Improvisations (Ravi Shankar album)

Improvisations
Studio album by Ravi Shankar
Released	1962
Recorded	1962
Genre	Hindustani classical, World fusion, Indo jazz
Length	39:42
Label	World Pacific (LP), Angel (CD)
Producer	Richard Bock
Ravi Shankar chronology
India's Master Musician (1959) Improvisations (1962) India's Most Distinguished Musician In Concert (1962)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

Improvisations is a 1962 LP album by Ravi Shankar. The opening piece is based on music from Shankar's score for Satyajit Ray's 1955 movie Pather Panchali with flutist Bud Shank playing in Indian style. Shankar composed "Fire Night" influenced by the 1961 Los Angeles fires and the song features jazz musicians Shank (flute) and Gary Peacock (bass) improvising over Indian percussion instruments. There is a clear free jazz influence on tracks like Karnataki (Raga Kirvani).^[2] The concluding ragas are in classical Indian style: the first raga, Kirvani, with South Indian origin, and the second, Rageshri, with North Indian origin. The album was released in CD format by Angel Records in 1999 and has been described as a "visionary recording" by AllMusic reviewer Heather Phares.^[1][3]

Track listing

1. "Improvisation on the Theme Music from Pather Panchali" – 7:07
2. "Fire Night" – 4:37
3. "Karnataki (Raga Kirvani)" – 6:43
4. "Raga Rageshri: Part 1 (Alap)" – 6:50
5. "Raga Rageshri: Part 2 (Jor)" – 11:01
6. "Raga Rageshri: Part 3 (Gat)" – 3:24

Personnel

• Ravi Shankar - sitar
• Kanai Dulla - tabla
• Nodu C. Mullick - tampura
• Harihar Rao - tampura and dholak
• Bud Shank - flute

additional musicians on Track 2

• Dennis Budimir - guitar
• Gary Peacock - bass
• Louis Hayes - drums

References

1. Phares, Heather. "Improvisations". AllMusic. Retrieved November 19, 2009.
2. Wiser, Danny (4 July 2020). "INDIA: Improvisations - Ravi Shankar". 200worldalbums.com. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
3. Brown, Robert E. (1962). Improvisations (liner notes). Ravi Shankar. World Pacific.