Sangam's Captivating World Rhythms

Sangam mesmerized its audience at the Library of Congress Wednesday with a performance that won't soon be forgotten. The latest project in veteran jazz composer Charles Lloyd's half-century exploration of world rhythms and harmonies teams the versatile musician with popular Indian tabla master Zakir Hussain and young virtuoso percussionist Eric Harland.

Lloyd's solemn solo piano improvisation began the show, and the music soon escalated into a riveting pastiche, as Lloyd's serpentine melody on flute meshed with Hussain's plump tabla and Harland's rhythmic piano. Lloyd throws his entire body into his woodwind playing, his torso twitching and listing, often kicking or flailing a leg. He displayed his lightning technique on flute, alto and tenor saxophone, but it was his performance on the tarogato that was most intriguing. This instrument, which is rarely seen outside of Transylvania, looks like a clarinet but sounds like a melancholy combination of oboe and trumpet.

You might think that two percussionists in a jazz trio would be one too many. But a musical high point came during an extended duet when Hussain and Harland engaged in a sort of battle of the drums. It was enthralling to watch them play off each other's ideas in this complex musical journey. Hussain was expert at coaxing melodies from the center of the drum while his amazingly agile fingertips brought out rhythms from the edges of the instrument. Harland was like a musical octopus at the drum set, throwing his arms around with such vigor that the audience broke into a sympathetic sweat just watching his extended solo.

-- Gail Wein