Put your musical thinking cap on, because Deepak Ram is about to give you a good lesson on improvisation and the melding of multiple complex genres, with unbelievably rewarding results. Ram performs on the bansuri, or transverse Indian flute, with impressive mastery of both tone and rhythm. Ram sounds as if he can play anything with effortless beauty, and the tracks on Searching for Satyam offer robust tonal evidence in his favor.

Trained by Indian flautist Pandit Hariprasad, Ram gives his meditative masterpieces a soothing warmth that's reminiscent of other Indian musicians. However, Ram obviously has a penchant for those musical items of Western nature, especially jazz, and he tackles this constantly changing genre with a dedicated, methodical approach. Carefully walking the line between traditional classical Indian music and feverish, melodious jazz, Ram creates a cross-cultural hybrid from these two seemingly different genres, and it's a real aural treat. Both thought provoking and genuinely entertaining, Ram's music deftly avoids classification, squeezing a whirlwind of influences into a seemingly wholesome and unique sound.

Ram takes turns exchanging riffs with Eduardo Niebla on "Danse pour Kooksie Aux Ben", as his bansuri gently mingles with Niebla's guitar in a worldly meeting of unusual musical partners. Ram and Niebla’s instruments sound as if they’re speaking to one another; flute and guitar notes jabber amongst themselves. By the end of the song, the two come to a common agreement, harmonizing together with dazzling results. The rapid tapping on the tabla introduces "Tandav", which has the bansuri quickly sputtering out notes that race about with spiritual urgency and a seductive, alluring tone that's convincing and compelling. Ram almost effortlessly changes gears from being quietly spellbinding to heartily passionate with perfect composure and a beautiful color. And while Deepak's playing is impressive in its own right, the expert musicianship of the other players here can’t be overlooked, for without them, Deepak's compositions are incomplete bits that do not fully realize his concepts.

Deepak's cross-cultural music tour will not only open your ears to new sounds, but is yet another example of how conventionally distinct and closed cultures are warming up to one another, creating a new world of music that can appeal to traditionalists as well as those in search of exciting new sounds.