About Glow of Benares
Glow of Benares is a studio album released on November 24, 2017, under the Dacapo label. The project merges Indian classical music with Western jazz and orchestral traditions. Danish clarinetist and composer Lars Møller led the collaboration, featuring the Aarhus Jazz Orchestra, Randers Kammerorkester, Indian violinist Kala Ramnath and tabla player Abhijit Banerjee.
The album comprises five original compositions that blend raga-inspired melodies with jazz harmonies and orchestral arrangements. Møller composed the works with input from Ramnath and Banerjee, integrating elements of Hindustani classical music into a contemporary ensemble setting. The Aarhus Jazz Orchestra and Randers Kammerorkester provided the primary instrumental foundation, while Ramnath contributed violin solos rooted in the North Indian classical tradition. Banerjee performed on tabla, anchoring the rhythmic framework with traditional tala patterns.
The opening track Glow of Benares establishes the album’s fusion approach, combining Møller’s clarinet improvisations with Ramnath’s violin in a raga-based structure. Indian Skies expands the orchestral texture, incorporating brass and woodwind sections alongside percussive interplay. Funky Jog introduces a rhythmic shift, blending jazz syncopation with classical Indian rhythmic cycles. Indian Train Ride employs dynamic tempo changes and thematic development, evoking the motion of a journey. The closing piece, Epilogue (Mumbai Footprints), synthesizes the album’s stylistic elements into a reflective conclusion.
Dacapo released the album in digital format on the same date as its premiere performance. The recording sessions took place in Denmark, though specific studio details remain undocumented. The collaboration marked a cross-cultural exchange between Scandinavian and Indian musicians, with live performances accompanying the release. Additional contextual information about the compositional process or reception is not publicly available.