London Jazz Bassist Shez Raja Digs Into Roots on ‘Tales From The Punjab'

Recorded in Lahore by ace fusion guitarist producer Mekaal Hasan, the album features flautist Ahsan Papu, amongst others

- ANURAG TAGAT

In early 2020, when travel was still very much a possibility, so were collaborations of the most intimate and direct kind; Shez Raja would know. The Londoner (born to an Asian father and English mother) traveled to Lahore in a bid to explore his heritage as well as the classical music of the region. He says over a video call, “There’s no substitute for being with musicians and working with musicians. We press the record button, we started playing and it happened… which can’t happen online, which can only happen in person.”

Tales from the Punjab, which released in March, was recorded by seasoned producer and guitarist Mekaal Hasan and makes for a mellifluous conversation between a jazz fusion artist like Raja and Pakistani artists of varying musical experience and lineage. Across prewritten compositions brought to the rehearsal space by Raja and completely improvised tracks, the album props up a meditative, dexterous bridge between Indian classical and jazz.