Ravi Shankar - "Portrait Of Genius" {India} [1964]

Born on April 7, 1920, in Varanasi into an orthodox,
well-off Brahmin family, Rabindra Shankar Chowdery's father, ShyÆm Shankar, was employed as a diwan (minister) by the Maharajah of Jhalawar. By the age of 13, Ravi Shankar was going along on every tour of his brother Uday Shankar's Compaigne de Danse et Musique Hindou (Company of Hindu Dance and Music). At the All-Bengali Music Conference in December 1934, he met the multi-instrumentalist Allauddin Khan. Precisely when Allauddin Khan was born is uncertain. People hazard dates in the 1860s around 1862, but in later years he himself gave his age haphazardly. He would transform many musicians' lives, but he had an incalculable effect on Ali Akbar (his son), Annapurna Devi (his daughter), and Shankar himself. Allauddin Khan joined Uday's troupe as its principal soloist around 1935-1936.
In 1938, Shankar gave up a potential career as a dancer and went to study with Allauddin Khan in Maihar. In 1939, he began giving public recitals and came out of training at the end of 1944. Until 1948, he based himself in Bombay and gave programs all over India. He toured and wrote for films and ballet. Around this time he began his recording career with a small session for HMV (India). Work for All India Radio followed; as music director from February 1949 to January 1956 in New Delhi. Concurrently, his international star was on the rise. In 1954, he performed in the Soviet Union. In 1956, he played his debut solo concerts in Western Europe and the U.S. Within a decade he would be the most famous Indian musician on the planet. Within two decades he would become probably the most famous Indian alive.
His English-language autobiography, -My Music, My Life (1969), is still one of the best general introductions to Hindustani music. Shankar is not one-dimensional. Apart from pursuing a career as a classical performer, he has also experimented outside this field. For this reason he has attracted criticism from purists. Some of this, especially during the Beatles era, undoubtedly had an element of jealousy to it; some was certainly warranted, because Shankar did take many chances. In fact, that was one of the things that kept his music exciting. To use a cricketing image -- baseball would be wholly inappropriate -- Shankar's batting average has remained high throughout a long and illustrious career. ~ Ken Hunt, All Music Guide http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/artist/artist.cgi?ARTISTID=363765&TMPL=LONG#bio

Ravi Shankar has been described as one of the greatest musicians on the planet. This record, one of his classic World Pacific albums, clearly lends credence to that statement. But the thing that makes this record interesting is the fact that it contains a unique fusion of Shankar and his group performing with respected jazz flutist Paul Horn. It's an extremely gratifying combination, and Horn plays with a true jazzman's restraint on the five short selections that open the record. The second half is devoted to one long (20 minute) traditional raga, "Raga Multani," in which Shankar's awesome ability and stamina is matched only by that of his ensemble, especially Alla Rakha on tabla. Essential for any fan of Shankar or Indian music. Awesome. ~ Matthew Greenwald, All Music Guide http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/album/album.cgi?ALBUMID=531308&AMGLENGTH=full#review


1. Tala Rasa Ranga (2:58)
2. Dhun (2:48)
3. Tabla-Dhwani (4:52)
4. Song from the Hills (4:52)
5. Tabla-Tabla Tarang (3:01)
6. Gat Kirwani (2:39)
7. Raga Multani (19:41)


Line-up
- Paul Horn: Flute
- Harihar Rao: Sholak, Tabla Tarang
- Ravi Shankar: Adaptation, Sitar, Main Performer
- Alla Rakha: Tabla, Tamboura


1. Tala Rasa Ranga ...


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