GUITARIST NOSHIR MODY RELEASES "UNION OF HEARTS", A SET OF QUIETLY PASSIONATE MUSIC Noshir Mody, a guitarist with his own unclassifiable style and distinctive sound, recently released Union Of Hearts, a trio CD with bassist Daniel Foose and drummer Kim Garey. Comprised of Mody's nine originals, Union Of Hearts is filled with music that is often introspective and relaxed but full of inner fire. The same thing can be said for Noshir Mody's style. A technically skilled virtuoso guitarist, Mody prefers to build up his solos slowly and thoughtfully, using space dramatically and making every sound count. On Union Of Hearts, he makes unusual time signatures (“Swirl” is a floating ballad in 7/4 time while “Union Of Hearts,” which is in 5/4, has the feel of Indian music) sound effortless. He creates such atmospheric pieces as “What Is Love?” which is a jazz waltz, the peaceful but quietly heated “Spread Your Wings,” a medium-tempo “My Wish For You” which recalls the Hungarian guitarist Gabor Szabo, and the upbeat closer “Schwabacher's Landing.” Each selection leads logically into the next piece, the interplay between the three musicians make the players seem to think and sound like one, and Noshir Mody carves out his own place in modern music. Born and raised in Bombay, India, Noshir Mody was self-taught on guitar, which partly accounts for his unique sound. Also a factor is that he grew up hearing a wide variety of music, everything from Al DiMeola's Elegant Gypsy to Indian classical music, rock to music from Bollywood. After he moved to New York in 1995, Mody was fully exposed to jazz, put together his own trio, and played regularly in local clubs. His open-minded approach to music could be heard in two groups that he led: the EthniFusion Rock Ensemble and the EthniFusion Jazz Ensemble. His 2008 solo guitar recording In This World With You put the focus on his impressionistic playing and cinematic originals. With the formation of a new trio and the release of Union Of Hearts, Noshir Mody is poised to make a major impact on contemporary music. His group has the ability to create lengthy but melodic improvisations on his songs that bring listeners along on a musical travelogue. Union Of Hearts is a giant step forward in his musical journey.