The Resonance Between

While there are countless East-West fusions out there, there are few that sound as effortlessly meant to be as this album of newly composed music. Composed by sarod player Alam Khan, sitarist Arjun K Verma and composer Jack Perla, it offers up a perfectly harmonious melding of Indian and Western classical music. The Indian instruments are joined by the Del Sol string Quartet and there is also support from tabla players Ojas Adhiya, Ishaan Ghosh, and Nilan Chaudhuri.

The pedigree on all sides is likely what contributes to the excellence on display. Khan is the son of sarod legend Ali Akbar Khan who trained Verma (the son of respected sitarist Roop Verma). The Del Sol Quartet are an award-winning San Francisco-based ensemble who are known for commissioning new music and Perla is known for his cross-genre compositions, taking in jazz, world and classical music. Together they create a sensitive and symbiotic blend of the two classical worlds.

Opener ‘Awaken’ starts with swirling string figures from Del Sol, and for a few seconds you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a contemporary classical piece, but then a gentle tabla picks up the rhythm and we’re launched into the album’s soundworld: virtuosic and yet tender and rooted in both raga and Western classical idioms. While all ten tracks are excellent, particular standouts are ‘Embark’ and ‘Rebirth’. The former is a masterclass in restraint, intense in its slow build, and ‘Rebirth’ is built on layers of repetitions of a simple rising four-note melody. On this background, Samarth Nagarkar’s vocals and a droning cello create gentle textures for the other instruments to dip and dive in. A stunning and masterful example of musical synergy between two classical worlds.