The typical Indian raga starts off with a quiet, meditative, pulseless recitative caled alaap. Then the tablas set in and everything can go to an ecstatic peek of rhythm and improvised frenzy.

Here the renowned Chinmaya Dunster - certainly one of the very few Western musicians who really masters an Indian instrument - has collected a series of alaaps. Which makes for some profound meditation music pointing directly to states of silence and beauty.

Dunster's delicately sounding sarod takes centerstage, aptly helped by Bikkram Singh on flute and Joseph Satralkar on piano. The westly tuned piano is often difficult to integrate in Eastern music but here it works splendidly.

Reminiscent in many ways of some the recordings by the legendary Ustad Ali Akbar Khan in the company of Wetsern musicians, though this offering from Chinmaya is more decisively introverted and aimed at meditation, healing, relaxation.
(Posted on 9/2/11)