BEGGARS AND SAINTS marks a turning point in the musical direction of Jai Uttal. It’s on this go-round that the celebrated world fusionist enters the digital age head on, replacing the new age/smooth jazz leanings of his previous efforts in favor of an eclectic mix of traditional Indian instrumentation and street-hip syncopated beats. Even the name BEGGARS AND SAINTS suggests this dichotomy; Indian street-smart edginess meets devotional chant and spiritual enlightenment. Uttal, with his husky vocals (reminiscent of a Sting-Peter Gabriel hybrid) and an arsenal of Asian instrumentation standards (performed by his backing band, the Pagan Love Orchestra), aptly captures the spirit of the subcontinent and tweaks it just enough to make it appropriate for the new millennium.