Traditional South Asian music blurs the lines between composition and improvisation. The Persian dastgah is a looser structure than ragas in the Hindustani or Carnatic lineage.
Where the Rain Is Stored, a new album from a quartet of Toronto-based musicians, is a natural step from those styles to an even freer, more contemporary form of improvisation.
The foursome consists of three members with ties to Iran and a fourth to India.
Vocalist Neda Mohamadpour is trained in the Persian classical style, and her improv stays largely inside those lines. The chordal instrument here is a setar (four-stringed lute), played by Mehdi Rostami. Isa Farah, on cello, alternates between melodic counterpoint and bass figures.