhilarating mystery. The magic of the collaborative process between artists sparks creativity, taking the music and album in previously unimagined directions. Khan sees that approach to creativity as “mystical.”
The first single issued from “Mystical,” which dropped last March, was “Language of Love,” a cut that features James’ ardent and communicative piano. On Monday (October 14), the second single, “Rising,” began collection radio playlist adds. Mann conceived the initial ideas for the inspirational tune about rising above challenges and difficulties while striving for your dreams and goals. Khan wrote additional parts for the song, adding an electric guitar solo that coaxes Mann’s tenor sax into engaging banter.
If “Mystical” receives a GRAMMY® nomination, Khan sees it not as his but an acknowledgement for the team that he and Mann put together to bring his vision to fruition.
“Collaborating with GRAMMY® winners and nominees has always been a significant part of my musical journey, and it has enriched my work immensely. Having such talented artists contribute to my projects elevates the music and brings a unique blend of creativity and excellence. Receiving my first GRAMMY® nomination would validate the hard work and passion that goes into every note and composition. It would be a recognition, not just of my efforts, but also of the incredible contributions from all the amazing artists I’ve had the privilege to work with. This acknowledgment would mean that our collective vision and dedication to creating beautiful, impactful music resonates with a wider audience,” said the Bangladesh-born, New York City-based Khan, who will next perform at South Restaurant & Jazz Club in Philadelphia on November 3 featuring saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa.
It is a prolific period for Khan that includes work on his next solo album as well as a band project, both of which will be released next year. Titled “Shadow Dancers” and slated to arrive next fall, Khan’s next album will feature many of the premier musicians who have appeared on his previous albums. His “dance partners” include Saisse, Haslip, Egan, 7-time GRAMMY® nominee Nathan East, Brendan Rothwell, GRAMMY® nominated Brazilian drummer Mauricio Zottarelli, Zach Brown, and Matt King.
Khan’s band project is under the name of Moon Tree and he describes the music as “a genre-defying contemporary world jazz fusion album.” The guitarist joins Mann, Egan (bass), Danny Gotlieb (drums), and Clifford Carter (keyboards) on the album expected to drop early next year. Clearly, Khan remains focused on continuing to tap into and harnessing the power of collaboration, just as he did on “Mystical.”
“A GRAMMY® nomination for ‘Mystical’ would be a milestone in my career, inspiring me to continue pushing the boundaries of my creativity. It would also serve as a testament to the power of collaboration and the magic that happens when talented individuals come together to create something special. Ultimately, it’s about sharing the joy of music with the world and knowing that it has touched people’s lives in a meaningful way.”
For more information, please visit https://rezakhanmusic.com.
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