SHAKTI WITH JOHN MCLAUGHLIN – A HANDFUL OF BEAUTY (CD)

A Handful of Beauty stands as a radiant testament to the creative alchemy between Indian classical virtuosity and Western jazz ingenuity. Released in 1976, this album captures Shakti’s core lineup—John McLaughlin’s lightning-fast guitar, L. Shankar’s soaring violin, Zakir Hussain’s tabla wizardry, and T.H. ‘Vikku’ Vinayakram’s ghatam mastery—in a state of fearless exploration. The result is a collection of compositions that unfold with both meditative subtlety and exhilarating complexity. Tracks like ‘La Danse Du Bonheur’ and ‘Lady L’ showcase intricate rhythmic interplay, while moments of serene beauty reveal the group’s deep reverence for tradition and improvisation alike.

What makes A Handful of Beauty so enduring is its refusal to settle for fusion as mere juxtaposition. Instead, Shakti forges an entirely new language—one where raga and jazz, tabla and guitar, converse with seamless empathy. The album’s influence reverberates far beyond its time, inspiring generations of musicians to reach across cultural boundaries. For anyone seeking an album that rewards attentive listening and offers a window into the transformative power of collaborative artistry, this Shakti milestone is nothing short of essential.