L. Shankar's Vision is an ethereal tour-de-force -- an oxymoron, perhaps, but an appropriate description of the otherworldly visions he conjures with his manipulations of his 10-string, stereophonic, double-necked, electric violin. The lengthy title track is a solo space journey on his massive instrument, with lots of phasing undercurrents and an aural experience of weightlessness that is rather pleasant. On the other tracks, Shankar is flanked by the hot, piercing Jan Garbarek on saxes and the cool Palle Mikkelborg on trumpet and flugelhorn, who contribute heat and ice to Shankar's textures. "All For You" is a no-man's-land of sound that uses Indian scales and minimalist repetition. "Psychic Elephant" finds Garbarek and Mikkelborg revolving around Shankar's pizzicato violin, and then the two horn players provide percussion for Shankar's dialogues with himself and Garbarek's growls on the rare bass saxophone. Exotic pan-cultural ingredients and all, Vision is reassuringly easy to listen to, undoubtedly aided by ECM's sweetly reverberant sound. by Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist :
1 All For You 6:36
Shankar
2 Vision 13:43
Shankar
3 Astral Projection 5:43
Shankar
4 Psychic Elephant 11:50
Shankar
5 The Message 7:32
Shankar
Credits :
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Percussion – Jan Garbarek
Trumpet, Flugelhorn [Fluegelhorn] – Palle Mikkelborg
Violin [10-String Stereophonic Double Violin], Percussion By – Shankar
Song for Everyone heralds the return of the groove in Shankar's East-West-minded music, with former Shakti colleague Zakir Hussain on tabla, Trilok Gurtu on percussion, and Shankar's own manipulation of a drum machine tending to the rhythms. The result is a brighter, more outgoing record than its predecessor Vision, veering between Western acoustic and electric grooves and the complex beats churned out by the tabla. Jan Garbarek again shines beams of light on soprano and tenor, engaging Shankar's ten-string double-necked electric violin in some complex interplay on the title track. Some tracks are driven entirely or partially by the drum machine; "Paper Nut" has a particularly infectious revolving pattern. But sometimes Shankar overdoes it; the lengthy "Watching You" has an overly mechanized feeling that can be either mesmerizing or infuriating, depending upon your mood. On another track, "I Know," the Western percussion is gradually swallowed up by the Indian tabla. Fascinating, free-thinking music, beautifully recorded as usual by ECM. by Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist :
1. Paper Nut 6:02
Lakshminarayana Shankar
2. I Know 7:29
Lakshminarayana Shankar
3. Watching You 13:06
Lakshminarayana Shankar
4. Conversation 7:47
Lakshminarayana Shankar
5. Song For Everyone 6:18
Lakshminarayana Shankar
6. Let's Go Home 6:24
Lakshminarayana Shankar
7. Rest In Peace 3:24
Lakshminarayana Shankar
Credits :
Lakshminarayana Shankar - 10-string double violin, Drum Machine
Jan Garbarek - Soprano & Tenor Saxophones
Zakir Hussain - Tabla, Congas
Trilok Gurtu - Percussion
Tracklist :
1 Never Take No For An Answer 3'26
Music By – Caroline, Shankar
Words By – Shankar
2 What Would I Do Without You 4'06
Music By, Words By – Shankar
3 Situations 5'19
Music By – Caroline, Shankar
Words By – Caroline, Shankar
4 You Don't Love Me Anymore 3'32
Music By, Words By – Shankar
5 You Can Be Anything 3'51
Music By – Shankar
Words By – Caroline, Shankar
6 No Cure 3'34
Music By – Shankar
Words By – Caroline, Shankar
7 Don't You Know 3'54
Music By – Shankar
Words By – Caroline, Shankar
8 Give An Inch 3'19
Music By, Words By – Shankar
9 Full Moon 3'20
Music By, Words By – Shankar
Credits :
Bass – Percy Jones
Executive-Producer – Manfred Eicher
Guitar – Steve Vai
Synthesizer – Gilbert Kaufman
Vocals, Synthesizer, Tambura [Tamboura] – Caroline
Vocals, Violin [10-String Double Violin], Synthesizer, Drum Machine – Shankar
As if playing one violin within the Western art music tradition wasn't difficult enough, the virtuoso L. Shankar has made it his trade to both sing and play a customized double violin within the contexts of Hindustani, Carnatic, Western, and experimental musical sensibilities. On this 1990 ECM release, Pancha Nadai Pallavi, he lays down two tracks, the first without percussion and the second in collaboration with Zakir Hussain on tabla and Vikku Vinayakram on ghatam. Caroline also accompanies the L. Shankar with the drone setting sruthi (a small one-note hand-pumped reed organ) and talam (a pair of small hand cymbals). With the first track L. Shankar performs the ragam "Sankarabharanam" (a ragam is the Carnatic equivalent to the Hindustani raga). For nearly 30 minutes he elegantly articulates an innumerable series of variations on traditional forms, melodies, and rhythms. The double violin allows him to imitate the sounds of a multi-octave string ensemble. On the CD's second cut a serpentine nine and one-half beat rhythmic cycle, the Mahalakshmi Tala, provides the temporal framework for the performance. An original creation by L. Shankar himself, this tala is realized by tabla superstar Zakir Hussain and the celebrated ghatam (clay water pot) player Vikku Vinayakram. Both of these percussive masters draw a myriad of tones and conjure up a fortified stew of rhythmic cadences from their respective instruments. In sum, Shankar's Pancha Nadai Pallavi is a smashing CD that represents virtuosic creativity and experimentation at work in both solo and collaborative contexts. by John Vallier
Tracklist :
1 Ragam Tanam Pallavi – Ragam: Sankarabharanam 28:35
2 Ragam Tanam Pallavi – Talam: Mahalakshmi Tala - 9 1/2 Beats – Pancha Nadai Pallavi 31:15
Credits :
Ghatam – Vikku Vinayakram
Performer [Talam], Shruti Box [Sruthi] – Caroline
Producer [Produced By] – Manfred Eicher
Tabla – Zakir Hussain
Violin [Double Violin], Vocals – Shankar
Tracklist :
1 Adagio 2'03
Shankar
2 March 2'27
Jon Christensen
3 All I Care 6'23
Shankar
4 Reasons 5'32
Shankar
5 Back Again 4'40
Shankar
6 Al's Hallucinations 6'19
Shankar
7 Sally 4'31
Shankar
8 White Buffalo 3'20
Zakir Hussain / Vikku Vinayakram
9 Ocean Waves 7'47
Shankar
Credits :
Drums – Jon Christensen
Ghatam – Vikku Vinayakram
Producer [Produced By] – Manfred Eicher
Tabla – Zakir Hussain
Violin [Double Violin] – Shankar
Though rooted in the traditions of North Indian classical music, this album adds a subtle modern twist that makes it more digestible to Western ears. Soul Searcher consists of one 50-minute track that swells and recedes, evolving into an epic composition of almost otherworldly beauty. The music combines all the common elements of traditional Indian music -- syncopated tabla rhythms, droning tamboura, dazzling vocals -- with Shankar's breathtaking violin melodies, then adds keyboards courtesy of Peter Gabriel, who featured the violinist's talents prominently on Passion. Indian music has always had an influence over Western rock & roll bands, from the Beatles and Rolling Stones to Monster Magnet, and Soul Searcher is a wonderfully accessible introduction for newcomers looking to delve into the genre. by Bret Love
Tracklist :
1 Ragam, Tanam, Pallavi Ragam : Kapi Seethalakshmi Talam : 6 3/4 Beats 50:46
Credits :
Ghatam – Vikku Vinayakram
Keyboards – Peter Gabriel
Performer [Kanjira] – Shankar
Producer – Bill Laswell, Caroline, Shankar
Tabla – Zakir Hussain
Violin – Shankar, V. Lakshminarayana
Vocals – Caroline, Ganam Rao, Shankar
Tracklist :
1 Chittham Irangaayo 18:40
(Ragam: Hamsadhvani / Talam: Adi)
2 Chodhanai Thanthu 13:20
(Ragam: Chakravakam / Talam: Adi)
3 Nadru Dri Dhom - Tillana 2:04
(Ragam: Hindolam / Talam: Adi)
Credits :
Composed By – Ganam Rao, Shankar, V. Lakshminarayana
Ghatam – Vikku Vinayakram
Tabla – Zakir Hussain
Violin [Double], Vocals, Producer – Shankar
Violin, Violin [Double Violin], Vocals – V. Lakshminarayana
Vocals – Ganam Rao
Vocals, Tambura – Caroline 
Virtuosic brilliance smoothly melds with complimentary group interplay on Shankar's Eternal Light. A quarter of a century after their first collaboration in the East-West fusion ensemble Shakti, double violinist and vocalist Shankar, tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, and ghatam (clay pot) master T.H. Vinayakram come together on this Moment Records release. Son of the famed V. Lakshminarayana Iyer, Shankar was a precocious child violinist and singer. A five-octave vocal range and unmatched command of the ten-string double violin allow Shankar to sway from piercing high notes to rumbling bass tones with grace. Zakir Hussain's deftly played tabla patterns and T.H. Vinayakram's authoritatively articulated ghatam lines match Shankar's own exemplary performance without jeopardizing the integral success of the CD. It is the ensemble and their works that really glow, above and beyond the individual success of the musicians. An impelling CD, which marks 25 years of friendship and stands as a dedication to Zakir Hussain's late father and sister -- Ustad Allarakha and Raxia, respectively -- Eternal Light should shine brightly for generations to come. by John Vallier
Tracklist :
1 Ragamalika 14:32
Lakshminarayana Shankar
2 Ragam Kiravani 7:45
Lakshminarayana Shankar
3 Tanam Kiravani 9:49
Lakshminarayana Shankar
4 Pancha Nadai Pallavi Kiravani 15:15
Lakshminarayana Shankar
Vocals – Niranjani
5 Drum Solos/Pancha Nadai Pallavi 10:42
Lakshminarayana Shankar
Credits :
Ghatam – T.H. Vinayakram
Tabla, Executive-Producer, Photography By – Zakir Hussain
Violin [Double Violin], Vocals, Cover [Album Cover Concept], Photography By, Producer – Shankar
Trilok Gurtu's percussion work has powered a number of great albums that effectively fuse world music with jazz, allowing for both tight performance and free improvisation. This collection is therefore a gem, selecting ten cuts from six albums. Both an excellent overview and a wonderful place to begin acquainting yourself with Gurtu's music, and thus an essential addition to any jazz or world music collection. by Steven McDonald
Tracklist :
1 Once I Wished a Tree Upside Down 8'03
Jan Garbarek
2 Cherry Town 5'14
Trilok Gurtu
3 Watapa 7'49
Trilok Gurtu
4 Bad Boys 8'39
Andy Emler
5 Believe 6'25
Trilok Gurtu
6 Ballad for 2 Musicians 6'08
Joe Zawinul
7 Manini 7'06
Daniel Goyone / Trilok Gurtu
8 Baba 8'31
Trilok Gurtu
9 Shobharock 7'37
Trilok Gurtu
10 Om 7'13
Traditional
Credits :
Drums, Tabla, Percussion, Voice – Trilok Gurtu
Guitar – Pat Metheny, Ralph Towner
Keyboards, Piano – Joe Zawinul
Percussion – Nana Vasconcelos
Soprano Saxophone – Bill Evans
Trumpet – Don Cherry
Violin – Mark Feldman, L. Shankar
Voice – Shobha Gurtu
For his next act, the decibel champion of electric jazz shocked the world by unplugging and returning to South Indian music before an excitable audience at South Hampton College. Yet the alert John McLaughlin follower will note that beyond the reliance upon South Indian instruments and scales, there are unbroken links to records like My Goal's Beyond and the high-speed electric music that McLaughlin was casting aside at the moment. McLaughlin called his new quintet Shakti, which means "creative intelligence and beauty and power" and the music here has all of that and something else, a ferocious streak inherited from the Mahavishnu days. McLaughlin ignites "Joy" by playing at a blazing speed, his cohorts Lakshminarayana Shankar (violin), Ramnad V. Raghavan and T.H. Vinayakram (mridangam), and Zakir Hussain (tabla) keeping up with the furious unison tempos with great dexterity and discipline, while a reworking of "Lotus Feet" forms a meditative interlude. Side two is taken up by a single, lengthy raga-like track in which McLaughlin combines his rapid-fire Western manner with note-bending techniques clearly emulating a sitar, and the Indians get plenty of dueling room. In its way, this fire-eating acoustic music is just as energizing as the most electrified Mahavishnu flights. Richard S. Ginell 
‘East meets West’ was the central theme in the life of Nesuhi Ertegün (1917-1989). He grew up as the son of the Turkish Ambassador in Washin...
