Praful is a native German, but he moved to Holland at the age of 23 to study at the Amsterdam School of Arts. There he studied saxophone and flute before disappearing for some soul-searching at an Indian ashram as well as in Brazil. When he returned, he was newly inspired, combining work with Indian, African, and Brazilian musicians with newly spawned electronic musical styles such as trip hop & drum ‘n’ bass. Praful sought to combine these musical styles employing production values found in modern smooth jazz and chill out music. This has been his musical vision since the ‘90s, and he continued to work this territory to some European success.

American listeners first caught wind of Praful with his 2003 release One Day Deep. That album, like the current one, was released on Dave Koz’s Rendezvous Entertainment (together with N-Coded Music). That album fit well into most smooth jazz radio playlists, and broke through in the U.S. on the strength of the hit single “Sigh.” Though One Day Deep was a simpler, less mutli-layered album than the latest, Pyramid In Your Backyard, the vision was similar, and there was enough individuality there to let astute listeners know that this was not the average smooth jazz release.

That individuality blossoms on Pyramid In Your Backyard. Before talking a bit about some of the specific tracks, I want to make it very clear to all readers that we are not talking about a jazz-based album here. This is music that is rooted in contemporary, smooth instrumental music, but which incorporates very interesting elements that include Brazilian, African, and Middle Eastern rhythms and percussion as well as vocals, and a healthy dose of European trip-hop and ambient chill out music. It could appeal equally to adventurous listeners of smooth jazz or electronica. Ultimately, its soul seems closest to electronica. To judge Pyramid In Your Backyard as jazz or even smooth jazz is to judge it on alien terms.

The same trio of Praful, Roberto Adani, and Daniel Wolf powers this CD, with the addition of some powerful vocal performances. Brazilian singer Katia Moraes contributes strong lead vocals to the beat-propelled proto-samba “Acredite” and the trippy, Eastern-influenced ‘Ponto De Partida.” Indian singer Sandhya Sanjana brings her tantalizing voice to the bubbling “Says Kabir,” on which Praful also plays bansuri, the Indian bamboo flute. These are among the most interesting tracks, along with the funky opener, “Moon Glide” and the swirling beat of “Drop To the Ocean.” A few tracks serve up more standard contemporary R&B fare, such as “April Seven,” “Naked,” and “Eternity.” These are among the least interesting tracks. The rest fall somewhere in between, but the overall effect is what’s important on an album of this type, and there is no doubt that Praful is able to create and sustain a mood that is sophisticated, smooth, multi-cultural, and playful on Pyramid In Your Backyard.