Saath Saath
Self-Released, 2022
8/10
The Indian sitar player and composer Purbayan Chatterjee and flautist and longtime friend Rakesh Chaurasia come together for these 7 ragas for morning and night, and they’ve got some help along the way, too.
“Lalit” starts the listen with a soothing, meditative quality that resonates with much warmth in its precise string manipulation, and “Shuddh Sarang” follows with a dreamy quality that benefits much from careful interaction between the pair.
In the middle, “Yaman Madhya Laya” features Satyajit Talwalker and Ojas Adhiya on tabla for the highly cultured and mesmerizing album highlight, while “Yaman Drut” again uses the tablas for a very upbeat and rhythmic display of worldly song craft.
“Bhairvi” exits the listen, and it’s full of cautious yet adventurous song craft that utilizes a dynamic energy between the tablas, sitar and flute with an unparalleled attention to detail.
Additionally, Taufiq Qureshi takes up percussion, and the entire affair was recorded in just one or two takes, giving it a very spontaneous feel that results in a very unique take on world, classical and Indian music that, even at 2 discs in length, never out welcomes its stay.