Earlier this year, Yorkston/Thorne/Khan released their acclaimed third album Navarasa : Nine Emotions. The album had a strong conceptual thread running through it. In his review, Thomas Blake pointed out that the album’s concept was also partly key to it having such a liberating range of music. “The album’s title refers to the subcontinental principle that there are nine emotions which inform the creative process and are present in all artforms. This structure underpins the entire album and is partly responsible for the sheer range and scope of the music on offer here: where other concepts could be constrictive, this one is liberating.”
Yorkston/Thorne/Khan paired each song on the album to one of these emotions. Now, ahead of their UK headline tour (dates below), the trio (James Yorkston, Jon Thorne and Suhail Khan) share the video for “Sukhe Phool”, the album’s opening track and also our Song of the Day, which correlates to the emotion karuna (sorrow)…which “begins with a mournful sarangi and advances on a minimal bass motif. Khan’s vocals give way to Yorkston’s as the song becomes a beautiful, sad dialogue punctuated by the simplest of piano refrains.”
Director Jack Barraclough says of the video “James, Suhail and Jon’s collaboration is already so distinctive, and with the beautiful choreography added by Kali and Parbati, there is an intricate balance of all these performers coming together. So I wanted to direct Sukhe Phool with a light touch and just let the dancers and musicians do their thing, and make sure the video reflected this delicate balance.”
Dance Casting – Kadam Dance
Choreographer/Dancer – Kali Chandrasegaram
Dancer – Parbati Chaudhury
Upcoming Yorkston/Thorne/Khan live dates
TUE, MAR 10
COLCHESTER ARTS CENTRE
COLCHESTER
WED, MAR 11
KINGS PLACE
LONDON
THU, MAR 12
MAC
BIRMINGHAM
FRI, MAR 13
THE MET
BURY
SAT, MAR 14
MUSIC ROOM, LIVERPOOL PHIL
LIVERPOOL
SUN, MAR 15
BRISTOL FOLK HOUSE
BRISTOL
THU, MAR 19
STAPLEFORD GRANARY
STAPLEFORD
FRI, MAR 20
SELBY TOWN HALL
SELBY
SAT, MAR 21
CATSTRAND
NEW GALLOWAY
SUN, MAR 22
SUMMERHALL
EDINBURGH
MON, MAR 23
PERTH THEATRE
PERTH
TUE, MAR 24
EDEN COURT INVERNESS
INVERNESS
WED, MAR 25
THE OLD BRIDGE INN
AVIEMORE
THU, MAR 26
THE BARN – MULTI – ARTS CENTRE
BANCHORY
FRI, MAR 27
TOLBOOTH
STIRLING
SAT, MAR 28
EASTGATE THEATRE & ARTS CENTRE
PEEBLES
Tickets and details here: https://www.yorkstonthornekhan.com/
Photo credit – Jon Pountney