YOUNG, LA MONTE/MARIAN ZAZEELA - The Tamburas of Pandit Pran Nath

"This recording is an invaluable artifact, destined to become a cherished classic, valued for years to come by those able to appreciate the subtle vibratory qualities of this High Art. In an age of diminishing concern for the high ideals upheld by the venerated masters of the past for strict adherence to the precise pitches and shapes of Raga, Pandit Pran Nath stood alone in his fierce devotion to purity of these ancient ways in a manner that was both traditional and innovative ... His life’s work was service to the true shape and correct pitches of each individual Raga, regarding them as manifestations of a Divine Sound that could only be accurately realized when these pitches and shapes were uniquely delineated for each and every Raga.

The Tambura was a lifelong companion to this work, as each frequency and shape was measured in relation to its finely tuned yardstick and he had little patience or sympathy for any elements that came between his discriminating ear and the lustrous resonance of this venerable stringed instrument.

For his Disciples, La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela, this was also the most cherished goal. The extreme care and loving attention given to the making of this masterpiece of Tambura Artistry make it a singularly rare contribution that far outshines any other attempts to capture this instrument in recorded media. I often use this recording to accompany my own practice and am delighted that now it will be available to students and connoisseurs worldwide. As has been said many times, sitting between two tamburas is Heaven." -Terry Riley.

" As the tambura tuning on this CD leaves the sanctuary of Indian classical music that created it and goes out into the world, there is no way to control how it actually might be used over time. However, in the light of the extraordinary convergence of factors that have brought this tuning into physical manifestation, we now offer it to the world. Each vibration that goes out into the universe becomes a part of, and thus affects, the structure of the cosmic composite waveform. May this recording live on, not only as The Tamburas of Pandit Pran Nath Minus One for all devotees of raga to have a well-tuned, ready drone frequency constant with which to practice the śrutis, but at the same time, for all listeners, as a vehicle in the quest for spiritual attainment and for the evolution of consciousness, an introduction to the study of the universal implications of vibrational structure, and a positive force in the eternal interplay of harmony and discord, of harmonicity and inharmonicity, of good vibrations and bad." - Just Dreams.