Atlas Maior - “Nazuk” (w/ Ali Pervez Mehdi)

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 2

Pairs Well With…Chick Corea, Ibrahim Maalouf, Mati Salo Quartet

Austin’s Atlas Maior followed up 2019 World-fusion album Ripcord last year with a pair of singles alongside Pakistani vocalist Ali Pervez Mehdi, further delving into the band’s traditional Eastern influences. While leaning into the mysterious melodies of Mehdi’s vocals, both “Nazuk” and especially “Ya Ali” still swing, Latin jazz informing the rhythm section to stir a unique blend. Atlas Maior’s strength is in this unique stew that can sound on the edge of chaos or in smooth tandem dependent on the mood of any of their adventurous tracks. (Kevin McStravick)

2020 Review: Austin jazz fusionists Atlas Maior blend Latin, Middle Eastern and other worldly jazz influences in their music, having genres play in conversation through sharp, melodic placement. The instrumental trio has a patient, spacious approach to their performance with horn, bass, and percussion all playing equally important parts in their far-reaching blend. By dipping into melodic and percussive structures from across the globe, Atlas Maior’s 2019 record Ripcord adds moving diversity to the band’s sound, striking interest in moments both improvisational and compositionally tight.