Shankar, Garbarek, Hussain, Gurtu - Song For Everyone (1985)

As noted last week, Jan Garbarek and Zakir Hussain's first collaboration was back in September 1984 and the recording sessions for this album.  Song For Everyone was captained (and wholly written) by Tamil violinist Lakshminarayana Shankar, who was on his third outing with ECM (the first had featured Hussain, the second Garbarek).  Completing this lineup was percussionist Trilok Gurtu, who'd made appearances on the label back to the late 70s.

Album opener Paper Nut, which Garbarek would return to for several years afterwards, kicks into high gear with a flurry of Shankar's electrified strings and a drum machine backing.  The longest track, Watching You, is in a similar vein, with pieces based on more traditional percussion interspersed.  Garbarek is in fine form throughout, carrying a warm breeze through the lovely title track and proving an ideal melodic/harmonic sparring partner with Shankar elsewhere.  Drum machine tracks aside, the two percussionists are a wonderful base for a great album.

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