REMEMBER SHAKTI - Remember Shakti (1999) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On Remember Shakti, jazz guitarist John McLaughlin returns to one of his chief inspirations -- classical Indian music -- by re-forming his '70s group Shakti. Original members Zakir Hussain (tabla) and Vikku Vinayakram (ghatam) return, joined by Hariprasad Chaurasia on the bansuri (Indian flute). Remember Shakti has a more meditative, fluid feel than the percussive work of the original group, but McLaughlin's subtle, hypnotic guitar work bridges Shakti's past and present. Remember Shakti's double-disc length gives the group ample time to explore the intricacies of compositions like "The Wish," "Chandrakauns," and the hour-plus "Mukti." An emotionally rich, musically accomplished album, Remember Shakti reunites a unique group of players. by Heather Phares
Tracklist:
1-1 Chandrakauns 33:35
1-2 The Wish 18:40
1-3 Lotus Feet 7:33
2-1 Mukti 63:30
2-2 Zakir 9:10
Credits:
Bansuri – Hariprasad Chaurasia (tracks: 1-1, 1-3 to 2-2)
Ghatam – T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram (tracks: 1-2 to 2-1)
Guitar – John McLaughlin (tracks: 1-2 to 2-2)
Tabla – Zakir Hussain (tracks: 1-1 to 2-1)
Tambura [Tanpura] – Uma Metha (tracks: 1-1, 1-3)
Written-By – Hariprasad Chaurasia (tracks: 1-1, 2-1), John McLaughlin (tracks: 1-2, 1-3, 2-2)

REMEMBER SHAKTI - Saturday Night In Bombay (2001) APE (image+.cue), lossless

John McLaughlin brought his revived Indo-jazz project Shakti to Bombay (Mumbai) in late 2000, and the result is this live disc, which features only four compositions but runs over an hour in length. (The title is a deliberate play on 1980's Friday Night in San Francisco.) McLaughlin's electric guitar and Zakir Hussain's tabla remain at the core of the group's sound. U. Shrinivas (on mandolin) and V. Selvaganesh (on kanjira, ghatam, and mridangam, all Indian percussion instruments) remain from the previous album, but there are also a number of Indian guest musicians, giving the music many added dimensions. The most remarkable guests are Debashish Bhattacharya on Hindustani slide guitar, Shankar Mahadevan on vocals, and Shiv Kumar Sharma on santur, an Indian hammered dulcimer. Sharma composed the second track, "Shringar"; nearly half an hour long, it consists almost entirely of a hypnotic dialogue between santur and guitar. Mahadevan's vocal performance on the opening "Luki" resounds with spiritual power, while Shrinivas's "Giriraj Sudha" gives a sunny, optimistic lift to the somewhat mournful set. by David R. Adler
Tracklist:
1 Luki 5:39
2 Shringar 26:38
3 Giriraj Sudha 10:45
4 Bell'Alla 18:48
Personnel:

Guitar – John McLaughlin

Kanjira – V. Selvaganesh

Mandolin – U. Shrinivas (tracks: 1, 3, 4)

Tabla – Zakir Hussain

Vocals – Shankar Mahadevan (tracks: 1, 3, 4)