Shez Raja ft Guthrie Govan

Voted one of the ‘Hottest Bass Players in the World’ by readers of Bass Player magazine, Shez Raja is a seriously talented musician and dynamic live performer whose work in a fascinating mix of Indo-jazz, funk and groove styles has propelled him to the forefront of the UK jazz scene, drawing comparisons to electric bass legend Jaco Pastorius. Over the past few years Shez has released the critically-acclaimed albums “Journey to Shambhala” (ft guitar genius Wayne Krantz and Indian percussion guru Trilok Gurtu) and “Gurutopia” (ft global jazz legends Mike Stern and Randy Brecker). He was also featured on BBC Radio 3's Jazz Line-Up and performed at the Royal Festival Hall and Islington Assembly Hall in London. For his latest record (‘Tales from the Punjab’ released on prestige label Ubuntu Music) Shez dug deep into his rich South Asian heritage to create his most exquisite and heartfelt work to date. Inspired by ancient ragas, traditional melodies and free improvisations, the music creates a bridge between cultures with beautiful, exotic and timeless sounds.

Following on from a succession of electrifying gigs, for this 606 show Shez has invited the extraordinary UK guitarist Guthrie Govan to be his special guest. Arguably the hottest guitarist on the international music scene today, he was voted ‘Guitarist of the Year’ by Guitarist Magazine and has previously been featured on the covers of both Guitar Player and Guitar World magazines. Guthrie’s 2006 solo album, “Erotic Cakes” was widely recognized as an instant classic, and to give some sense of his range and stature, he has also toured with Asia/GPS, Steven Wilson and Hans Zimmer.  Guthrie joins Shez’s frequent collaborators, rising star Jamie ‘Drumcat’ Murray on drums and Chris Jerome (Courtney Pine) on keyboards. The rapport between the virtuosity of Guthrie and Shez has proven to be absolutely inspired and reaches new heights with every performance. 

“The legendary electric guitar virtuoso elevated Raja’s Indo-funk sound with resounding success” Jazzwise; “The hip-shaking mix of Eastern song lines and funky Western dance-beats never wavers” **** Evening Standard; “Shez Raja personifies the modernisation of jazz. He is fearless as a musician.” All About Jazz ★★★★+