Joged Kahyangan

Dewa Budjana’s second album with Moonjune Records, whom he met for the first time in 2013 and resulting in the first release of Dawai in Paradise, envisages a collaboration with West Coast renowned musicians out of his admiration of their jazz-nuanced spontaneity in interpreting all eight of his songs. Many think Dewa gets more mature by the way of writing the theme for Joged Kahyangan. He was fifty years old when this album was released.   
  

The melodic, Hindu and Middle Eastern fusion composition in Joged Kahyangan and the dynamic, heavy riffs Dan Hyang Story are the hits which also also represent repetitive and memorable composition commonly found in Joged Kahyangan. Recorded in Pasadena in just one day with no rehearsals and required less than 5 takes to finalize each track, the album materialized with the works of modern jazz artists, such as Larry Goldings (piano and organ),Bob Mintzer (saxophone and clarinet), Jimmy Johnson (bass), Janis Siegel (vocal), and Peter Erskine (drum). Peter has since 2002 helped Dewa making a name in international stage and introduced him to world prominent jazz musicians. Dewa names one of songs as Erskoman, Peter’s nickname, as a special piece dedicated to him.

The soulful voice Janis sings the only song with vocal in As You Leave My Nest. Siegel herself wrote the lyric together with Rabby Harry Levin. Dewa on the other hand, put the acoustic ballad style to the song. Its instrumental version called Bora’s Ballad showcases Dewa's sentimental side, bringing a peaceful conclusion to the stirring album. The funk composition in Guru Mandala combines the groovy mood with eastern exoticism. In Majik Blue, a song said to be dedicated to one of his often-used guitar, the Parker Fly Deluxe Majik Blue, a recurring melodic pattern using saxophone gets embellished in a fusion style.

Inspired by the spectacular setting of Jazz Gunung, a concert under the grace of nature and misty air in high-altitude, Joged Kahyangan tells the beauty of Indonesia in Dewa Budjana’s senses. After making millions selling with the pop-rock band GIGI in the course of 20 years, he is now in his ascendancy to become an Indonesian jazz master. And while taking along Moonjune Records to make the wider audience outside Indonesia aware of him on par with international stellar artists, he is already a jazz master in his own right.