Josh Feinberg has boldly set forth along the path towards establishing himself as one the most promising instrumentalists in the younger generation of Hindustani (North Indian) classical musicians. For this album, Josh has selected four diverse ragas and their associated compositions that collectively demonstrate his fluency in both the melodic and rhythmic intricacies that characterize the repertoire of the Maihar Gharana. When listening to Josh's music, it is immediately evident that he is heavily influenced by the late Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, one of the principle representatives of this illustrious musical school and style. Josh's intense listening and analysis of the sitar maestro's music over many years, accompanied by hours of focused riyaaz (musical practice) and careful instruction by his gurus and teachers, have resulted in both a tonal quality and raga presentation style that is deeply reminiscent of Pandit Nikhil Banerjee's music. It is particularly notable that Josh has reached the level of technical proficiency and artistic maturity required to emulate the maestro's music considering his western background. Though Indian classical music has long been appreciated by western audiences and many serious students have devoted themselves to mastering the art form, an argument could be made that Josh's ability to create authentic raga music of such a high caliber is unprecedented among Indian classical music students of non-South Asian ethnicity. Most importantly however, when removing the trivial race issue from consideration, and looking past his musical resemblances to other artists, Josh is making raga music that is both meaningful and gratifying. This recording begins to validate his place among the upper echelon of young sitarists performing Hindustani Classical Music today. Josh is fortunate to have been accompanied on these recordings by Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri; considered by classical music aficionados as one of the greatest tabla maestros of the modern era and widely regarded as the foremost representative of the Lucknow Gharana of classical tabla. Beyond his accomplishments as both a premier soloist and an exceptional accompanist in general, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri has a particular bond with the Maihar Gharana, primarily due to his close association with both Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Pandit Nikhil Banerjee. Indeed, many of the famous and cherished recordings by these two legendary artists are enhanced by the skillful and responsive accompaniment of Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. Furthermore Josh's strong connection to the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, CA (where he studied for many years and where Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri has been the Director of Percussion since 1981), resulted in him receiving close guidance and encouragement from the tabla maestro. As always, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri's flawless tone, clarity and vastly unique repertoire greatly enrich the various compositions Josh has presented on this recording. -Ferhan Qureshi.
