All for You

\"All for You\" is a composition by Indian violinist and composer L. Shankar released as the opening track on his 1984 album Vision. The piece spans 6 minutes and 36 seconds and exemplifies Shankar’s fusion of Carnatic classical traditions with Western jazz and contemporary improvisation. The album marked his second collaboration with German record label ECM Records, following his 1983 debut Who’s to Know.

Shankar composed and performed the track using his custom double violin, an instrument of his own design that combines two violin bodies with ten strings. The recording sessions for Vision took place in Oslo, Norway, with production overseen by Jan Erik Kongshaug, a frequent engineer for ECM. The album’s lineup included Norwegian and American session musicians, though specific personnel for \"All for You\" remain undocumented in primary sources. The track’s structure blends rhythmic cycles derived from South Indian tala systems with harmonic progressions influenced by modal jazz.

Vision was issued on CD and vinyl in 1984, with ECM’s characteristic minimalist artwork designed by Barbara Wojirsch. The album received attention for its cross-genre experimentation, though commercial reception details are not widely archived. \"All for You\" stands as one of Shankar’s longer compositions from this period, emphasizing melodic development over percussive accompaniment. The track’s title does not correspond to traditional Indian classical raga names, reflecting Shankar’s departure from conventional nomenclature in his fusion works.

Later reissues of Vision retained the original tracklisting, with \"All for You\" remaining the lead piece. Shankar’s subsequent projects, including collaborations with Peter Gabriel and Frank Zappa, further explored the synthesis of Indian and Western musical elements initiated in recordings like this one. The 1984 release date positions the album within a broader wave of world fusion records produced by ECM during the decade, though exact sales figures or chart performances are not publicly documented.