Venu [Live]

The World (Rykodisc/Mickey Hart Series), Zakir Hussain, Mickey Hart, Hari Prasad Chaurasia | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 10, 1989)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Rykodisc
• ASIN: B0000009UE
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #372,358 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Rag Ahir Bhairav: Alop and Jor - Hariprasad Chaurasia

2. Rag Ahir Bhairav: Slow Gat in Rupak Tal/Fast Gat in Teental - Hariprasad Chaurasia

Editorial Reviews

From the Label

Classical flute music from India that is both devotional and romantic. The divine playing of Hariprasad with tabla master Zakir Hussain moves mountains of emotion.

This historic concert took place in 1974 at the Stone House (literally a large granite room) in Fairfax, California, and was a youthful collaboration between two true geniuses of Indian classical music.

Product Description

Repressing of this installment in the Mickey Hart Collection, a World Music series that the Grateful Dead drummer curated which incorporated his solo projects, other artists productions, and re-releases of out-of-print titles. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sublime!, June 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Venu (Audio CD)

What Zakir Hussain and Hari Prasad Chaurasia have recorded here is nothing short of sublime. For those unfamiliar to music of this kind, this recording is an excellent introduction. Brilliant virtuosity and outstanding musicianship are enhanced by an unique acoustical setting and tasteful recording methods to render this one of the best recordings under the Rykodisc label. The warmth of tone and expressful phrasing of Hari Prasad are only accompianied by the droning tambura on the first half and later joined by the mastery of Zakir Hussain on the tabla in the second half. The energetic nature of this music surprisingly brings one to stillness...a stillness that is well suited for pre- or post-meditation listening. Listen and you'll see. OM Shanthi, Peace.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good -- but not the best, August 14, 2001

By 

Zak Kramer "Crazyquilt" (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Venu (Audio CD)

First, I must say I am a great fan of Hariprasad-ji. There is simply no other bansuri player with such divine tone and magnificent phrasing -- and few musicians of any kind with such depth and expressiveness. That being said, this is not among my favorite recordings of Hariprasad-ji. Don't get me wrong -- it is beautiful, and the playing is excellent, but I would expect no less from these two artists. However, I prefer the recordings that he did for the Nimbus label. "Four Dhuns" is the easiest to get [...]; "Rag Bhimpalasi" is also available. Made much more recently, the Nimbus recordings showcase a more mature artist, with greater subtlety and more inspired -- and inspirational -- melodies.

Also, while another reviewer praised the acoustics and ambiance of this recording, I would have to disagree. Yes, the natural reverb of the Stone House is good, but there are a few places where it sounds as if there are people talking in the background, and there is the occasional pop or click, as if something was dropped or a mic was tapped. Given the entrancing nature of this music, I found that very jarring. The timbre of the bansuri also sounds, to me, more harsh than it does in some of the later recordings.

Don't get me wrong -- these are comparatively minor, nit-picky details, and how can you not like a CD by two such masters? However, for a first recording of Hariprasad-ji's work, I would point towards "Four Dhuns" or "Rag Bhimpalasi." If you want to hear a more current pairing between these two artists, you might like the first Remember Shakti CD, which is also live. I can hear the purists cringing now -- it is a fusion CD -- but it is among the finest of the genre.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Inspiring Performance, November 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Venu (Audio CD)

Raga Ahir Bhairav is my favorite Indian raga. It is meant to be heard early in the morning, around six. Hariprasad exhales a haunting, peaceful, erotic and at times frightening improvisation through the bansuri (bamboo flute)accompamnied by Zakir Hussain's tabla. The two tracks are actually one long raga (song). The raga starts extremely slowly as Hariprasad improvises the first notes. The music begins to take shape in track two building shocking rythm and a breathtaking climax.