Rhythm Tabla

The Melody of Rhythm, is an unparalleled collaboration between banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck, composer and double-bass master Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain, arguably the world’s greatest tabla player.

Lo. Def Pressure consists of two extended compositions (both over 20 minutes) from genre-expanding musician/composer/producer Bill Laswell. Featuring a group of percussionists (including the exceptional tabla player Zakir Hussain) and sound generators, the results are texture-heavy excursions into rhythm that combine ancient musical traditions with modern beat science. It's a meeting of old and new, East and West that has taken place on Laswell's recordings ever since talking drums and tablas met drifting new age ambience on 1988's Hear No Evil. With Lo. Def Pressure, however, he has proven that the same preoccupations can make for captivating music over two decades into his career.

A new set by British saxophonist and composer Andy Sheppard is always a welcome proposal, but his 13th album, and 14th release overall, also happens to be his debut for ECM. The association is a long one, indirectly, since Sheppard recorded a dozen albums with Carla Bley's band on WATT, which is manufactured and distributed by ECM. The music on Movements in Colour is an ambitious, but utterly lyrical blend of Latin, Middle Eastern, and post-bop, and it is realized by musicians such as jazz guitarist John Parricelli (who plays acoustically here) and tabla player Kuljit Bhamra – members of Sheppard's regular quartet – guitarist and electronic musician Eivind Aarset, and double bassist Arild Andersen, who also plays some electronics.