Spellbound

Spellbound is a studio album by Indian percussionist and composer Trilok Gurtu, released on April 19, 2013, under the label Moosicus Records. The album follows Gurtu’s signature fusion of Indian classical rhythms with jazz, world music and electronic elements. The release format is a single CD containing twelve tracks.

The album features a mix of original compositions and reinterpretations of works by other artists. Notable tracks include a live improvisation titled Improvisation Live: Don Cherry & Trilok Gurtu, a tribute to the late jazz trumpeter Don Cherry, with whom Gurtu collaborated extensively. The tracklist also covers Manteca, a composition associated with Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo, and Jack Johnson / Black Satin, a fusion piece blending Miles Davis’s Jack Johnson with Billy Cobham’s Black Satin. Additional tracks such as Cuckoo, Berchidda and Like Popcorn showcase Gurtu’s percussive experimentation, while Universal Mother and the title track Spellbound emphasize meditative and rhythmic depth.

The album closes with All Blues, another Miles Davis standard, and a combined medley of Cosmic Roundabout / Brown Rice, the latter originally by Don Cherry. The final track, Thank You by Don Cherry, serves as a direct homage to Gurtu’s longtime collaborator. The recording process and contributing musicians for the album remain partially undocumented, though Gurtu’s use of traditional Indian instruments like the tabla and konnakol alongside electronic percussion and synthesizers is consistent with his established style.

Spellbound received distribution through Moosicus Records, an independent label associated with Gurtu’s later works. The release date coincided with promotional events, though specific tour or performance details from 2013 are not widely recorded. The album contributes to Gurtu’s discography as a continuation of his cross-genre explorations, bridging Indian classical traditions with contemporary global sounds.