Garaj Majal is one of the most sophisticated funk-jazz-world-fusion bands of the past 25 years and a personal favorite. They’ve just released the terrific album “Rotifer,” an eclectic collection of nine tunes, each one sparkling in its own right. The band started as a quartet in the year 2000 with two of the founding members Fareed Haque (guitar) and Kai Eckhardt (bass) still active as the core of the band. In the early 2000s, the band was a major touring act and released four albums. When their first album, “Mondo Garaj,” was released in 2003, it was on repeat on my playlist for several months. I never got to see them during those heady days and they went on touring hiatus starting around 2011.
I finally got to see them live at Suwannne Hulaween 2019 and recorded that set (check out the YouTube video here: Garaj Majal at Hulaween 2018) and got to meet Kai as well. To this day, it’s one of the best sets I’ve ever seen at Hulaween, and I’ve been every year since 2017.
It was a real treat to learn of the release of “Rotifer,” and as usual, I’m doing research to find out more about the origins of this very special recording. A rotifer is actually a microorganism that lives in aquatic environments and consume algae and bacteria , in turn becoming fish food themselves. I’m not sure how that links to the music but it sure makes for an interesting title. There’s also the cryptic track titles, “brd” and “agp,” which add to the mystical nature of the album.
Since 2018, the band has used a rotating lineup. On “Rotifer,” Haque and Eckhardt are joined by the veterans Oz Ezzeldin (keys) and Hassan Hurd (drums) and the lineup excels and gels on every track. The album remains interesting through multiple plays as the tracks include burning fusion instrumentals, funky jams, vocal voyages and even a fair bit of scatting. Join me on the listening journey, track-by-track of one of the best albums you’ll hear this year!
7 Minds starts simply with a fairy tale-like opening reminiscent of Chick Corea’s “Musicmagic.” There are a few inaudible voices that contribute to that feel. Once the full band hits, it does feel like classic Return to Forever fusion. The band immediately is firing on all cylinders with some power chords and airy runs. Haque takes the first solo – a rapid-fire quick trip. Ezzeldin takes the second solo and pretty much matches the pace that Haque had set. The main theme is well established by this point, and it stacked up to the end with repeated flourishes from Hurd. At the very end there’s a bit of scatting, which happens as a through line for several of the album’s songs.
Brd starts off funky and stays there with some faint scratching and then a pocket jam from all the players. The three-way synchronization of the guitar-keys-bass with Hurd as timekeeper is hypnotic. Haque has the first solo, and it brilliantly segues right back into the main theme seamlessly before popping in and out of solo mode. It’s an absolute roller-coaster ride with the guitar jumping the tracks every little bit. Ezzeldin takes the next turn and is a bit like some of the early Yellow Jackets recordings. Haque then takes over again trading with Ezzeldin a bit right up to the end.
Some Rules is the first vocal tune of the album, as provided by Angelo Moore (Fishbone) and Cautious Clay. The song is all about taking chances, especially when trying to get ahead. “Keep love in the driver’s seat; that is how you flourish, staying on your feet,” are some words worth noting, and they endure. This song has apparently been brewing for some time, as I’ve found versions going as far back as 2010. After the initial verse, there’s a nice interlude from Ezzeldin. This is a solid, super soulful song.
Crisco Rides Again is a standout tune on this album featuring what I believe is Haque’s custom-made guitar-sitar that enables him to play a combo instrument, imparting a distinctive sound. The dexterity of the players is astounding, and then they throw in a bit of rapid fire scatting to augment the machine-gun pattern. Ezzeldin gets to mimic his colleagues, and it’s excellent. But it’s Haque’s magic that casts the strongest spell. Fly Agaric is the background vocalist, and his addition is a great effect as well. The last section has Ezzeldin and Eckhardt driving a dreamlike sequence in a very soothing finish with Agaric scatting it out.
Agp is the second of two cryptically titled tunes. It starts with a pulsing bass line from Eckhardt that undergirds the whole track. It’s an Ezzeldin highlight on the album with him carrying the melody early. Haque comes in midway to ride along with the bass before handing back over to the keys. Agp has a jaunty feel of what could be a lyricless Steely Dan tune.
Inner Vibe starts with a marimba-sounding keys intro and dives into a full fusion sound with each player seemingly leveling up together. Ezzeldin has a gorgeous piano solo early on with perfect accentuation from the rhythm section. Eckhardt takes his first bass solo of the album, and it’s amazing. He and Hurd play extremely well together. Haque picks up next with that improv feel of everyone drifting first and then convening together in the middle. Hurd gets a solo bit at the end, trading licks with both Eckhardt and Ezzeldin. It’s a strong piece, again with a bit of scatting at the end.
Doin’ It Again begins with the quartet grooving together, before yielding to some spacey synth from Ezzeldin. The keys and guitar basically lock in together for much of this melody, with the rhythm section as a counterbalance. Haque performs some masterful solo work midway. For me, it’s a bit of an dichotomy, enthralling and relaxing simultaneously. The same effect occurs with Ezzeldin’s subsequent excellent solo.
Pairs opens with Haque playing a repeated eight-pattern, and the others jump in. In a loosely connected way this futuristic sound reminds me of my favorite jamtronica band, Lotus. The interaction between the keys and guitar is like a high-speed joust. Pairs is one of the funkier tunes on the album as well, and Haque really stands out in the middle section. Ezzeldin plays a synth section that Deodato (look it up) would be proud of. Finally, Haque and Ezzeldin come together at the end—I wish it went longer!
We Are the Survivors is the second vocal tune featuring Angelo Moore and Cautious Clay, who also plays flute on this one. Cautious raps with the rest of the band chanting the title as lyrics. The combination makes this song unique for the album and yet is a great finisher. Haque has another solo midway and is joined by the flute and piano before the second verse of rap. I’ve seen a couple of videos of this track but not with the vocals, which make it even stronger. Ezzeldin lays down a very jazzy second solo before the third vocal round. The final words closeout “Amen to that” for the finishing touch.