I first discovered Trilok Gurtu's music around 25 to 30 years ago when it was playing in a record store. It was like my soul instantly connected with his music, and I've been following his work ever since.
About a decade later, I had the incredible opportunity to back up Trilok in a performance. Let me tell you, he left me completely awestruck. During the sound check, he did something mind-blowing – he used his left hand and left foot on a standard drum set while simultaneously using his right hand and foot to create a completely different rhythm on an Indian percussion setup. "Wow" is the only word that can capture what I witnessed and heard; it was truly breathtaking, and it left my brain and heart wanting more. Later, I had the pleasure of meeting Trilok in person. I can confidently say that he's not only an extraordinary musician but also a genuinely nice person to chat with.
Trilok Gurtu's musical journey began in Bombay, India, where he was born into a musical family. He started playing at a very young age and later travelled to Europe, where he joined the Don Cherry quartet and went on to tour worldwide with groups like Oregon, collaborating with jazz and world music greats. Over the years, he evolved as a musician and performer, blending modern jazz and rock with elements of Indian rhythms and singing into his compositions. His stage presence and humorous presentations added a unique aspect to his performances.
Essential Info
Music free to stream - https://pod.co/nudirections
Explore our Website - https://www.raysroom.org
Dive into Blogs, interviews and content, Music, Videos, Images, and Albums to listen to and purchase And more at 2BJazz - https://2bjazz.com
I've turned this special project into a blog post to include all the extra information. Check it out by clicking the link - https://www.raysroom.org/blogs/trilok-gurtu
Rays Info - https://www.raysinfo.org
All social media links and more - https://www.raysroom.org/ndfm-link-tree
Email - [email protected]
Enjoy the Music I Love
Ray
Ray
Playlist
Trilok Gutu – Shobharock
Trilok Gutu - Have We Lost Our Dream
Trilok Gutu – Believe
Trilok Gutu - Seven Notes to Heaven
Trilok Gutu – Vak
Trilok Gurtu Maya
Trilok Gutu - African Fantasy
Trilok Gurtu Jhulelal
Trilok Gurtu – 21 Spices
Trilok Gutu - Big Brother
Trilok Gutu - Crazy Saints
Trilok Gutu - Josef Erich
Trilok Gutu - The Other Tune
Trilok Gurtu Simon Phillips NDR Big band - Beaucoup
Useful links
Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilok_Gurtu
Trilok’s website - https://www.trilokgurtu.com/
Trilok’s Biography - https://www.trilokgurtu.com/biography.html
Recommended Album - Twenty Years Of Talking Tabla – Excellent definitive album of Trilok’s music
https://www.discogs.com/release/5189868-Trilok-Gurtu-Twenty-Years-Of-Talking-Tabla-The-Definitive-
YouTube
Trilok Gutu & Joe Zawinul (2 Masters) live recorded at the North Sea Jazz Festival 1994 – Highly recommended - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQWKbUC57_8
Jazz Matters
Jazz Matters is a not-for-profit hobby project that I’m extremely proud of.
It began life in May 2021 as NuDirections, a weekly radio show on a London community station. That spirit of discovery still runs through everything I do.
But today, Jazz Matters has evolved into a global podcast platform for Jazz and World music lovers — reaching over 40,000 open-minded listeners across 57 countries on more than 24 platforms.2025/6 marks a new era. My love of music has always gone beyond Jazz, so I’ve created two distinct but connected spaces here
Jazz Matters: Podcasts, Playlists and Music Videos.
Jazz Lines: Blogs, Interviews, Gallery & Pulse for Who's Shaping the Scene.
I’m also preparing a full digital relaunch from my new studio, from 1st May 2026, then every Jazz Matters podcast, mix, and special will stream exclusively from my website—no third-party platforms and no algorithms. Until then, you can listen here and on 24+ podcast platforms.
Alongside the music, you’ll find in Jazz Lines, my platform for blogs, interviews, gallery, and pulse that links to things that catch my ear and eye. A bold new chapter begins soon. New location. New music player. New studio.
Jazz Matters. Because the music — and everything around it — truly does.
Enjoy the music I love