I'm not going to use that, done to death, cliché and describe tonight's sparse attendance as a 'select audience'. If it was any more select, the room would have been empty.
Nevertheless, those brave souls who made it through the heavy rain that preceded the concert did, more or less, have the last laugh.
Apart from Ravi Shankar, I haven't heard many jazz sitar players so it would be pointless for me to make comparisons apart from saying that Baluji Shrivastav's technique on the 21-string instrument is quite phenomenal and is surely comparable with that of many 'name' guitarists.
The opening set featured tablas and sitar and was, to my ears, the most satisfying of the two sets. This to take nothing away from the trio that augmented the duo for the second set.
Shanovitch sang some of her own songs, the melodies of which came from her soul mate on alto. I think he was called Richie and, on his occasional solos got a good sound. Alex Hill had moments on piano and, on the final number where some of the 'select few' were up movin' and a groovin' he got some B3 sounds from his keyboard.
This was the best number of the night but my bus was due and I had to leave so I don't know if they played an encore.
An interesting evening that was well worth weathering the storm for. Lance
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