Recorded live in December 2000, Saturday Night in Bombay shows how much Remember Shakti has been able to avoid any straightforward revivalism or copying of the original Shakti group of the 1970s. Taking its name from the Hindustani word for female energy, and featuring guitarist John McLaughlin together with tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain and 10-string electric violinist L Shankar, the multi-cultural Shakti made three superb albums. With Shankar and his violin gone, Hussain's tabla magic and McLaughlin's guitar genius are now complemented by exquisitely projected playing from U. Shrinives (mandolin), Debashish Bhattacharya (Hindustani slide guitar) and V Selvaganesh (kanjira, ghatam, mridangam). A variety of guests bring distinctive colour and mood to each of the four tracks in this well-programmed hour or so, including Shankar Mahadeven (vocal), Shiv Kumar Sharma (santur, its sound not unlike a zither or hammered dulcimer) and Sivamani (drums and percussion). Hussain and McLaughlin--the latter playing with great sensitivity what sounds like an electric or semi-acoustic instrument--have two compositions each. The result is a lyrical, rhythmically engaging album that embraces such extremes as the occasional Western harmonic touches of the opening, high-energy "Luki" and the slowly unfolding, mesmeric Eastern cycles of "Shringar"-- the latter a track that should appeal strongly to anyone who enjoyed Ry Cooder's meditative and strongly Asian-oriented Meeting by the River release of a few years ago. --Michael Tucker