Singing Violins

JAYARAMAN et al. – “Singing Violins”
Dunya, 2005

SOUTH INDIA – It’s a family affair on this disc, as Carnatic violin master Lalgudi G Jayaraman is joined by his son and daughter for a trio performance (plus mridangam and kanjira drums). There’s a bunch of reverb in the mix for some reason: it doesn’t spoil the skin-tight interplay or molten bent tones, but it does grate on my ears after a while. Short compositions mean the players cut to the chase quickly. Very brief spoken intros on each track.

Fo’s Picks: 1, 3, 7

1. 12:48 – relaxed intro, drums in after 3 mins., from then on it’s bright and lively.
2. 05:31 – stately tempo, almost creepy as busy violins play in near-unison
3. 05:14 – folksy theme, happy sound, simple and kind of catchy
4. 08:12 – no drums: noodly intro resolves into single violin line, flits & dances
5. 14:44 – relaxed tempo, slurred folksy melody; energy rises & falls in waves
6. 04:50 – based on a pair of slinky patterns: mysterious, but repetitive
7. 08:11 – slow violins echo each other, then pick up speed & tension w/drums

[Fo] - 5/12/06