LimeWire Music Blog

The phrase “living legend” is one that gets tossed around all too freely, but if there’s anyone who deserves that appellation, it’s Ravi Shankar. Shankar, who will turn 90 years old in April 2010, has been plying his trade as a sitar master since the 1940s, and the Rare and Glorious compilation reaches back to pluck gems from some of his finest albums, including some tracks that have never been made available digitally until now. While the forward-looking Shankar has ventured into all manner of musical crossover projects over the years, the tracks included in this collection find him doing what he does best — putting his heart, soul, and flying fingers into the interpretation of traditional ragas, the classical music of Northern India. Many of the cuts find Shankar backed by longtime accompanist Alla Rakha, the late, great tabla king, and “Raga Sindhu Bhairavi” adds sultan of sarod Ali Akbar Khan, yet another longtime musical foil of Shankar’s whom the latter has outlived. From the poignant, lyrical melodies of “Raga Hansadhwani” to the furious tabla tempi and sitar slashes of “Raga Devgiri Bilawal,” the thing that comes across most strongly throughout Rare and Glorious is an ever-present passion that was every bit the equal of the obvious virtuosity Shankar brought to every tune he touched.