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Chords & Notes
The Concert for New York City - Various Artistes (Sony, double cassette pack, Rs 225)
The events of September 11 evoked an immediate response from the musical fraternity in the U.S. Several benefit concerts were held across the country in memory of the victims.
Probably, the most memorable of the lot was the one organised by the former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney.
Held on October 20, 2001, at the Madison Garden, the proceeds of the show went towards not only the victims' families but also families of those fire fighters who lost their lives trying to save others.
Incidentally, Sir Paul's father himself was a fire fighter in Liverpool!
The concert with more than 20 performances, spanning nearly five generations, went on for over five hours! The twin cassettes however, feature only the highlights.
The concert opens with David Bowie singing a sombre version of the Simon and Garfunkel hit, "America". It is followed by the emotional "Heroes", Bowie's own composition, which became the theme song for the evening.
A subdued Destiny's Child performed a gospel medley while Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy traded blues riffs on the Willie Dixon standard, "I am Your Hoochie Coochie Man".
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are in top form with their energetic Stones classic "Salt of the Earth", while The Who re-ignite the stage with some of their hits including "Baba O'Reilly" and "Won't Get Fooled Again".
Billy Joel chips in with "Miami 2017" that describes a holocaust in New York. And it was written nearly 25 years ago as a science fiction number!!
The grand finale... Paul and the others singing the philosophical "Let It Be" and "Freedom" (written after Sept 11).
The other artistes featured include Bon Jovi, Backstreet Boys, Melissa Ethridge, James Taylor, Elton John and John Mellencamp. - excellent.
Different Strokes - Jagjit Singh (Sa Re Ga Ma, Rs 70)
One always hoped Jagjit Singh would record a full-fledged Hindustani album, when one heard his earlier ghazals (with wife Chitra).
It is, therefore, a pleasure to listen Singh at his classical best, in his latest effort. He weaves a magical spell on the listeners as he winds his way through the short yet powerful aalaps and crisp bols.
The ghazal maestro has aptly chosen grand ragas such as Darbari and Bhairavi, which showcase his deep, emotion-laden voice, that is best suited for classical music.
The album opens with a brisk "Apni gaaraj pakar leenee" a traditional number in raga Ragesri. "Karat raar" in Bhairavi starts to a slow rhythm but soon picks up tempo.
The piece de resistance is "Babul Mora" (Bhairavi), which is offered in two versions — with and without the tabla.
A must-buy for Jagjit Singh fans. — excellent.
Seven Steps to Liberty (Dreams Audio, Rs 50)
Those of you who have enjoyed the kind of fusion music that `Shakti' used to create will most definitely appreciate this album.
The simple melodies, which weave together Indian and Western classical with elements of jazz, are pleasing to the ear.
The pieces have been written by Neyveli S. Radhakrishnan (violin and tenor violin), Matthias Muller (guitar) and Armin Metz (bass guitar). Giving them the percussion support are R. Yogarajah (mridangam, tabla, kanjira and morsing) and A. S. Shankar (ghatam).
An interesting effort. — good.
SAVITHA GAUTAM
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