With over 90 albums to his credit, the task for those who wish to investigate the recordings of India's master musician
Ravi Shankar can be a daunting one. Therefore, the Legacy/BMG
Essential Ravi Shankar fills a welcome place in his catalog and serves as a starting point for the novitiate. There are 20 cuts on these two discs that range over most of the sitarist and composer's shelf, from his early Angel recordings where he played mostly Indian classical music, to his later recordings for Private Music, to his lone Columbia album,
The Sounds of India, in 1968. Along the way,
Shakar is featured in many settings, from solo to performances with large ensembles of traditional Indian musicians, to his collaborations with violinist
Yehudi Menuhin from the gorgeous West Meets East recording, to his recording with
George Harrison, to his work with
Philip Glass and numerous other musicians on
Passages. Through it all,
Shankar is consistently in the classical framework, whether he is improvising on ragas or performing other compositions. The sound here has been completely remastered and the liner essay by
Hank Bordowitz is both informative and compelling factually. This is the real intro to
Shankar that has been needed for such a long time on CD.