Ravi Shankar - At the Woodstock Festival
Originally released on World Pacific WPS-21467 in April 1970
Released on United Artists (UK) UAG29379 in February 1972
This CD issued on BGO 117 in July 1994
Ravi Shankar played three songs on Friday evening, August 15th. This out of print live album claimed to contain the complete gig. However, in the September 2009 issue of Stereophile ("Woodstock 40 Years On - Back To Yasgur's Farm"), producer Andy Zax, who had access to all Woodstock recordings, said that Shankar, unhappy with his Woodstock performance, re-recorded his set in the studio, dubbing in stage announcements and crowd noise to cover the trick.
Ravi Shankar, born April 1920 in Varanasi, India, is the 20th century's most famous player of the complex stringed instrument known as the sitar. He first studied dancing, and appeared at Carnegie Hall in 1932, when he was 12. In the 1960s Shankar grew still more famous for his influence on The Beatles, who used a sitar in some of their more psychedelic tunes. One of Shankar's daughters, Anoushka, also plays the sitar. He is also the father of pianist/vocalist Norah Jones. John Coltrane named his son after Ravi Shankar.
The Indian music genius Ravi Shankar made his first appearance to the western world at the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967, followed by an invitation from Beatle George Harrison. In the wake of spiritualism and the search for new influences his music became very popular but Shankar wasn't fond of the drug-consuming and partying crowd of young people.
Like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, Shankar also played at Woodstock. He went on after Tim Hardin. Melanie, Arlo Guthrie and Joan Baez followed, closing the first day of the festival. Woodstock, he says, was " a terrifying experience" where "the music was incidental." Shankar started at about 10 pm on Friday evening and played for over 40 minutes throughout the rain.
Ravi Shankar - sitar
Alla Rakha - tabla
Maya Kulkarni - tamboura
01. Raga Puriya-Dhanashri (adpt. Shankar) 11:04
02. Tabla Solo in Jhaptal (adpt. Rakha) 8:48
03. Raga Manj Khamaj (adpt. Shankar) 19:52
Like many performers at Woodstock, this is not Ravi's best work. He entertained a lot of muddy, naked humans who cheered for him probably because it was the "groovy thing to do." Similar things have happened throughout his history; on The Concert For Bangla Desh he and his players received applause following a minute of tuning up their instruments. In those days, people wanted pop whether they admitted it or not. Something wonderful happened since then, however: pop got old. Ravi wasn't always very accessible, but he was unmistakable.
Recorded at Woodstock or not, this album contains some brilliant playing. Ravi is spectacular, Alla Rakha is unbelivable, especially on his solo, and the interplay between them at the climax of Raga Manj Khamaj is breathtaking.Woodstock collectors will swoop this right up as rightfully they should...he was an interesting addition to the festival. (amazon.com)
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