Raga Jazz

About the Artist
Ray Spiegel is a disciple of the late Ustad Alla Rakha, master of the tabla drums and world famous musician and composer. Ray's involvement with Indian fusion music began while he was still a teenager in New York. He began playing tabla and touring with the East-West Chamber Ensemble led by composer/pianist John Cooper. He toured South Asia with the Ensemble in 1971, and stayed on in Indian to study for a year only months after graduating high school. After returning to the US, he studied vibraphone with Bobby Hutcherson in San Francisco, then tabla with Zakir Hussain. With Hussain and Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead) the Diga Rhythm Band was formed and "Diga" (United Artists, re-released by Rykodisk)was recorded in 1977, a landmark recording that still enjoys sales and airplay almost thirty years after it’s creation. Ray continued the exploration of Indian fusion music with jazz, and other styles with "Sum and Kali" (Simla House 1998) and collaborations with Zakir Hussain (Zakir Hussain and the Rhythm Experience), Danilo Perez, Karl Berger, and others. Although steeped in the traditional drumming of tabla, specifically the Punjab Gharana, Ray is dedicated to an original kind of music that does not employ gimmicks or electronics, but instead relies on a very high level of musicianship, carefully chosen band members who are top in their fields, and a creative spirituality shared by all members of the ensemble.

Product Description
Raga Jazz brings together many varied styles and cultures of music as well as some of today's best musicians. Ragas on the Indian slide guitar and sarangi sing beautiful melodies over carefully crafted grooves, with John Benitez' bass and Tani Tabbal’s drums locked in sync with Ray’s tabla. Barun Kumar Pal (slide guitar) provides soaring and beautiful melodies and solos, while complimented by the incredible Sarangi (bowed string instrument know as the "voice of 100 colors" in India) played by master Ramesh Misra. Stan Scott plays the acoustic 6 string guitar on several tracks and also the harmonium, the ubiquitous acoustic keyboard of India.

Tracks:

Introduction
Bangla Dhun - Ravi Shankar
Wah-Wah
My Sweet Lord
Awaiting On You All
That's The Way God Planned It - Billy Preston
It Don't Come Easy - Ringo Starr
Beware Of Darkness
Band Introduction
While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Tracks:

Medley: Jumpin' Jack Flash/Young Blood - Leon Russell
Here Comes The Sun
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall - Bob Dylan
It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry - Bob Dylan
Blowin' In The Wind - Bob Dylan
Mr. Tambourine Man - Bob Dylan
Just Like A Woman - Bob Dylan
Something
Bangla Desh
Love Minus Zero/No Limit - Bob Dylan

Amazon.com

Ravi Shankar planted the seed, but it was George Harrison who turned this historic benefit concert into reality. The publicity-shy former Beatle could've easily written a check and forgotten all about the matter--impoverished East Pakistani refugees stranded in India--but instead recruited some of his most talented and compassionate friends and created an event remembered as much for the quality of its music as the purity of its intent. (The two-part engagement itself raised $250,000.) The players include Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, and Bob Dylan, while the backing band includes Jim Keltner, Klaus Voormann, and the up-and-coming Apple band Badfinger (Phil Spector and Harrison produced). The concert took place on August 1, 1971 at Madison Square Garden and was released as a triple-album boxed set that December and a feature film in 1972. That year, it won the Grammy for best album. The program begins with Shankar and his trio ("Bangla Dhun") and ends with a song Harrison wrote for the occasion ("Bangla Desh"). Highlights include Billy Preston's rousing "That's the Way God Planned It" and Dylan's heartfelt five-song set, starting with "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall." The remaster adds an additional Dylan track, "Love Minus Zero/No Limit," from the afternoon show. Although the cover art has been changed to a picture of Harrison, the original iconic image of a sad-eyed child remains prominent in the CD and DVD packaging. As with previous versions of The Concert for Bangladesh, all artist royalties go to UNICEF or, as Harrison notes in his band introduction, "Nobody's gettin' paid for anything." --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Amazon.com

George Harrison Photos

More from George Harrison

The Best of George Harrison
All Things Must Pass
Living in the Material World

Cloud Nine
Dark Horse Years 1976-1992
The Concert for Bangladesh DVD

Customer Reviews:

Concert for Bangledessh.......2007-05-14

Wow dose this bring me back it is sad that George n friends are all but forgotten by most
This show was epic and a wonderful snapshot in time

The power of music.......2007-05-13

Rock can always contribute to a gentle cause in a unique manner. Real good music. Excellent performances by the artists. Sensational late 60's -early 70's. Buy it and listen to it.

CD is missing DVD songs and vice versa..........2007-04-01

For sheer musical enjoyment, I give this five stars.
Wait, subtract one star for cynical marketing ploy:
The CD has an exclusive track Mr. Tambourine Man.
The DVD has two exclusive tracks, Come on in my kitchen, and If Not For You
Plenty of room to include these tracks on both formats,
but they want you to buy both the DVD and the CD versions.

It all started right here..........2007-03-12

There's so much material here to discuss I believe the best way to analyze this project would to talk about the high points and low points.
High-The opening of "Wah-Wah" is a tremendous intro into the show with Harrison doing an excellent job of kick starting the proceedings, greatly assisted by Jim Horn and his Hollywood Horns. Billy Preston's "That's The Way God Planned It," gives the show a nice lift, especially the rousing finale (where he is dancing, which is obviously not seen on a cd). Ringo's word-dropping rendition of "It Don't Come Easy" gave some humanity to the whole event and kept it real. Leon Russell"s "Jumpin' Jack Flash/Youngblood" medley brough some funk to a mostly Anglo show and let the musicians flex their muscles a little. And though Clapton doesn't remember it today since he was stoned then, the dueting between him and Harrison on "While My Guitar Gentle Weeps" was great to hear. And hearing Dylan give a disciplined, understated performance was pleasant as well. An overlooked item I think is Harrison's rendition of his biggest Beatle hit, "Something" even though he flubs the second verse a little.
Low-Did we really need such a long set of Ravi's music? As much as his performance was symbolic of what the event was, was this much Indian music necessary? I doubt very much if anyone who buys this today sits through all/any of it. Also, did Dylan need to have so many songs when the show was in desperate need of an edge? Badfinger, (who were more commercially accessible than either Preston or Russell) had the classic single "No Matter What" under their belt, had also just finished recording their most popular album and could've played a tune from that. This could have given the show a more rock 'n roll edge that it was missing. And the recording for this concert didn't do anyone any favors, remastered or not. The overall sound is still muddy. This only proves that new technology cannot improve what was recorded wrong in the first place. Plus, for some unknown reason, some of Harrison's comments have been edited out from the original version.
The best thing that can be said about "The Concert For Bangla-Desh" is that it was(and is)a template for all the other charity concerts that rock stars have given over the years(Farm-Aid, Band-Aid, Aid-Aid, Kampuchea, etc.). It all started right here.

Probably the greatest amalgamation of musicians ever!.......2007-02-21

As Jann Wenner said about this concert, this is the Wall Of Sound, and there is no better way to present the Wall Of Sound in a live setting than with the music of George Harrison. What else can I say about this that hasn't been said already. My only qualm with the album is that the cut up shortened version of "Wah-Wah" that completely neglects to include the amazing Jim Horn sax solo that is included in the movie.

Average customer rating:

Breathing Under Water

Manufacturer: Manhattan Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rise
Chants Of India: Ravi Shankar; George Harrison

ASIN: B000RPCEV6
Release Date: 2007-08-28

Amazon.com

Like her father before her, Anoushka Shankar is a musical eclectic experimenting with forms far beyond those of Indian classical music. Going even further than on her previous disc, Rise, Shankar, along with co-producer Karsh Kale, explores the meeting of electronica and India. "Burn" starts out as a romantic Bollywood theme before turning into a sultry soul tune with electronica beats, squiggly analog synths, and an impassioned vocal by Noah Lembersky. Shankar's sitar stutter glitches over a tabla-draped electronica rhythm on "Slither," courtesy of the Midival Punditz' Gaurav Raina. Guest singers appear on several tracks, including the ubiquitous Sting, who contributes his overly earnest voice to a power ballad called "Sea Dreamer." Shankar's sitar occasionally becomes a sidelight on her own album, leaping out for rock guitar-like breaks. She doesn't so much duet with Sting as accompany him. Her song for half-sister Norah Jones, on the other hand, integrates the singer's voice into a textural track of snaky sitar, as Jones mixes ethereal chorales and impassioned pleas. Much of Breathing Under Water recalls Bombay Dub Orchestra and their mixture of Bollywood strings, Indian musicians, and electronic grooves and textures. Both Kale and Shankar have writing credits on all but one composition, with their computer-concocted tracks often bridged by rhapsodic strings arranged by Bollywood composer Salim Merchant. His co-composition, "Little Glass Folk," brings an uncharacteristic Western classicism to the album, while the Anoushka and Ravi Shankar-composed work, "Oceanic," is the only piece aspiring to Indian classicism. Breathing Under Water is an ambitious album, although it has elements of pastiche, designed to expose Anoushka Shankar to a wider audience. --John Diliberto

Average customer rating:

beautiful
Absolutely loved this Cd
More Glass than Shankar
India meets America
Try a blend of Ganges and Mississippi Delta...

Passages
Ravi Shankar and Phillip Glass
Manufacturer: RCA Victor
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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West Meets East: The Historic Shankar Menuhin Collection
Aguas da Amazonia
A Morning Raga/An Evening Raga
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Philip Glass : Orion

ASIN: B0000000K4
Release Date: 1990-06-26

Tracks:

Offering
Sadhanipa
Channels And Winds
Ragas In Minor Scale
Meetings Along The Edge
Prashanti

Customer Reviews:

beautiful.......2007-03-09

i'm a pianist and i find this album to be one of the most beautiful works i've ever heard.

Absolutely loved this Cd.......2006-10-18

The sitar really gets to you! Won't go into any mumbo-jumbo about why this collaboration works. It just does.A truly enjoyable purchase!

More Glass than Shankar.......2006-09-02

This is a very good CD, and I think how much you like it may depend upon if you like Glass music more than Shankar music, or if you are not a sitar fan or not a minimalism fan (but why get the CD if that is the case.) That is, the composing credits show 1/2 the pieces are written by Glass and 1/2 by Shankar, but there seems to be a more western than eastern sensibility to each piece, to such a degree that without looking at the credits, I would think each piece was written by Glass, with some sitar accompaniment thrown in on the side. I really like this CD because I really do like Phillip Glass, and I am only holding back one star because I had expectations that there would be an absolutely magical melding of two partners in some type of exact half and half musical arrangement.

India meets America.......2006-03-15

A great collaboration between Shanker and Glass, I would recommend this CD to all music lovers.

Try a blend of Ganges and Mississippi Delta..........2005-11-10

if you liked this CD, I honestly think you'll be even more impressed by the collaboration between Ry Cooder and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (A Meeting By The River). Ry Cooder's blues slide guitar provides some fine enhancements to classical Indian music.

This work by Ravi Shankar and Phillip Glass only just combines popular Indian vernacular with some touches of western classical. I expected much more from Ravi Shankar, given his experience playing with western jazz and fusion artists.

But I guess, usually, the end result is more a reflection of western musicians' ability to work with Indian musicians' (harmonic-harmonic scale).

Average customer rating:

(sigh) sad
Hellborg is awesome
Jonas stop!! Your Ruining every up and coming Bass Player!!!
Nothing short of phenomenal
Jonas does it again !

Kali's Son
Jonas Hellborg
Manufacturer: Bardo Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Icon

ASIN: B000BMSY46
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Tracks:

Kalis Son
War Games
Shri Shri Vikkuji
Plastic Puja
Kali Ghat
Brightness

Customer Reviews:

(sigh) sad.......2007-03-05

I've liked Hellborg's other musical endeavors, but his newer album's have something wrong with them. The word 'lame' comes to mind. 'lackluster' is another. 'Monotonous'. Ok, it's boring. The stuff with Shawn Lane and Shrieve is great. Get it.

Hellborg is awesome.......2006-10-02

This is the first time I listen to a J. Hellborg album. He is simply amazing: fast, accurate, melodic. This cd should be considered and listened by anyone who appreciates music in general. Most of my cd collection is composed by prog rock or metal, and I found in this album the same emotions, complexity and energy. The music here is complex, wonderful and misterious. The zitar (or sitar) sounds so different from what I am used to. For prog rockers and metal fans, if you want to hear an exotic, indian version of Gordian Knot check this one out.

Jonas stop!! Your Ruining every up and coming Bass Player!!!.......2006-05-02

Yea, the Sweedish guy does it again. I am listening to this right now, and I can't beleive it. The last song is sick. I love the background effects in the album. Bass Player magazine and others of that elk simply have no idea about what this man (Mr. Hellborg) is up to. The music industry (T-Rex) has hidden music like this and other great fusion from the ears of the people of the world. This is real talent. Oh yea, Shawn Lane RIP.

Nothing short of phenomenal.......2006-02-06

This album is nothing short of phenomenal, as is all of Hellborg's work. If you find his earlier albums worth buying, you won't be disappointed. I don't like to judge music in terms of musicianship, because it comes with practice, to anyone. On this, Jonas and his two exceptionally talented collaborators manage to come across as both passionate and thoughtful. It is a rare case when mind-boggling virtuosity meets with deep feeling and thought.

Jonas does it again !.......2005-12-14

Bassist Jonas Hellborg returns strongly on his own label Bardo Records with his latest effort Kali's son. His travels to India in the last few years has made Jonas increasingly interested in Indian Music. Jonas & co-composer percussionist extraordinaire Selva Ganesh churn out 6 meaningful tunes @ just under 60 minutes. This album is quite special as it features talented sitar player Niladri Kumar who plays his instrument with lot of flair and uses a distorted tone for some of the tracks coupled with guitar flanger effects which often sounds like an electric guitar ! The piece Shri Shri Vikkuji seems to be the group's tribute to one of the greatest Ghatam players (south indian clay pot)T.H.Vikku Vinayakaram who is incidentally the father of Selva Ganesh. All the pieces are fairly uniform in melody, rhythm & style making this a consistent album. A commendable feat from the three musicians.

Average customer rating:

One of my top 10 albums of all time
love shankarabharanam ragam
music to make you thoughtless
after listening you will re-emerge floating
FULL-RANGING, SOARING VIRTUOSITY

Pancha Nadai Pallavi
Shankar
Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Who's to Know
Song for Everyone
Soul Searcher
M.R.C.S.
Nobody Told Me

ASIN: B000025Z7W
Release Date: 2000-08-01

Tracks:

Ragam Tanam Pallavi/Ragam: Sankarabharanam
Ragam Tanam Pallavi/Talam: Mahalakshmi Tala-9 1/2 Beats

Customer Reviews:

One of my top 10 albums of all time.......2007-01-29

I love this disc. I heard it first about 15 years ago, and only listen to it a few times a year, but it still remains one of my favorites. Shankar is amazing, and his performance on this album is masterful. I saw him and Zakir Hussain perform Pancha Nadai Pallavi live in Seattle in 1992 and it was transcendental!!

love shankarabharanam ragam.......2005-11-01

a beautiful set from Shankar in ragam shankarabharanam ~ i would suggest not playing this often but occasionally ~ a must have in my opinion.

music to make you thoughtless.......2004-04-13

An amazing performance on an extraordianry instrument. I have heard one of Shankar's other Ragam recordings, but this is the one that did it for me. Every time Shankar's melodic line soars upwards, higher and higher, the Kundalini (Motherly energy that flows along the parasympathetic nervous system) seems to respond by rising ever higher every time. Destined to put you in the state of thoughtless awareness. For a bit of extra help, go to www.freemeditation.com

after listening you will re-emerge floating.......2003-01-19

If ragas take you to an otherworldly place then you will not be disappointed with this gem. Buy it, play it sparingly and at choice times and your spiritual growth will be enhanced.

FULL-RANGING, SOARING VIRTUOSITY.......2001-06-13

L. Shankar shows himself on this recording to be a master of both composition and his instrument -- a custom-made, double necked, 10-string violin capable of covering the range from violin to cello. Accompannied by Indian percussion masters Zakir Hussain on tabla and Vikku Vinayakram on ghatam, he takes the listener on an amazing, nearly 1-hour journey into the heart and soul of Indian classcal music. In his hands, the violin sings with the voice of divine inspiration, articulating more than a melody as it nudges and pulls our minds along on its journey. The effect of his vocalizing along with his instrument is absolutely transporting.

Shankar's work with John McLaughlin's ensemble Shakti is legendary -- the interplay in that group between his violin and McLaughlin's unbelievable guitar outpourings was enough to take the listener's breath away. On this, as on his other recordings as a leader, his light shines brighter than ever. ECM's production and recording quality is at its usual high level here, letting nothing stand between this incredible music and the ears of the listener.

Tracks:

Introduction
Bangla Dhun - Ravi Shankar
Wah-Wah
My Sweet Lord
Awaiting On You All
That's The Way God Planned It - Billy Preston
It Don't Come Easy - Richard Starkey
Beware Of Darkness
While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Tracks:

Medley: Jumpin' Jack Flash/Youngblood - M. Jagger
Here Comes The Sun
A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall - Bob Dylan
It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes a Train To Cry
Blowin' In the Wind
Mr. Tambourine Man
Just Like A Woman
Something
Bangla Desh

Amazon.com

George Harrison's social and spiritual conscience had been an increasingly dominant force in the Beatles' final years, and his landmark 1970 solo album, All Things Must Pass, wasted little time giving it a remarkable, Phil Spector-produced forum. Harrison took the spotlight that album's success afforded and next turned it on the dire circumstances then afflicting the young nation of Bangladesh. Gathering most of the sidemen from the All Things album, and a lineup of stellar friends (Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, Eric Clapton, Ravi Shankar) and former Apple cronies (Ringo Starr, Badfinger, Billy Preston), Harrison set about staging some hastily organized benefit concerts at Madison Square Garden. This album resulted, and while its sonic imperfections sometimes belie the show's haphazard organization, it's nonetheless still the one of the greatest efforts of its genre. The All Things material gets a lively live workout, while Russell very nearly steals the show. The occasion also marked Dylan's return to live performance after a long absence. Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

The First Benefit Concert Out There..............2006-07-08

Go figure, the last Beatle to be reconized, would be the first to have a number 1, and also to be the first to have a benefit album for the cause of humanity. I'd like to say this because he was hardly ever expose, even though he had good songs within the group since 1963. This album has lots of pluses, like let me see, Bod Dylan, Eric Clapton, Leon Russell, Billy Preston, oh and lets not forget Billy Preston, the 5th Beatle (who lost his life here in Scottsdale), good composer right there. All the good stuff from 'All Things Must Pass', plus one fom Ringo Starr with 'It Don't Come Easy'. You even got Badfinger helping with backup vocals. This is all you need to find a jewell like this. You even got Ravi Shankar playing the sitar, awesome. This is a keeper, indeed.

THE essential benefit concert soundtrack that every person should own.......2005-08-23

Benefit concerts are common place now, but this was the first. Held on 1st August 1971 in Madison Square Garden and captured using over 40 different microphones, these tracks still sparkle and this collection made a difference in the lives of many starving people.

Nearly thirty years later, the music is still fresh and hopeful. George Harrison (some of you may recall him as a member of the Beatles) gathered a few musicians for a magical night. Ringo Starr (identified in the liner notes by his birth name-Richard Starkey) from the Beatles joins Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, Ravi Shankar, and Bob Dylan, among others.

The CD opens with almost twenty minutes of fantastic Indian music. Ravi Shankar plays a 'dhun' on sitar (just the name sounds like the popping of a drumhead) accompanied by sarod, tabla, and tamboura. Leon Russell's medley, "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Youngblood" is worth the price of this CD alone. I've listened to a lot of different recordings of this medley, but this is the best. It is alive and crisp. If that's not enough for you, keep listening and you'll hear Bob Dylan perform five great tracks. My wife and I saw him tour with Paul Simon in the summer of 1999, and marveled at his sets. But these tracks were recorded when he was at the peak of his career, and are clearly keepers. Have you ever heard "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall?" How about "Blowin' in the Wind" or "Mr. Tambourine Man?" I'm sure you have, and they were current when these performances took place.

George leads various musicians (including the Apple band Badfinger) in a lot of familiar Beatle numbers, like "It Don't Come Easy," "Something," and "Here Comes the Sun." "Beware of Darkness" is a great track, recorded with almost everyone on stage. It is chilling!.

I still remember the LIFE magazine coverage of this event, and you can hear the audience in happy amazement at this once-in-a-lifetime moment. They bought tickets, not knowing who would be there (hoping, I suppose, for a reunion of the Fab Four.) Read the article.

Buy the brand new -at last!- DVD on 25th October and the new CD remastered edition. This is by far the best benefit concert.

Remember George Harrison 1943-2001

Good News!!! and be prepare........2005-08-02

I just read from The Rolling Stones magazine that The Concert For Bangladesh will be release on DVD as a two discs set on October 25th YEAH!!!! disc one is the legendary concert, disc two is docomentary plus new interviews with Ringo and Eric Clapton!!!

A remaster cd will also go on sale and containning an unreleased Bob Dylan's "Love Minus Zero/No Limit"

Good luck for me that I almost bought a vhs version of this concert few mounths ago.

I also hope for a DVD release of Live In Japan or even the 1974 American Tour.

Thanks to George and the Gang........2005-06-15

I like to express my deepest appreciation and respect to the late George Harrison and the rest of the performers for coming together for such a noble cause. Bangladesh was facing the war of liberation and ten million refugees were languishing in India (not to mention the more than a million killed by the Pakistani army in the then East Pakistan ... now Bangladesh). The Concert for Bangladesh raised money and awareness about the conflict and was a massive morale booster for the emerging nation of Bangladesh.

Harrison, Dylan, others play live.......2005-02-10

Sound quality is ok, not the best but this is a live cd. Overall recommended for any rock/classic rock fan. Dylan sounds in his prime and Harrison's confidence up front shows with each song. The Dylan set is worth the purchase alone but overall nice effort for a worthy cause.

Average customer rating:

Heavenly
A master piece
an amazing piece of work

Raga Aberi
Shankar
Manufacturer: Music of the World
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000008OX6
Release Date: 1995-03-07

Tracks:

Raga Aberi: Tanam
Raga Aberi: Beginning Pallavi
Raga Aberi: Middle Pallavi
Raga Aberi: Percussion Improv
Raga Aberi: Percussion Section + Finale
Raga Aberi: Entire Percussion Section Plus Finale
Raga Aberi

Customer Reviews:

Heavenly.......2007-03-20

Just an amazing piece. Words cannot describe it. If you have any appreciation for beautiful music, you must listen to this amazing piece in its entirety. It never gets old.

A master piece.......1999-12-22

This album , as it's titled, is based on an Indian raga, Abheri. Shankar has played a traditional Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi in a soothing way and has shown his mastery in vocals occassionally. Purists of carnatic music as well as others, alike, would love to have this album decorate their shelves, for it is a master piece done in Raga Abheri.

an amazing piece of work.......1999-12-18

Without hesitation, i would say that this is the best music album i have ever listened to. shankar displays a mastery in playing the double violin. actually it is not just the playing, it is the sheer improvisation that is the best thing about this work. Esp. the "thanam" is mind-blowing .. Definitely the best of shankar's work. just buy it without thinking -- divine music!

Average customer rating:

Best cross-cultural musical merging of all-time?
Tabula Rasa
More Amazing Music from Bela
different but great
Holy Cow!

Tabula Rasa
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt With Bela Fleck and Jie Bing Chen
Manufacturer: Water Lily Acoustics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002VYK
Release Date: 1996-07-02

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Customer Reviews:

Best cross-cultural musical merging of all-time?.......2005-09-17

It's no rare event these days when great musicians from opposite sides of the planet come together in a musical merging project. The "West Meets East" concept is not new; it's been going on since Debussy heard Balinese gamelan, since Bartok recorded Morrocan "Chleuh", since Reich studied drumming in Africa. And in the modern age of studio recordings, it is certainly not a new phenomenon -- just ask the Beatles, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, John MacLaughlin, AfroCelt Sound System, Don Cherry, and even Ry Cooder.

This record sits easily with the aforementioned as a monumental cross-cultural musical merging. It is one of the finest available. I believe it even surpasses the legendary "Meeting By the River" of V.M. Bhatt and Ry Cooder.

In this record, Bhatt teams up with legendary Bluegrass banjo player Bela Fleck and erh-hu artist Jie-Bing Chen. Just as important, though in the background, are Ronu Majumdar on bansuri, Poovalur Srinivasan on mridangam, and Sangeeta Shankar on violin.

What sets this record apart from others is that it perfectly blends the various styles and instruments brought to the table without sacrificing the ethnicity and authenticity of any. And this I believe is the crucial asset in effect here -- because how often do these cross-cultural mergings turn into really a "Western" record with some exotic sounds? Usually, one party takes a backseat role to the rest.

Not so here. Each player adds their own unique element to the mix, and nothing is sacrificed. The end result is a truly unclassifiable genre of music of the utmost quality. No player is eschewing any part of their musical heritage to "fit" into the scope of the project: if you could fade out everything except Bhatt's mohan vina, you would be hearing excellent traditional-sounding Indian folk music. Tweak the faders to isolate Fleck, and you would hear bluegrass music with all its chromaticism, inflections, etc. Pick out Jie-Bing Chen's erh-hu, and you will most likely hear pentatonic scales straight out of the Far East. And yet, the end result is a perfectly-balanced amalgamation of the disparate styles that somehow sounds like these instruments have played in the same settings for years.

The best track on this record is "Earl in Shanghai," which illustrates this perfectly. When Chen begins the tune alone, the pentatonic melody sounds distinctively Asian. Then, Fleck enters, adding a Western chromaticism to the mix. When the track takes off with the added percussion, we are left with a real bluegrass foundation, with the same pentatonic melody in the top (with one added passing tone), all over a solidly Indian mridangam beat cycle. The overall result is of the utmost quality.

That being said, I believe this record surpasses even the legendary collaboration between Bhatt and Ry Cooder. This album is decisively more composed and rehearsed than the "Meeting By the River." While the Cooder/Bhatt meeting is undoubtedly great, there are several giveaway moments in the recording that show how quickly it was thrown together. It's really a jam session -- at times one person moves through a transition while another doesn't, the endings of the songs happen abruptly...it's a monumental record, no doubt, but this one is miles above it in terms of quality and professionalism.

Well, enough blathering on. For some of the most relaxing and beautiful world music you will ever hear, pick up this record. You will not be disappointed.

Tabula Rasa.......2005-09-11

It pleases me that every review for this album is 5 stars.
This is great music.

More Amazing Music from Bela.......2004-03-15

Bela Fleck has got to be one of the most talented musicians around, and this album shows some of that talent. It is in the way he can switch between styles. Especially considering his intstrument of choice is a banjo, something not usually considered too "mainstream". This album is beautiful. If you like Bela's other music, you'll love this one.

different but great.......2001-06-10

Tabula Rasa or "Clean Slate" is one of my favorite cds now that i have it. Earl in Shanghai is my favorite on this cd. If you really love Bela's music like me then get this for something different. The talent displayed on this cd is outstanding.

Holy Cow!.......1999-11-02

This cd here represents what the word miracle defines,three main musicians of all diffrent genres,the unusual sounds combine to create a melodic paradise that engages in eternal harmony and groovy rhythms,kept by percussionist Srinivas and Violin queen sangeetha shankar.Ronu does a great work too on the flute,but as we know the core roots of this albums is fleck and bhatt with cheing providing the finishing touch!

Average customer rating:

A true Masterpiece and the finest musicianship I have ever heard ...
Shankar's best work
A Masterpiece for the keeping
Quite a ride
Beautiful and powerful

Who's to Know
Shankar
Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Pancha Nadai Pallavi
Song for Everyone
Soul Searcher
Nobody Told Me
Raga Aberi

ASIN: B0000261KS
Release Date: 2000-08-01

Tracks:

Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi
Ananda Nadamadum Tillai Sankara

Customer Reviews:

A true Masterpiece and the finest musicianship I have ever heard ..........2006-04-18

I have been a professional musican for over 30 years and in that time have got to hear some seriously good musicianship.Shankar is one of the most accomplished players I have ever heard and on this particular CD,he really is in full stride.I believe that the albums he recorded around this time period,represent Shankar in his most exquisite form and "Who's to Know?" is the crowning glory of it all.It is absolutely mind shattering to hear what this guy can do with his custom built 10 string violin and both from a technical and a musical perspective,it is quite unbelievable..
Even at breathtaking speed and with technical articulation that would leave most musicians in the hands of a paramedic,the harmonics are in tune !...Try that at home folks !.. :)

I have an extensive CD library,with some very diverse styles and inflences and this CD "Who's to Know" would have to be my #1 in that collection.

I have all of Shankar's work in that library and I was lucky enough to hear him live in concert at the South Bank Festival Hall in London around the time that this CD was recorded...

Needless to say,that concert is still etched in my memory and it was absolutely xxxxing awesome ! It was mind blowing stuff...

So,do yourselves a really big favour and get a copy of this CD..

There is so much good energy in the music on this disc,that you will walk away from a listening session feeling like you have been plugged into a high voltage power socket.

This CD gets the highest rating that I could award to any album ever recorded.... :) aj washington

Shankar's best work.......2005-05-25

I've heard almost all of L. Shankar's work, solos as well as work with different styles of music. This cd is what got me completely hooked. Shankar has a tendency to experiment when playing traditional Carnatic ragas. It doesn't always work (espcecially when he sings). This recording is different. He demonstrates his mastery of the violin AND his mastery of Carnatic music. While many listeners have trouble understanding/appreciating Carnatic music, L. Shankar makes it accessible to all. He uses subtle outside influences in his melodies and rhythms that compliment his Carnatic base, making it fantastic for all. The second track in raga Savithri is exceptional. I am a Carnatic/fusion violinist in NYC and this track is hands down the best 25 minutes of music I've ever heard. I've never heard anyone play ragamalika swaras like this. It's something special. Get this album. Let L. Shankar take you for a ride...

A Masterpiece for the keeping.......2004-07-10

I chanced to hear this CD a few years ago, and I just have to say - this is a classic to behold. Nothing quite compares to it - it is rich, enveloping, intense, and powerful. I was already a fan of Shakti (L shankar dazzled crowds with his near-perfect control of his instrument), but this was the album that *really* introduced the double-violin to me; let's just say it would need someone at Shankar's level to make Ragam Thanam-Pallavi sound the way it does. And as for Rhythm, should one say anything at all ? To many , the name Umayalpuram Sivaraman may not be very familiar, but his Mridangam performances are legendary, and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever. Zakir Hussain is stellar, blending seamlessly, almost effortlessly in a rather Carnatic setting... one wishes these performances would happen once, just once, LIVE, and it would lift you to the few untouched heights of indian classic music.
This isn't a CD you would have to think twice about.

Quite a ride.......2001-04-05

Shankar turns out gems as well as garbage. This is one of his best efforts. It blew me away when I heard it a decade ago, and it has aged it well. It is spiritual and intense, sonically superb, and compositionally dynamic. From a quiet beginning, it rages to a thunderous climax.

I'd have to agree with one of the reviewers that Shankar isn't a purist, although he draws his inspiration from the ancient Carnatic classical tradition. Like his brother L. Subramanium, Shankar has defined a brand new way of interpreting a centuries-old genre. And we need more of that.

For another Shankar gem, check out Song for Everyone. Of course, the Shakti recordings (especially Handful of Beauty) and some of his excursions with Bill Laswell are excellent too.

Beautiful and powerful.......2000-06-06

I bought this album because of Shankar's brilliant work with John McLaughlin in Shakti. This is very different from Shakti, especially with the introduction of the double violin, but just as beautiful. I have to admit I don't know much about South Indian music, but I recognize extraordinary mastery when I hear it, and I can recommend this recording without reservation.

Average customer rating:

Solid album

Subramaniam in Moscow
L. Subramaniam
Manufacturer: Boheme
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Duet

ASIN: B00004WHCE
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Tracks:

Miss Melodia
Follow Your Steps
Time Must Be Changed
Ganga
End of the Way

Customer Reviews:

Solid album.......2005-12-02

Subramaniam is a very talented man and it shows in this album. However, at times the music delves into new-age schmaltzy sound. I would suggest buying his Global Fusion album, which is truly great and generally positively reviewed, before listening to this one.

World Music: