Welcome geniuses of rhythm! The eight weeks of Tabla Month wrap up today.

Set #1 - 8:00am - 10:00am

*1. Raga Deen Todi
9:23
(In 10, divided 2 + 3 + 2 + 3.)

*2. Raga Bilaskhani Todi
12:17
(In 6, divided 3 + 3.)

*3. Raga Bhupal Todi
9:48
(In 4½. Ever wonder where the other one-half goes?)

4. Vallabha Nayaka et al.
55:42
(In four "movements", alternating between 7- and 8-beat time cycles. Each of the percussion instruments plays several solos before joining together for the finale.)

5. Visvesvara
15:10
(In 7, but maybe 6.)

Tracks 4-5
Karaikudi R. Mani's Sruthi Laya Carnatic Talavadya Ensemble: Karaikudi R. Mani - mrdangam [double-sided drum], C. N. Chandrashekar - violin, G. R. Harishankar - kanjira [tambourine], T. V. Vasan - ghatam [clay water jug], Srirangam S. Kannan - mursing [jaw harp]
Layapriya
Audiorec Classics, 766032 1028-2
(No tabla here; this is South Indian.)

Set #2 - 10:00am - 11:00am

6. Vineet Vyas: Bring on the Rain
7:37
(Based on the rainy season raga Malhar.)

7. Vineet Vyas: Benares Dawns on Me (Kayda)°
6:36
(Based on Raga Bhupali. I will save my "crazy" ideas about Bhupali for a later post.)

Tracks 6-7 (rec. 2005)
Vineet Vyas - tabla, Steve Oda - sarod, Ajay Prasanna - bansuri flute, Murad Ali - sarangi, George Koller - dilruba [sitar/sarangi hybrid], Denise Djokic - cello, °Ron Allen - piano
Vineet Vyas: TaalWorks
Vineet Vyas, VV01CD

*8. Raga Miyan ki Todi
45:25

*Tracks 1-3 & 8 (rec. 1994)
Kamalesh Maitra - tabla tarang, Trilok Gurtu - tabla, Laura Patchen - tanpura
Tabla Tarang: Melody on Drums
Smithsonian Folkways, CD SF 40436
(In 16. Last of a quartet of morning ragas played on the extraordinary tabla tarang, a set of 12-16 drums arranged in a semi-circle around the performer and tuned to the scale of the raga.)

In a word: tastiness, courtesy of the tabla players of the Ajrada Gharana.

Set #1 - 8:00am - 9:00am

*1. Raga Bhoopali on Cello
21:58
(Teental.)

*2. Raga Gawati on Sitar
21:02
(Jhaptal,10 beats, divided 2 + 3 + 2 +3.)

Set #2 - 9:00am - 10:00am

3. Slow Teental
27:50

4. Medium Teental
28:11

Tracks 3-4
Akram Khan - tabla, unknown - harmonium lehara
Ancestors: Art of the Ajrara Gharana: Tabla Solo By Akram Khan
Rageshree Music Institute, CD RMI 108

Set #3 - 10:00am - 11:00am

5. Taal Bundu Khani
15:18
(8 ½ beats, divided 3 + 3 + 2 + ½.)

6. Taal Farodust
10:20
(14 beats, divided 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 3.)

7. Dadra
10:23
(6 beats, divided 3 + 3.)

Tracks 5-7
Sarvar Sabri - tabla, Vishwa Prakash - harmonium lehara, Raju Parekh - tanpura
Master Drummer of India: Sarvar Sabri
ARC Music, EUCD 1719

*8. Raga-Mala on Sitar & Cello
20:17

*Tracks 1, 2 & 8 (rec. 2003)
Saskia Rao-de Haas - modified cello, Shubhendra Rao - sitar, Akram Khan - tabla
Creating Waves
Rhyme Records, RCD 2327

If you find yourself in an unfamiliar country, listen for the lehara, the repeating melodic framework.

Set #1 - 8:00am - 9:30am

*1. Teental (Slow & Medium) & Laggi
44:35
(Laggi is a lighter, freeform composition for tabla.)

†2. Vilambit Teental
23:32
(Vilambit = slow.)

†3. Drut Teental
18:10
(Drut = fast. Teental = time cycle of 16 beats, divided 4 + 4 + 4 + 4.)

Set #2 - 9:30am - 11:00am

§4. Rupak
21:18

*5. Rupak Tal
14:08
(Rupak = cycle of 7 beats, divided 3 + 2 + 2.)

*6. Ektal
10:42

§7. Ektal
7:27

†8. Ektal
6:08
(12 beats, divded 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 .)

†9. Ashtagrahan
5:50
(8 ½ = 2 + 3 + 2 + 1 ½ gives this tal a jaunty vibe.)

†10. Keharwa Laggi
4:53
(8, 4 + 4.)

*Tracks 1, 5 & 6 (rec. 1988)
Ilmas Hussain Khan - tabla, unknown - harmonium lehara [repeating melodic framework]
Ancestors: Art of the Lucknow Gharana: Tabla Solo By Ustad Ilmas Hussain Khan
Rageshree Music Institute, CD RMI 102
(This harmonium player just can't help ornamenting the lehara.)

†Tracks 2, 3, 8, 9 & 10
Mayookh Bhaumik - tabla, Roshan Ali - sarangi lehara, Sunondo Mukherjee - sarod lehara, Somnath Roy - swarmandal [zither]
Ancestors #2: Art of the Farukhabad Gharana: Tabla Solo By Mayookh Bhaumik
Rageshree Music Institute, CD RMI 111
(This album's got the most interestingly orchestrated lehara that I've ever heard, alternating between sarangi and sarod with a sprinkling of swarmandal pixie dust.)

§Tracks 4 & 7
Sharda Sahai - tabla, Ramesh Mishra - sarangi lehara
Pandit Sharda Sahai: The Spirit of Benares
Audiorec Classics, 766032 1044-2

Anindo leaps in! A cozy tabla program on this cold and raining Wednesday.

Set #1 - 8:00am - 9:00am

1. Raga Lalit (rec. 1988)
Hariprasad Chaurasia - bansuri flute, Anindo Chatterjee - tabla, Nandu Kamat & Kulwinder Singh - tanpuras
Nimbus Records, NI 5152
69:02
(From a cloud of tanpura drones emerges the dawn raga Lalit, the strangeness of its intervals [C Db E F F# Ab B] reflecting the unsettled natural world at the transition between night and day.)

Set #2 - 9:00am - 10:00am

2. Tal Nasruk
20:26
(9-beat time cycle.)

3. Tal Ektal
11:41
(12-beat.)

4. 8 1/2 Beats
6:03

5. Tal Pravh & Laagi
4:28

Set #3 - 10:00am - 11:00am

6. Tal Dhamar
13:38
(14-beat.)

7. Tal Teental
15:20
(16-beat.)

8. Tal Pancham Sawari
18:51
(15-beat.)

Tracks 2-8
Anindo Chatterjee - tabla, Ramesh Mishra - sarangi lehara
Anindo & His Tabla
Audiorec Classics, 766032 1016-2