Debashish Bhattacharya & Bob Brozman - Mahima (2003)

The distinctive sound of the slide guitar is an intrinsic feature in blues, Hawaiian and Indian music. On Mahima, these traditions meet in the capable hands of two of the worlds greatest slide guitarists, Debashish Bhattacharya and Bob Brozman. In the process, the two have created a true hybrid, a spectacular union of guitarists on a unique album, which also showcases the vocal talents of Sutapa Bhattacharya and tabla master Subhashis Bhattacharya.

While American bluesman would probably like to believe otherwise, the slide guitar has been developed in many cultures. The earliest reports of Hawaiian slide guitar come from 1876, while Indian culture can trace the use of a slide instrument upon strings back to the 11th century. American guitarist Bob Brozman has explored Hawaiian slide deeply and jammed his way around the world, delving into different cultures and finding common musical threads. Here he is joined by India's Debashish Bhattacharya on Hindustani slide guitar, his brother Subhashis on tabla and an array of percussion, and sister Sutapa on vocals. Ranging from the more classical Indian music "Maa" to the riff-heavy "Tagore Street Blues" to the positively rockin' "Bana Mali," the guitarists duel with an open approach that blurs all lines of division, while Sutapa and Subhashis stick closer to the Indian traditions. Like a Bollywood flick about a back-country blues guitarist, Mahima is ragas and 16-bar blues, simultaneously alien and somehow not so far from the American folk form. --Tad Hendrickso

1.01 - Debashish Bhattacharya & Bob Brozman - Bahu Dur Dur (6:01)
1.02 - Debashish Bhattacharya & Bob Brozman - Sur-o-Lahari (3:06)
1.03 - Debashish Bhattacharya & Bob Brozman - Tagore Street Blues (3:46)
1.04 - Debashish Bhattacharya & Bob Brozman - Maa (5:24)
1.05 - Debashish Bhattacharya & Bob Brozman - Digi Digi Dom Dom (5:25)
1.06 - Debashish Bhattacharya & Bob Brozman - Bana Mali (3:49)
1.07 - Debashish Bhattacharya & Bob Brozman - Jibaner Gan (4:52)
1.08 - Debashish Bhattacharya & Bob Brozman - Sujan Re (7:37)
1.09 - Debashish Bhattacharya & Bob Brozman - Konkani Memories (3:06)
1.10 - Debashish Bhattacharya & Bob Brozman - Loomba Re Loomba (6:58)
1.11 - Debashish Bhattacharya & Bob Brozman - Lullabai (3:58)