In the two years since her debut, Anoushka, Anoushka Shankar's skills have increased greatly. She can take on these six pieces by her father, the great Ravi Shankar, which are based on traditional ragas, and make absolutely no concession to her youth. Her natural feel for the sitar and the depth of her ability are apparent from her introduction to the first tune, "Shuddha Sarang," where her runs and harmonics glide magically, leaving you wondering how one instrumentalist can produce such multilayered sounds. The spare, traditional accompaniment of tabla, tanpura (a stringed drone instrument), and mridangam (a two-headed wooden drum) leave the sitar very much in the spotlight, and Shankar's liquid, contemplative playing always shines. The highlight, however, has to be "Pancham Se Gara," on which Ravi and Anoushka duet. The master, without doubt, is still just that, but his pupil is coming along very quickly, and the joy of them making music together comes through clearly. A captivating experience. --Chris Nickson
