by Scott Yanow
Clarinetist Perry Robinson is heard at his best on "Shenandoah," an original duet with Badal Roy on tablas that finds Robinson looking backwards toward the New Orleans clarinet tradition while also playing quite adventurous. A second duo, "Kundalini," is more Indian-oriented while the lengthy "Always Backwards," a trio with Roy and percussionist Nana Vasconcelos, wanders a bit but is generally colorful. This CD reissue has less than 33 minutes of music, which keeps it from being essential, but it is one of the few Perry Robinson sets currently available.