The Rough Guide to Zakir Hussain

The tabla is India's best-known drum yet, traditionally, it was always ranked way down the pecking order of instruments, only ever heard as accompaniment. But even in that low-key supporting role, the entire status of tabla was transformed with the musical wit and virtuosity of the charismatic Zakir Hussain. Even at the peak of his international career as a composer as well as percussionist for numerous musical collaborations, Hussain never shunned the opportunity to act as a mere accompanist for some of the greatest maestros of our time. This is reflected very well on this disc where he is accompanying the likes of sitar legend Vilayat Khan and santoor maestro Shiv Kumar Sharma as well as performing a duet with his late father, Alla Rakha, in which both father and son, true to their family style (known as the Punjab gharana), leave the listener simply breathless with admiration.

As the liner notes suggest, for Hussain the tabla is not just about rhythm, it's an entire language with the building blocks to make words, sentences and then weave stories. Of these there are many and, as one would expect from any good storyteller, there are numerous twists before a highly satisfying resolution.