Muruga & The Cosmic Hoedown Band

This million selling and most widely read jazz book says this about muruga
and other master drummers and percussionist in his rank.

"The impact and the "totality" of percussive rhythms
from many countries of the earth becomes clear when
you realize that Weather Report, the most successful
fusion group of the seventies, employed one or
more percussionist in addition to the drummer
during most of that decade. The first percussionist player
in addition to the drummer during most of that
players in the group was also the first with Miles Davis
and Chick Corea; Airto. After him come Dom Um Romao,
Alejandro Neciosup Acunua, Manola Badrena, Alyrio Lima,
and "MURUGA BOOKER" (the latter not only on Latin American,
but also on Moroccan and Israeli drums)---musicians, in other words,
who belong to or have mastered the most diverse musical cultures.`

The Jazz Book, Page 287
Lawrence Hill & Company






- Joachim E. Berendt

Let's Get together
The San Francisco cultural community turned out in force to welcome
RELIX magazine publisher Toni Brown and Relix Records president Les Kippel.

.. " The cream of the crop of the Bay Area music scene was also well represented.
Each year's fete is highlighted by a musical jam, and this year's entertainment
was easily the best ever. While attendees munched on sushi and hors d'oeuvres,
they were treated to the magical sounds of MURUGA BOOKER. Best know for his
collaboration with Merl Saunders and Jerry Garcia on "Blues from the RainForest"
(Grammy Nominated). MURUGA BOOKER wove a spell over
the crowd with his band's syncopated rhythm.. "

..." Booker was joined during his performance by Big Brother drummer David Getz.
An all star jam that hit new musical heights "...


- Relix Magazine article

Save MOTHER EARTH: Merl Saunders and The Rainforest Band
made a triumphant return to San Francisco following a wildly
successful tour of the US performing an outstanding benefit
concert at THE GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL. The show,
which benefited the Rainforest Action Network, found the
veteran keyboardist in a decidedly funky groove, as the
evening quickly became a celebration of Saunders nearly
40 years on the Bay Area music scene.

Saunders made it a habit of performing with some of the worlds greatest
musicians and The Rainforest Band has to go down as one of the best groups
Saunders has performed with to date and they include
Blues From The Rainforest collaborator Muruga Booker on drums,.."

"Muruga who has toured and recorded with Dave Brubeck,
Weather Report, and the late Tim Hardin, was nothing short
of sensational as his solid percussion sensibility became
the heartbeat of this phenomenal band. - Relix Magazine

Let's Get together
The San Francisco cultural community turned out in force to welcome
RELIX magazine publisher Toni Brown and Relix Records president Les Kippel.

.. " The cream of the crop of the Bay Area music scene was also well represented.
Each year's fete is highlighted by a musical jam, and this year's entertainment
was easily the best ever. While attendees munched on sushi and hors d'oeuvres,
they were treated to the magical sounds of MURUGA BOOKER. Best know for his
collaboration with Merl Saunders and Jerry Garcia on "Blues from the RainForest"
(Grammy Nominated). MURUGA BOOKER wove a spell over
the crowd with his band's syncopated rhythm.. "

..." Booker was joined during his performance by Big Brother drummer David Getz.
An all star jam that hit new musical heights "...


- Relix Magazine article

by Jim Rosenthal
The Dark Star of the 1990s?

You won't find it on a Grateful Dead album,
though it does exist. Blues From The Rainforest,
the first Jerry Garcia/Merl Saunders collaboration
in many years, is the ultimate evolution of the space
jam into a more integrated musical idiom.
In this new age/environmental recording,
the "space" is channeled into a
vehicle for communication.."

Muruga, a spaced out instrumentalist who has
played with Dave Brubeck, and Eddie Moore,
a drummer whose musical roots extend to the
classic Blue Note jazz recordings of the 1950s
and '60s, provide the background "fill" for each
tune.

.."Muruga, in fact, came up with the melodies
for two of the songs"


- Relix Magazine

Blues from the Rainforest
reached #2 on Billboard charts
for best album of the month and
was voted #9 for best album
of the year for new age jazz idiom.
It was also nominated for a Grammy. - Billboard Magazine

by Jim Rosenthal
The Dark Star of the 1990s?

You won't find it on a Grateful Dead album,
though it does exist. Blues From The Rainforest,
the first Jerry Garcia/Merl Saunders collaboration
in many years, is the ultimate evolution of the space
jam into a more integrated musical idiom.
In this new age/environmental recording,
the "space" is channeled into a
vehicle for communication.."

Muruga, a spaced out instrumentalist who has
played with Dave Brubeck, and Eddie Moore,
a drummer whose musical roots extend to the
classic Blue Note jazz recordings of the 1950s
and '60s, provide the background "fill" for each
tune.

.."Muruga, in fact, came up with the melodies
for two of the songs"


- Relix Magazine