Keshav Sathe


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Keshav Sathe (b. January 31, 1928 in Bombay) is an Indian tabla player, best-known for his contributions to the Indo-Jazz Fusion genre. His significant collaborations include work with Joe Harriott and John Mayer in 1965-70; The Irene Schweizer Trio, Barney Wilen and Manfred Schoof in 1967; and later work with John Renbourn, Danny Thompson and Julie Felix.

Sathe began his professional career in Bombay in 1951, working with a local Indian vocalist by the name of Kelkar. He moved to the United Kingdom in 1956, and joined a group formed by Ayana Deva Angadi, known as the Asian Music Circle. He worked with visiting Indian sitarist Bhaskar Chandavarkar, and in 1961 they played together with the harmonica virtuoso Larry Adler. This was Sathe’s first contact with jazz.

In 1965 Sathe began his Indo Jazz Fusion performances and recordings with John Mayer and Joe Harriott, a musical relationship that lasted until 1970. In 1967 he was invited with his trio (with Diwan Motihar, sitar, and Kasan Thakur, tamboura) to join the trio of jazz pianist Irène Schweizer (together with Barney Wilen, Mani Neumeier, Uli Trepte and Manfred Schoof). They appeared at the Donaueschingen Festival and Berlin Jazz Tage. The album “Jazz Meets India” was recorded in Villingen (Black Forest).
From 1970–73 he worked and toured with Julie Felix and Danny Thompson. Through Danny, in 1974, he joined The John Renbourn Group with John Renbourn, Jacqui McShee and Tony Roberts, touring UK, Europe and USA, and producing records, including “A Maid in Bedlam” and “The Enchanted Garden“.

In the 1980s, Sathe formed a group with Tony Roberts which included the dancer Shobhana Jeyasingh, and toured UK and Northern Ireland. With the singer Alisha Sufit and group, he made the record “Magic Carpet”. From 1965–1993 he regularly accompanied the late singer/dancer Surya Kumari in recitals and teaching workshops.

Apart from these, Kesh has made numerous incidental recordings, worked for television, radio, and taught tabla until 2003.

APPEARANCES +


Davy Graham
He Moved Through The Fair - The Complete 1960s Recordings
2024, CD, Album, RE + CD, Album, RE + CD, Album, RE + CD, Cherry Tree, ,
Folk
Various
Deviation Street (High Times In Ladbroke Grove 1967-1975)
2023, 3xCD, Comp, RM + Box, Grapefruit Records, ,
Alternative Rock/Acid Rock/Blues Rock/Experimental/Krautrock/Prog Rock/Psychedelic Rock/Space Rock
Various
And Did Those Feet... (Six British Jazz Composers)
2023, 2xCD, Jazz In Britain, ,
Post Bop/Free Jazz
Indo-Jazz Fusions* / Larry Adler
Indo Jazz Fusions with Larry Adler
2022
John Renbourn Group*
A Maid In Bremen
2020, CD, Album, MIG, ,
Folk/Medieval
Chris Thompson
Drunken Nights In Dublin
2018
John Mayer
Bread Is Your Only Friend / Pompadom
2015, 2xFile, MP3, 320, First Hand Records
Amancio D'Silva
Konkan Dance
2015
Joe Harriott, John Mayer
The Newly Discovered Recordings
2014, 2xFile, MP3, RM, 320, First Hand Records
John Mayer's Indo Jazz Fusions*
Etudes / Radha Krishna
2008, CD, Comp, First Hand Records
Various
The All New Electric Muse
2008, 3xCD, Comp, RM + Box, Universal Music,
The Amorphous Androgynous*
A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble Vol 1 - Cosmic Space Music
2008, 2x CD, ,
Folk Rock/Indie Rock/Avantgarde/Psychedelic Rock/Funk/Folk
Various
Jazz For Meditation
2007, CD, ,
Soul-Jazz/Space-Age/Free Jazz/Modal/Hard Bop/Indian Classical/Contemporary Jazz
John Renbourn
Collected
1999, CD, Comp, Music Club
Davey Graham*
All That Moody
1999
Various
Jazz Meets Asia
1997, CD, Comp, MPS Records, Motor Music, ,
Free Jazz/Modal
John Renbourn
BBC Live In Concert
1996, CD, ,
Folk
John Martyn
Sweet Little Mysteries - The Island Anthology
1994, 2x CD, ,
Folk Rock
Alisha Sufit
Alisha Through The Looking Glass
1993
Prince Far I With The Suns Of Arqa*
Musical Revue
1993
Melanie Harrold & Olly Blanchflower
From The Heart
1990, CD, Album, Olanie Music
Julie Felix
The Witch Song / The Sea And The Sky
1988
John Martyn
Piece By Piece
1986, CD, ,
Folk Rock/Alternative Rock
George Fenton
The Jewel In The Crown
1984
Royal Shakespeare Company
Poppy = 罌粟 (Original Cast Recording)
1982
John Renbourn Group*
The Enchanted Garden
1980
Chris Thompson
Minstrelsy
1977, LP, Album, Warner Bros. Records
John Martyn
One World
1977, LP, Album, ✱, Island Records
Julie Felix
Hota Chocolata
1977
John Martyn
One World
1977, ,
Folk Rock/Experimental/Reggae
Chris Thompson
Echoes From The Pit
1976, LP, Direction Records (2)
Joe Harriott And John Mayer Double Quintet*
Indo-Jazz Fusions
1976
Various
Jazz Meets The World
1975, 2x Vinyl, ,
Free Jazz/Free Improvisation
John Martyn
Sunday's Child
1975, Vinyl Pink Rim, ,
Folk Rock
Slapp Happy
Slapp Happy
1974
Julie Felix
Lightning
1974
Chris Thompson
Drunken Nights In Dublin
1974
Clem Alford
Mirror Image
1974, Vinyl, ,
Indian Classical/Psychedelic Rock
Suryakumari
The Songs Of India
1973, LP, Album, Polydor
Fischer & Epstein
Two Faced
1973, LP, Album, Gat, Greene Bottle Records, Inc., ,
Folk Rock/Soft Rock
John Martyn
Inside Out
1973
Chris Thompson
Chris Thompson
1973
Cosmic Eye
Dream Sequence
1972
Davy Graham & Holly*
Godington Boundry
1970, Vinyl, ,
Contemporary Jazz/Jazz-Rock/Folk Rock
Meic Stevens
Outlander
1970
John Mayer (2), Indo-Jazz Fusion
Indo-Jazz-Fusions
1969
Buzz Linhart*
Buzzy
1969
Jan & Lorraine*
Gypsy People
1969, Vinyl, ,
Folk Rock/Acoustic/Pop Rock/Psychedelic Rock
Joe Harriott - John Mayer Double Quintet*
Indo-Jazz Fusions II
1968
Dewan Motihar Trio, Irene Schweizer Trio*, Manfred Schoof, Barney Wilen
Jazz Meets India
1967, Vinyl, ,
Free Jazz/Modal/Indian Classical
Joe Harriott - John Mayer Double Quintet*
Indo-Jazz Fusions
1967
Jayasri Banerjee
Classical Indian Ragas
1967
Buzzy Linhart
Buzzy Linhart Is Music
Various
Middle East Suite / India
1976, LP, Lib, KPM Music
Various
Electric Psychedelic Sitar Headswirlers Volumes 1-11
2015, 11xCD, Comp, RM, Unofficial, Rubble (2), ,
Psychedelic Rock/Folk/Jazz-Rock/Experimental
Jan & Lorraine*
Gypsy People
2006