The 'Ultimate' in Percussion Music

Ustad Zakir Hussain - The 'Ultimate' in Percussion Music

performers:

Ustad Zakir Hussain - tabla

Ustad Sultan Khan - sarangi

Swati Tavargiri - tanpura

Shaukat Hussain - harmonium

Promising something ultimate is lofty and is a set up for disappointment. I'm not sure yet if I would say that the music on this release is the "ultimate" in percussion music. But Ustad Zakir Hussain gives an intense and amazing performance on the tabla and this possibly cannot be considered a disappointment. Hussain is widely regarded in the area of percussion music and it is quite obvious that he is a master of his instrument. The 'Ultimate' in Percussion Music is another great thrift store find that was priced at 50 cents. I had forgotten that he had co-founded the group Tabla Beat Science with Bill Laswell until I saw this mentioned on Wikipedia when looking up Hussain's background. Hussain has had quite a career as mentioned below.

Zakir was touring by the age of twelve. He attended St. Michael's High School in Mahim, and graduated from St Xaviers, Mumbai. Zakir went to the United States in 1970, embarking on an international career that today includes no fewer than 150 concert dates a year.
Zakir has worked with many western and Indian artists, and has produced many works for fusion, perhaps most notably with The Beatles. In 1971 he recorded with an American psychedelic band called Shanti. He has also worked with John McLaughlin in Shakti in 1975, with L. Shankar (Lakshminarayanan Shankar) in the Diga Rhythm Band, and with Mickey Hart on his Rolling Thunder album (on which he and his father played a tabla duet). Although Shakti was disbanded a few years later, it reunited under the name Remember Shakti.
In 1987, his first solo release, Making Music, was acclaimed as one of the most inspired East-West fusion albums ever recorded. In 1988, he became the youngest percussionist to ever be awarded the title of Padma Shri. In 1990, he was awarded the Indo-American Award in recognition for his cultural contribution to relations between the United States and India. In April, 1991, he was presented with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award by the President of India, making him one of the youngest musicians to receive this recognition from India's governing cultural institute.
In 1992, Planet Drum, an album co-created and produced by Zakir and Mickey Hart, was awarded a Grammy for Best World Music Album, the Downbeat Critics Poll for Best World Beat Album, and the NARM Indie Best Seller Award for World Music Recording. The band Planet Drum, with Zakir as music director, toured nationally in 1996 and 1997. Zakir also continues to tour with the musicians from Shakti — John McLaughlin, Shankar and T.H. Vinayakram — in different collaborations and ensembles as well as leading various percussion ensembles of his own design. In Summer'99, Shakti re-grouped for an international tour.
In 1992, Zakir founded live concert performances by masters of the classical music of India. The label presents Zakir's own world percussion ensemble, The Rhythm Experience, both North and South Indian classical recordings, Best of Shakti, and a Masters of Percussion series. He has recorded and performed with artists as diverse as George Harrison, Ali Akbar Khan, Ravi Shankar, Aashish Khan,Vasant Rai, Imrat Khan, Joe Henderson, Van Morrison, Jack Bruce, Tito Puente, Pharoah Sanders, Billy Cobham, Charles Lloyd, the Hong Kong Symphony and the New Orleans Symphony.

Tracklisting:

Side A

1. Teen Taal (Vilambit) {15:49}

2. Matta Taal {8:28}

Side B

1. Punjabi Dhamar {15:42}

2. Teen Taal (Drut) {7:33}

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