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In his own words: I first met Guruji in 1996 when he was looking for a cellist for "Chants of India" and I became a student about six months later. A friend of Alan Kozlowski saw me play cello in LA and he recommended for "Chants of India" to Alan. The project was delayed and eventually moved to Madras so I decided on a holiday! and went to Madras with cello in hand. I got there a week early and was really looking forward to the whole thing.. Suddenly, George Harrison postponed the recording for a few months and there I was in Madras. I was invited to lunch with the Shankars the day we were supposed to begin recording. I played for Guruji then, a Bach Courante and an Irish slip jig, and he gave me my first lesson in Indian music. It was an afternoon I'll always remember. All moments with Guruji are memorable moments - and I don't mean that as a light and shallow comment. His humor, his soaring improvisations, His ability to blend into and admire various cultures, his honest and good nature - all of these I think of as memories for a lifetime. Rehearsing and performing pieces that I assisted him in composing is an amazing experience. The Concert for George is burned into my mind. Arriving at London with just four days composition and notation under our collective belts - this seemed, well, sort of frightening to me. With steady and good natured determination, Guruji composed and refined steadily for 4-5 days and we were ready for the Albert Hall! I do think Anoushka kept him away from the final hours of rehearsal so that he would not change anything last minute! |
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Barry has played with a variety of artists, such as
fiddler Alastair Fraser, guitarist Martin Simpson, sitarist
Anoushka Shankar, nyckelharpist Olov Johansson, and at the
"Concert for George" at London's Albert Hall. |