The Bop Shop's non-profit arm Bop Arts is presenting saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa's Indo-Pak Coalition this Thursday, December 4th at 8pm at the Bop Shop Atrium at Village Gate in Rochester. Indo-Pak Coalition is Mahanthappa's current trio project including Rez Abbasi on guitar, and Dan Weiss on tabla. I've been listening to his new album, Kinsmen on Pi Records. Mahanthappa mixes the sounds of his Indian ancestry with straight up bop and a wide assortment of other influences to make a sound that is unique and compelling. Really wish I was going to be in town (but I'll be about as far from hearing Mahanthappa as possible in South East Kansas). A $10 donation is requested to help Bop Arts to continue bringing us such music. Give more if you can...

You can check out some of the music off Kinsmen and other albums and video on Mahanthappa's Myspace page and on his page at AllAboutJazz.

Check out Saby Reyes-Kulkarni's interview, INTERVIEW: Rudresh Mahanthappa Indo-Pak Coalition: Building a better hybrid,in City Newspaper.