This gathering of nine fascinating works recorded between 1949 and 1954 while Shankar was music director at the All India Radio's Delhi station for the Vadya Vrind Chamber Orchestra. This gem contextualises more than a “missing” period in his musical career: it illuminates – big words coming – slabs of his future career. Shankar was steaming ahead and expanding his musical palette. This collection, for example, uses south Indian musicians such as Ramnad Easwran and AKC Natarajan as well as the Hindustani tabla maestro Chatur Lal, with whom he recorded his early, pre-Alla Rakha international successes. Directly after this came his film soundtrack work for Satyajit Ray – his first, generally overlooked, international breakthrough – and it is no stretch of the imagination to say that this is the missing link for the George Harrison/Ravi Shankar Dark Horse period. This is the sound of lessons being learned and musical muscles stretched. Phenomenal, worth four stars if you are historian-minded like me.