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Vineet Vyas’s “Taalworks” is an attempt in this direction. It is basically a tabla solo album, but like they do conventionally , it doesn’t play just to the traditional accompaniment of the lehra either on the harmonium or sarangi. It ropes in a whole lot of instruments from the flute to sarod to piano to cello to the dilruba. The tabla, in effect, gains a different sound and texture. The well-produced album explores a range of sounds this versatile classical instrument can produce. Vineet, with his gifted fingers and years of learning, pulls of some complicated bols. The predominant style in the album is the Benarasi gharana.

The opening piece Uthaan, is set to an evening melody Sohini. It opens to the moving strains of Sarangi. One fails to understand if it is the very nature of this wonderful instrument or the imagination of the player that brings out some of the loveliest music. On flute is Ajay Prasanna playing some catchy melodic phrases supporting this short piece in teentaal. I particularly like the take off point for the tabla; it is grand. While Vineet works out many nuanced tihais, it is evident from this opener, that he is a competent tabaliya. His stroke patterns and cross rhythms are imaginative. The Peshkaar for which every accompanist tabaliya waits in a concert, is played to the raga Kalavathi on the sarod. It is set to teentaal, expands beautifully, gradually including different bols to weave a beautiful pattern. However, Kalavathi doesn’t sound too good on sarod, an instrument that’s more suited for grand, full scale ragas. Also, with other instruments joining in, the piece gets overcrowded.

Chalan plays around the eight beat pattern, in Keherwa taal style, and is interesting. Some of the upaj in this rendition are very imaginative. The stirring Charukeshi forms a good background. Angusthaana is a fine piece. Not because it has a lovely pace, but also for Vineet’s felicity. Angusthaana means finger movements and one can actually visualise his fingers moving tremendous accuracy as one listens to the piece. He brings in tonal variations and works in different tempos for this seven-beat cycle. The manner in which he shifts from the tabla to the dagga and the way he integrates them is very arresting. Moonlight has a very interesting melodic structure. There’s a wonderful piano opening which continues through the piece, and Vineet joins in on the tabla. David Braid on the piano plays Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”. The intermingling of two completely different schools of thought sounds fascinating in this piece. It is a well-thought out composition, for, it highlights the strengths of the two different styles without overshadowing each other. The staccato on the piano is beautifully contrasted with the circular, flowing patterns on the tabla. “Flight of the Swan” with that remarkable playing on the cello is among the best pieces. In the Darbar, is the climax. It has the rela, upaj and tukre. Set to rag Jog, the piece has the padhant or the recitation, which Vineet does it in eloquence.

Though this disciple of Kishan Maharaj, has travelled widely and incorporated many styles into his own, Vineet Vyas has a distinct stamp of the Benarasi gharana in his style. In fact, it was in the Benarasi baaj that solo performance was developed.

The balancing could have surely been better. At many points in the album the other instruments are louder than the tabla track.

All the compositions are dedicated to the grahas (the planets) and their influences. There is a commentary at the beginning which speaks of the significance of planetary influence. The compositions are scholarly and are set mostly to grand ragas like Shanmukhapriya, Suruti and Natakuranji.

In fact, each composition is set to different talas and does succeed in breaking the monotony that can creep in. So much so, that they are set to Chaturashra Matya, Khanda Triputa, talas that one rarely gets to hear these days. “Rakshamam Bhanudeva” is a nice composition in Sourashtra, janya of Suryakantha. But the singers find hard to negotiate the higher octaves. By the second piece, “Vandeham Chandra Graham” in Asaveri, also a janya raga, they get comfortable. The Shanmukha priya and Begade pieces are striking. The orchestration is kept simple with the violin and flute mostly following the main melody.

For details on the album, call 080 26710766.

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