Two of the most redolent sounds of Japanese art music are the shakuhachi (end-blown bamboo flute) and the koto (long zither). This praiseworthy mid-price anthology, based on recordings previously issued by Toshiba EMI, brings together various permutations of the two instruments. For example, it opens appropriately (given the album title) with variations on a lullaby by composer Inzan Tanaka played ...
Recorded in the wake of the late Khan's triumphant performance at the 1985 WOMAD festival, this 10-track collection features the lighter, folkier side of the Pakistani classical music singer's repertoire. Accompanied by his nine-member "party" on acoustic guitar, mandolin, and a full complement of tabla and harmonium, Khan unleashes typically stunning vocal phrases marked by blinding speed, ...
Approaching the voice as an instrument, British-born Indian Sheila Chandra brings an expansive, timeless quality to this collection of improvised songs based on ragas and modern folk music. Most of the tracks, outside of the drone, are unadorned--as is Chandra's pretty voice, simple in its low tone and unaffected in vocal style. Still, Chandra travels to expansive places, reliving her days as ...