Shobha

Trilok Gurtu's evolution from mere percussion wizard to innovative composer of global jazz fusion takes a quantum leap forward on this remarkable collection of African, Indian, American, and Asian music. Keeping his drum and tabla polyrhythms within the ensemble framework, save for some explosive solos on "Old African" and "Dinki Puriya," the Indian maestro focuses on making new sonic textures from cross-pollination. For example, "DJ Didgeridoo" blends the tones of the title instrument with Ravi Chary's sitar and soaring vocals from Zap Mama's Sabine Kabongo. "Big Brother" is an orchestral marvel of Indian and American strings and synthesizers topped by the magnificent voice of Mali's Oumou Sangare. Gurtu also reprises the song "You, Remember This" with his mother, the legendary singer Shobha Gurtu, and he teams up with vocalist Angelique Kidjo on two of the less adventurous tracks. The band, especially bassist Kai Eckhardt, provides robust, empathic support throughout.

God Is A Drummer is the new studio album by master drummer Trilok Gurtu. Throughout his illustrious career, master drummer and world music pioneer Gurtu has stood at the confluence of where Indian classical music, Western jazz and funk, African music, and Brazilian music meet. It's been part of his modus operandi for five decades – making music that defies easy categorization. On God Is A Drummer, his 20th recording as a leader, the uncommonly open-minded musician pays tribute to some fallen colleagues and role models who have guided and inspired him along the way. Leading his dynamic, Hamburg-based group of trumpeter Frederik Köster, trombonist Christophe Schweizer, Turkish-born keyboardist Sabri Tulug Tirpan, and electric bassist Jonathan Cuniado.

As a producer and sideman, Bombay-born percussionist and singer Trilok Gurtu has become something of a godfather to London's emerging Asian Underground movement (his relationship with Asian Dub Foundation having earned him particularly strong street credibility in recent years), but he's also been quietly releasing solo albums for the last decade. The latest finds him teamed up with bassist Kai Eckhardt de Camargo (good luck sorting out the ethnicity of that name), guitarist Jaya Deva, sitar player Ravi Cherry, and several high-profile guests (including Neneh Cherry, who sings a touching tribute to Ravi's and her late stepfather) for a program of cross-cultural jamming. Worldbeat fusion is always a dicey prospect, and while this album has many attractive moments, it never really comes into focus.

Wizardly percussionist Trilok Gurtu knows more than most musicians about the true meaning of fusion. It's not a dirty word or an empty style posture for Gurtu, but a way of being, for a musician trained in classical tradition but happily flung into a wide world of jazz, rock, and sundry western influences. Kathak (Mintaka 1073; 46:37), from Trilok Gurtu and his group, The Glimpse, is all over the map, in a kindly, mostly musical way. Gurtu has no compunctions about crossing over idiomatic borders