Praful

Pyramid in Your Backyard

(Rendezvous Entertainment)

First things first: Except for the lead track called “Moon Glide,” the new CD by Dutch saxophonist/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Praful is nothing like his smashing debut, One Day Deep. But some background is in order: That album was originally released way back in 2001, but hit the U.S. by storm in 2003 thanks to a U.S. distribution deal and the hits “Sigh” and “Let the Chips Fall.” That album helped Praful become a leader in the chill music crowd, exposed many smooth jazz listeners to the format and even helped Praful get a high-profile gig on the Dave Koz & Friends tour this summer.

With Pyramid in Your Backyard, Praful avoids mining the successful grooves that populated One Day Deep, which would have been the easy and logical thing to do. But, working with producers and Rendezvous labelmates Adani & Wolf, Praful has made a wonderfully exotic CD that further explores his love of Brazilian and Indian music. The album has several guest vocalists singing in English, Portuguese and Indian Hindi. Among them are Sandhya Sanjana from India and Katia Moraes from Brazil – who is a member of Praful’s band – and even Praful himself. The Brazilian bossa nova tracks, “Acredite,” “Ponto de Partida” and “Eternity,” are smooth and sophisticated, while the Indian-flavored tunes, especially “Says Kabir,” are exotic and unusual to Western ears but still maintain the familiar percussion-heavy beats Praful employs to great effect.

Standout instrumental tracks include the spare and jazzy “We Live On,” where you can hear for yourself – and appreciate – Praful’s skill on the sax. “Hand-Cart Puller” features a guitar loop, bountiful percussion and a rapid pace, while “Drop to the Ocean” is a chill/electronica classic with jazzy sax interludes. “Wishful Walk” comes straight from the Pat Metheny school of samba, with a languid beat and wistful vocalese, while “Naked” is a quiet smooth jazz gem with soothing vocals by Praful.

Pyramid in Your Backyard takes a little getting used to if you’ve listened to One Day Deep a million times. But it quickly becomes apparent that Praful has made a compelling and worthy sequel on his own terms.