Zakir Hussain: Anisa. Bloody good if the alternative is finishing an MSc. Actually, bloody good no matter what you’re doing. But especially, if you’re working.

Update: also Dervish, the album I have is “Live in Palma,” and right now I’m listening to … erm … AudioTrack 15. Trad. Irish folk, really extraordinarily good.

Both these guys are on the to-buy list, now that I’ll have a real income. (Call me old-fashioned, but I like to own CDs. I just prefer to pay my rent and eat regularly, but if I can have both…)

More update: according to this review collection, since “Live in Palma” these guys have changed their lineup and the accompaniment has gotten heavier. A shame, since it was the gorgeous open-weave textured background to AudioTrack 15 (flute melody) that I loved so much. (After a glance at Amazon I realise why I had so much trouble deciding how many instruments were actually playing and what they were: they’re apparently using an octave mandolin, a bazouki and a 12-string guitar with special low tunings, and my guess for this track is it’s the mandolin and bazouki but I wouldn’t swear to it.)

Oh, and I’m not just insisting on “AudioTrack 15” for comedic value, or to bring down the copyright folks; “Live in Palma” is a two-CD set, the first CD has 14 tracks, but track 15 on the second is called “intro”, while AudioTrack 15 is a slow jig (flute melody) running into a fast reel (fiddle melody) –if I have my timings around the right way, my Irish session days are long gone– so something doesn’t add up. And I can’t find audio online that I can play, without putting in more effort than I really want to. Especially when I’m going to buy the album anyway.