Rez Abbasi (guitars); Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto saxophone); Dan Weiss (tabla).

Apti by Rudresh Mahanthappa's Indo-Pak Coalition takes the same roots-exploring, marrying-of-Sub-Continent-with-American-forms path as Kinsmen, paring the sound down to saxophone, guitar and tabla. While the disc hasn't garnered the same amount of attention as did Kinsmen-too close, perhaps, on its predecessor's heels; a different record label; or a second shot across the bow is not as ear-grabbing as the first-it is every bit as enthralling.

Mahanthappa's trio mates are a well chosen pair. Pakistani-American Rez Abbasi makes the electric guitar sound hypnotically Eastern, with drone-like components and drifting, mystical single note forays that writhe in and out and around Manhanthappa's often rapid-fire notes. Dan Weiss' tabla playing seals the deal-sharp, popping Indian percussion that tightly punctuates the trio's sound. - By Dan McClenaghan, AAJ.