M.R.C.S.

M.R.C.S. is violinist Shankar’s ode to his father, V. Lakshminarayana. This collaboration with master percussionists Zakir Hussain (tabla), Vikku Vinayakram (ghatam), and drummer Jon Christensen makes for a vivid weave. Even more cinematic than the music Shankar would later write for film, it features gentle bowing (“Adagio”), rousing pizzicato (“March”), and a taste of the bandleader at the piano (“Ocean Waves”). His melodies are simultaneously mournful and joyful, always with an intimacy that approaches with open arms—and a heart to match.