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He may have been born in South Africa, but Deepak Ram’s soul lives in his parents’ native land of India. Everything that comes out of his bansuri flute feels like it’s been inspired by the eternal beauty of Indian music. Made of bamboo, the instrument at first seems slight, but the way Ram is able to use it to excite his trio of musicians gives it an exciting new stature. Their accomplishment on Steps is one not to miss. They take the music of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Darius Brubeck and American standards like “Summertime” and “My Funny Valentine” along with two Ram originals, and build them into meditations that sound like they should be played inside both the Taj Mahal and Carnegie Hall. It’s the sonic surrealism of different realities running into each other that makes the whole album feel like an accomplishment. It’s an East meets West aura, as Deepak Ram uses the improvised jazz support from drums, bass and guitar to add fire to his flute. Initial adjustments to this innovative coupling of styles is rapidly replaced by the idea it’s a combination just waiting to occur. Ram is a well-known artist in India, and his embrace of American jazz should soon allow him an equal presence in the U.S. It really is like having the best of both worlds, musical détente of the highest order.
