Out of Stillness
The late Gopal Shankar Misra, who died in 1999, was one of the masters of the voicelikevichitra veena, one of India's oldest and most expressive instruments. He was also one of the few to take its sound outside classical music, performing withAnanda Shankarand State of Bengal, exploring the possibilities of fusion. This disc, however, shows him in a more contemplative mood, performing four parts of "Darzabi Kanbra" with thundering tabla as accompaniment on part 4 and "Mishra Pilu." His command of theveenais nothing short of staggering, executing precise phrases at the fastest tempo, but also letting it sing in a way few could. Misra (who was also an adept sitar player) never let technique win out over feel, however, and to hear his playing is to encounter virtuosity on a rare level. This is a quiet, gorgeous gem of a record to be enjoyed many times.--Chris Nickson