Results for "Shakti"

Shakti

Active since: 1974

Shakti was a renowned band in the world of fusion music, formed in the 1970s. It was a collaborative project featuring renowned musicians from different musical backgrounds, blending Indian classical music with elements of jazz and rock. The band was co-founded by Indian violin virtuoso L. Shankar, English guitarist John McLaughlin, and tabla maestro Zakir Hussain.

Shankar, a disciple of Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, brought his expertise in Indian classical music to the group. John McLaughlin, known for his work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, contributed his jazz and rock guitar skills, while Zakir Hussain brought his mastery of the tabla, a traditional Indian percussion instrument.

Rahul Mukerji: Mridhangit

by Geno Thackara
September 6, 2026

As the great (if fictitious) detective Dirk Gently said, what we are dealing with here is the fundamental interconnectedness of all things. The sinuous scales of Indian and Eastern music, the fluid melodicism of jazz, the mathematical precision of prog-rock and the wailing and pounding of heavy metal: when all are approached with the same focus ...

Jussi Reijonen: Memory and Consciousness Not Visited Before

by Dean Nardi
August 16, 2026

In 2025, Finnish guitarist and oud player Jussi Reijonen launched sayr, his intimate series of recordings for solo string instrument with simultaneous release of two stunning albums. One is a fully improvised take at his home studio on steel-string acoustic guitar on an afternoon in March 2025, split into two contrasting arcs--"salt" and “thirst"--as on two ...

Tigran Hamasyan’s Manifeste Destiny

by John Chacona
May 11, 2026

Tigran Hamasyan does not shy away from the big gesture. His fearsome keyboard technique, compositional ambition and improvisational daring have defined his international career, which ignited at age 18 with the release of his first album, World Passion (Plus Loin Music, 2006). Two decades later, these qualities have been refined and expanded with the results on ...

Andrés Coll: Ride to Heaven

by Artur Moral
April 17, 2026

Some instruments can come across as far removed from the jazz orbit--especially when we think of them as vehicles for a soloist's showcase. Yet a number of resolute experimenters have worked hard to prove otherwise, with commendable skill. Among others, such is the case with Dorothy Ashby on harp, Julius Watkins on French horn and Garvin ...

Most Read Album Reviews: 2025

by Michael Ricci
January 2, 2026

All About Jazz tracks how often an album review is read, and the reviews listed below represent our most popular in 2025 Alma Libre Arturo Sandoval Reviewed by Karan Khosla July 23, 2025 And Now Kjetil Mulelid Reviewed by John Eyles February 16, 2025

Mind Explosion

By Shakti

Label: Abstract Logix
Released: 2025
Track listing: Kiki; Giriraj Sudha; Lotus Feet; 5 in the Morning, 6 in the Afternoon; Sakhi; Shrini's Dream.

Ian Patterson's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025

by Ian Patterson
December 21, 2025

The number of albums released year upon year seems to grow exponentially, with self-released albums increasingly the norm. Much of the most interesting and courageous modern jazz is released on small, independent labels where artistic value and not commercial potential is the principal driving force. The challenge for these free spirits is to get their music ...

Shakti’s Revelation Of Oneness In Diversity Concludes With The Release Of Mind Explosion – Recorded Live During Their 50th Anniversary Tour In 2023

October 9, 2025

Shakti did not spend their fiftieth anniversary standing still, idly collecting laurels and accepting tributes for their decades of fearless musical alchemy. Instead, they acknowledged their vast influence with decisive action, recording their first new studio album in more than 45 years—the GRAMMY award-winning This Moment—and embarking on an extensive international tour that put them before ...

Berklee Indian Ensemble featuring Shankar Mahadevan: Five Peace Band

by Mike Jacobs
September 27, 2025

From December 2016, the uber-talented Berklee Indian Ensemble takes on the John McLaughlin composition “Five Peace Band" with Shakti's master vocalist, Shankar Mahadevan presiding. Among many other things, the staggeringly tight voice/guitar, voice/violin unison lines, and improvisations will likely have you questioning if these are students or masters--or both. (The answer is yes.) ...