“Between” is a project of the percussionist Stephan Rigert.  A transcontinental meeting that resembles nothing like the majority of musical encounters between traditions and yet brings out the subtleties and nuances in all.

On one side, the empathetic vision of Anindo Chaterjee, the Indian Tabla genius and Rupak Kulkarni, the young bamboo blower. A Hindustani flutist who seems to lead the conversation whenever he grabs his instrument. On the other side, Adama Drame, the Burkina Faso djembe player, pinching his lips as he touches the percussive blade, and Lassana Diabaté, an enchanting Malian balafon, the best of his generation. Then, finally, Leon Duncan, a Jamaican bassist breathing in the tempo, and Marc Liebeskind, the gifted, artful guitarist from Geneva. The combo were together for three days and all that was needed was three strokes for the drummer to grasp it all.

The challenge appears great. To marry, on the same stage, musicians from India and sub-Saharan Africa, knowing their musical traditions are among the largest in history, but are also coiled, poles apart from each other.

But between the djembe’s skin of the earth, and the tables skin of the ether, a relationship is demanded. Adama Drame provokes, with his drum, the fingers of Anindo Chatterjee. Dialogues of intuition. The Bernese Stephan Rigert, creator of fusion for many years, has not merely throw it some good ideas. He has asked Marc Liebeskind to compose a training directory devoted to the group. A wealth of marrying themes and patterns, where the challenges of improvisation are confronted. You should see the flowing river of Lassana Diabaté succeeding the broken phrases of Marc Liebeskind. You should hear how this septet attempts to transcend the seduction of difference. Seven musicality rather than seven rooted.