Search - Ravi Shankar :: Live 67 Monterey

Much of Indian classical music was brought to the West by violinist Yehudi Menuhin when he recorded and performed with sarodist Ali Akbar Khan and sitarist Ravi Shankar in the 1950s and '60s. But it wasn't until Shankar's appearance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival (along with a friendship with the Beatles) that Indian music charmed the hippie youth culture and subsequently exploded into mainstream audiences' consciousness. So it's appropriate that this recording of Shankar's performance at that concert is documented--it's not only historically important but also musically outstanding. There isn't just a twangy plodding aura to Shankar's sitar here as many associate with Indian classical sitar, but rather an instrument full of verve and technical complexity. Shankar explodes as if reacting to the loving energy of the crowd in fitful ragas that drip with fruitful improvisation. His tabla accompanist, Alla Rakha, wonderfully complements his plucking through living, breathing cadences that sing in a voice all their own. Live at Monterey is an excellent introduction to a master artist during one of the most exciting eras in America's history. --Karen Karleski