German Musician Praful - An Intoxicating Mix of Jazz and World Music

Exotic... Enticing... Enigmatic... Have you heard of the German-born musician, Praful? (Pronounced Praw-fool'.) I often think that his CD "One Day Deep" (released in 2003) is perhaps the best musical purchase I've ever made.

This guy is a saxophonist and flutist extraordinaire and his sound is very hard to categorize. I first heard him on the local Smooth Jazz station with his song, "Sigh." I later heard a live interview with him on the same station where they played a few of the other songs off of the CD (the only other time they played anything but "Sigh"). Music sometimes takes time to grow on me, but when I heard a couple of the other songs I absolutely knew I'd be buying the CD.

Praful's music is a jazz fusion explosion that embodies electronica-style beats with funky undertones on some tracks and a bright Brazilian flair on others; all underlined with a very subtle signature. I haven't heard anything quite comparable.

The chronic paradiddle and enticing flute throughout his "Morphic Resonance" piece absolutely weave themselves through you. A similar feeling is evoked with the pressing bass and downright delirious sax heard on his "Let the Chips Fall" track. "Inspiracao" is alive with a Brazilian beat and bright, clear vocals and flute--much like "Corpo Suado," only there with the sultry sax in place of the flute. "Sinus Funktion" takes you through a full-bodied journey with exotic funk and lingering flute riffs. "Sonhar" has an unrelenting bass and evocative, exotic lyrics; it'll continue to echo in your head long after hearing it. "Teardrop Butterfly," with its acoustic guitar riff and visceral vocals, whispers a delicious, sensual simplicity that will likely leave you feeling warm all over.

"Sigh" is a wonderfully unique song itself. It has the unfortunate burden, however, of being the "popular" song off of the CD; the one the radio stations played over and over at the exclusion of the remaining treasure trove. (Speaks volumes of the corporatization of our radio stations--a far cry from a DJ playing whatever sounds good within a particular genre.) A simply incredible, multi-layered remix of this particular song can be found on Mark Gorbulew's "Rendezvous Lounge."

There is a strikingly exotic quality to Praful's music that is only partly due to the fact that much of it is sung in languages other than English (perhaps lending to the categorization of "World Music" by some). This is the kind of music that, once you find it, you wish could be replicated a thousand times over--only made different!--so that you could fill your musical library with more of these exceptionally rich and unique sounds.