Robbie Basho
Album: Zarthus
Label: Vanguard
Tracks: 19
Website: http://www.acerecords.com

For an introduction to the music and personality of the late (he died in 1986) eccentric and influential cult guitarist Robbie Basho, see my review of his 1972 album The Voice Of The Eagle elsewhere on this site. Although most often bracketed with John Fahey and Leo Kottke, Basho in fact had very little musically in common with either, and certainly infinitely more in the way of vocal talent! In the latter respect, his album Zarthus (the 1974 followup to Voice Of The Eagle, and the second of the pair of LPs he recorded for Vanguard) is as abundantly stocked as its predecessor in the way of examples of his eccentric-but-strong singing voice. Especially compelling is the first-side triptych comprising the piano-accompanied Mehera (an ode to Mary, the "beloved higher mind"), the intense affirmation of faith Khalil Gibran (close on seven minutes of the purest spiritual catharsis on record, encompassing some really beautiful, delicate and intricate guitar figurations) and finally the luminous, shimmering decorated melody of the briefer Bride Divine. The disc as a whole is a prominent representation of the distinct phase in Basho's musical career known as his "Persian period", characterised by his immersion in classical Persian music; at the same time, he himself termed this period as exploring Hindu raga in a Persian way, so it possibly requires a different slant to the listening process. Zarthus (title is a shortened form of Zarathustra or Zoroaster, the Avatar of ancient Persia) is described by Basho himself as "an LP of Persian, Arabic, Western themes, woven together into a single 'Fabric D'Amour' to cover the barren manekin (sic) of modern times". For, unlike the contemporaneous outpourings of so many western musicians of the era, Basho's own response to this music was to create something genuinely individual, personal and fresh by utilising and transforming both its sensibility and its mechanics.

Perhaps surprisingly considering Basho's legendary status as a guitarist, then, the lengthiest track by far - the ambitious, side-long Rhapsody In Druz, a "spiritual journey of many short vignettes of going to, and coming from, linked together by a common theme of Love" - is performed exclusively with piano accompaniment whose brooding, rolling, epic manner both oozes deep drama and shines with inner peace. The vocal work is tremendous, and could at times even be quite accurately described as operatic were it not for the unfortunate and/or undesirable connotations of that word. An extraordinary achievement, and unexpectedly accessible. The current CD is a straight remastered reissue of the original LP, and comes complete with authoritative Kris Needs liner notes that do fine justice to the "voraciously unfettered talent" that was Robbie Basho. He really does provide an unforgettable and spiritually stimulating musical experience, one which I'd strongly urge you to investigate.

Although containing the more rambling improvisations, it's possibly an easier listen than Eagle, with some breathtakingly virtuosic improvisation inspired by Persian and Indian classical music models yet never slavishly or spiritually imitative.

David Kidman