Dewa Budjana

Joined by a superb cast of marquee players, Dewa Budjana's new release, 'Hasta Karma,' sets a new benchmark for modern progressive jazz excellence in the 21st century. With a vibe and feel more akin to that of a band with decades of experience together, Dewa and his stellar session-mates - the legendary NYC vibraphonist, Joe Locke, and Pat Metheny Unity Group's rhythm core: the fabulous, articulate young upright bassist, Ben Williams, and the extraordinary maestro drummer, Antonio Sanchez - create superlative atmospheric textures that transport listeners to destinations of soaring altitude. Augmenting proceedings further is the glowing work of the legendary Indonesian keyboardist, Indra Lesmana. Showcasing his compositional and arrangement skills at their absolute finest, most finely-honed, Budjana has delivered his ultimate masterpiece in 'Hasta Karma. ' Capitalizing on their extraordinary gifts, Dewa Budjana pushes the band, and his music, to new, unparalleled heights. Oozing quality at every turn and dripping emotion throughout, this is music that is supremely visionary, ambitious and majestic. . . . and, perhaps in spite of its polish, it is undeniably straight from the heart. All the players involved contribute some of the most convincing performances of their impressive careers, yet the multifarious displays of individual greatness never upstage the corporate sanctity of the musical moment. This is modern progressive jazz at its most sensitive -- and its very best