RAVI SHANKAR | NINE DECADES VOLUME 1 (1967 - 1968)
"The raga develops its themes in very similar fashion to a symphony-the textures of the strings and the varying voices of the percussion speeding up, slowing down, and roiling together in an outpouring so rich that this is what paisley sounds like. If music has color, this is ochre, carmine, red henna and brilliant sienna-each tone a festival of color that takes us half a world away."
"Shankar and his bandmates -- Kamala Chakravarty on tanpura (the drone string instrument) and tabla monster Ustad Alla Rakha -- were absolutely on fire that day."
"Shankar, in 1968, a mid-career musician was already enjoying international recognition, but even had I not known what year the raga was recorded, I would still experience the bliss and exhilaration of the musicians. I felt breathless by the final notes of the raga. And while 50 minutes might seem like a long time to listen to one piece of music (unless you listen to classical music), my response was to play-it-again Sam."
