Kolkata: Pete Lockett, dubbed as one of the most versatile multi-percussionists in the world, is ready for a new venture in Bollywood after setting the score for the latest James Bond thriller Quantum of Solace.

"I am open to working in Bollywood and will be in Mumbai after the engagement in Ballentines Leave an Impression tour .... Any good music ... Playing with good musicians from any corner of the world excites me," he said here.

Lockett, who has also composed the music for five previous Bond movies and had worked in Rajnikant-starrer Shivaji , is all praise for Bollywood music director A R Rahman. "He is great with a very keen sense of music and rhythm."

He had collaborated with Rahman in Vandemataram.

"I am always ready for any kind of good music - jazz, flamenco, Arabic, northern or southern Indian classical, grunge or punk rock," he said during his visit to the city, which he describes as his second home.

He is non-committal when asked about his latest Bond venture. "I am yet to come across any review" is his answer to persistent queries.

Lockett opens up when asked about his passion for Indian drums. "The tabla is the most expressive instrument and maybe that is why it is being used in western movies more often these days. With the tabla you can articulate terribly fast and its music is very evocative in terms of filming."

Lockett, who hails from UK, finds Indian classical percussion the Holy Grail with its strictly structured form and elaborate notations and spent a long time learning it.

He has teamed up with one of Indias leading percussionists - Bickram Ghosh - for a new album Kingdom of Rhythm which has elements of north and south Indian classical music as well as Arabic and flamenco and would hit the stores in January. Next in line is the Tallisman with guitarist Amit Chatterjee.

He along with Ghosh and Guiliano Modarelli, a young guitarist from Italy with an affinity for north Indian classical music are members of a band Sunev which performs in the UK. The thread that bound the three are love for Indian classical music and Indian percussion instruments.

Ghosh said the trio are collaborating in a couple of films and in Kingdom of Rhythm the aim is not to alienate the audience. "We have made it for the common man."

The current Leave an Impression tour was an experiment with night club elements with instruments never thought of in such a setting. "I play the tabla standing," chuckles Ghosh, who has played on a number of Grammy nominated albums and performed with Pandit Ravi Shankar.