In Meeting by the River, Cooder and Bhatt create music that is at once unique and interesting. Bhatt, as always, is outstanding on his own mohan vina, and Cooder gives one of his best performances.

Interestingly, this CD was recorded in one take, in an LA church with outstanding acoustics. This is an impromptu session, but the musical ideas seem very refined.

One of my all-time favorites, and a must-have for any Cooder fan.

11 of 11 found the following review helpful:


Subtle beauty is inspiring, also imparts tranquility.  Feb 21, 1999
This album contains a particular mix of Western and Asian instrumental styles that I had not heard elsewhere. The playing is lyrical, sensitive, and subtle. While there is a strong, moving rhythmic line underneath the melodies, that is very engaging, the album has a meditative feeling. It restores a sense of peace and optimism after I have had a hard day. Since purchasing this album, I purchased another by Ry Cooder, and listened to other albums by V.M. Bhatt. This effort by V.M. Bhatt is more successful than some of his other ones. I am also keeping an eye out for other offerings on this label. This album exemplifies some of the best qualities of World Music. The artists blend different musical cultures very deftly. There is a keen sense that they are conversing with one another. They reassure me that personal and cultural boundaries can be transcended.

7 of 7 found the following review helpful:


Do your ears a favor! Get this one!  Dec 28, 2005 By voodoo child
if you;re anyway involved with slide guitar playing, then get this one. cos it's one of the most outstanding slide-blues-fusion albums ever made. even if you have never heard indian music, it'll still grown on you, pretty soon. VM Bhatt is a master at his music & his instrument. And Ry Cooder is no less. i love both these guys' playing. But be warned that this is a VM Bhatt album featuring Ry cooder and not the otherway round. So apart from the fact that Ry's playing is always minimalistic, there's pretty little of Ry's sound on this album. But it still manages to keep me riveted for some reason. but his blues licks are so well timed and phrased, there's no words to describe what he does. and the chords he uses to accompany VM Bhatts passages, are so colorful. and for the real hardcore blues fans theres atleast one tune ' ganges delta blues' . man it's just awesome, with all the precussion and stuff. it amazing. i got more than i expected.

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