About 21 Spices
21 Spices is a studio album by percussionist and composer Trilok Gurtu in collaboration with drummer Simon Phillips and the NDR Bigband. The album combines elements of Indian classical music, jazz fusion, and orchestral arrangements. Gurtu and Phillips co-led the project, with the NDR Bigband providing brass, woodwind, and rhythmic sections under the direction of conductor Colin Towns.
Gurtu composed the majority of the material, blending traditional Indian rhythms with contemporary jazz structures. Phillips contributed drum programming and co-wrote select tracks. The NDR Bigband recorded their parts at the NDR Funkhaus in Hamburg, Germany, while Gurtu and Phillips overlaid percussion and electronic elements in separate sessions. The album features seven original compositions, including the title track 21 Spices, which incorporates Konnakol vocal percussion and layered polyrhythms.
The label MIG released 21 Spices on February 25, 2011, in CD format. Notable tracks include Peace Of Five, a piece built around a 5/4 time signature with tabla and drum kit interplay, and Kuruk Setra, which references the Mahabharata epic through its thematic motifs. Jhulelal draws from Sindhi devotional traditions, while Broken Rhythms explores irregular metric cycles with electronic textures. The track 1-2 Beaucoup features call-and-response patterns between the big band and percussionists, and Balahto integrates Carnatic-inspired melodies with jazz harmonies.
The album’s production emphasized live ensemble interaction, with minimal post-production editing. Gurtu employed traditional instruments such as the ghatam, kanjira, and mridangam alongside Phillips’ electronic drum pads. The NDR Bigband’s arrangements expanded the compositions’ dynamic range, incorporating collective improvisation sections. Critical reception at the time noted the fusion of disparate musical traditions, though specific commercial performance data remains undocumented.
No official music videos or alternate editions of 21 Spices were released. The album’s liner notes include contributions from Gurtu on the compositional process and Phillips on the rhythmic concepts. The cover art features abstract imagery evoking spice markets, designed by an uncredited artist under MIG’s direction.