Brooklyn Raga Massive: Riley’s In C

Indian music’s cyclical rhythms exerted a strong influence on American Minimalism pioneer Terry Riley’s music. So the only real surprise about the Brooklyn Raga Massive’s performance of Riley’s In C is why it took so long for anyone to take on his infinitely adaptable work with Indian instrumentation. Sitar, tablas, bansuri flute, oud, hammered dulcimer and a vocalist join guitar, trumpet, violins and more strings and percussion for an excitingly relaxed—or vice versa—journey through Riley’s constantly evolving masterpiece. It’s a terrific introduction to both the composer and this remarkable Brooklyn collective of Asian-music fanatics.