Radio Eclectus celebrates the centenary of Ali Akbar Kahn (1922–2009) with a special three-hour retrospective of the career of this iconic master of Indian classical music. We begin with several shorter tracks, some in a traditional vein, and some exploring less orthodox couplings with jazz, movies and and poetry. We then savor two longer performances: a famous one with fellow luminaries Ravi Shankar and Alla Rakha, and an obscure one with Indranil Bhattacharya and a teenaged Zakir Hussain that has only recently come to light. Along the way we use examples of Khan’s playing to introduce his instrument, the sarod, and key concepts of Hindustani music. Finally, we close with a contemplation of Khansahib’s legacy in India and the West.
Annotated playlist and photo credits with Comments. Radical new music with host Michael Schell.
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Annotated playlist for show #104
Intro and SET 1: Ali Akbar Khan (1922–2009) at 100 [0:00]
1. [2:34] Ali Akbar Khan with Swapan Chaudhuri: Raga Madhuvanti - Gat in Dhrut Teental. From Peerless (Sony/Navras, 2002) with Ali Akbar Khan (sarod), Swapan Chaudhuri (tabla), Ken Zuckerman (tanpura). NOTE: Recorded 1993 in Switzerland
2. [8:01] Yvette Mimieux, Ali Akbar Khan: To a Passer-by. From Baudelaire’s Flowers of Evil (Connoisseur Society, 1968, reissued 2012 by Soundtrack Classics) with Yvette Mimieux (narrator), Ali Akbar Khan (sarod), Mahapurush Misra (tabla), uncredited (tamboura). NOTE: Poem by Charles Baudelaire translated by C.F. MacIntyre from Fleurs du Mal
3. [12:19] Jyotirindra Moitra, Ali Akbar Khan: Title Music from Merchant Ivory's film THE HOUSEHOLDER. From The Darjeeling Limited Original Soundtrack (ABKCO Music and Records, Inc., 2007). NOTE: Recorded 1963
4. [13:57] Ali Akbar Khan, John Handy, L. Subramaniam: Rajashik, The Majesty of Wisdom. From Rainbow (Verve, 1981) with John Handy (alto saxophone), Ali Akbar Khan (sarod), L. Subramaniam (violin), Shyam Kane (tabla), Mary Johnson (tanpura). NOTE: Recorded September 3–4, 1980, MPS Studio, Villingen, Germany
5. [22:08] Yehudi Menuhin: Introduction to Rag Sindhu Bhairavi. From Music of India (His Master's Voice, 1956, reissued 2007 by él/Cherry Red as Psychedelic Music of India) with Ali Akbar Khan (sarod), Chatur Lal (tabla), Sirish Gor (tambura). NOTE: Recorded April 18, 1955 at the Museum of Modern Art, New York
6. [24:20] Ali Akbar Khan with Chatur Lal: Rag Sindhu Bhairavi. From Music of India (as above)
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Explanation of Indian classical music and SET 2: Kahn with Indranil Bhattacharya and Zakir Hussain [44:10]
1. [51:34] Ali Akbar Khan with Indranil Bhattacharya, Zakir Hussain: Sindhu Bhairavi. From Bear's Sonic Journals: That Which Colors the Mind (Owsley Stanley Foundation, 2020) with Ali Akbar Khan (sarod), Indranil Bhattacharya (sitar), Zakir Hussain (tabla), unidentified (tampura), Owsley "Bear" Stanley (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded May 29, 1970 at The Family Dog on the Great Highway, San Francisco
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SET 3: Khan with Ravi Shankar and Alla Rakha [2:03:57]
1. [2:07:35] Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, Alla Rakha: Raga Manj Khamaj. From In Concert 1972 (Apple, 1973) with Ravi Shankar (sitar, L channel), Ali Akbar Khan (sarod R channel), Alla Rakha (tabla), Susan, Ashoka (tamboura). NOTE: Recorded October 8, 1972, Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, New York
Photo credits: Ali Akbar Khan/John Handy/L. Subramaniam by German Hasenfratz, Ali Akbar Khan via Ali Akbar College of Music, Yehudi Menuin/Chatur Lal/Ali Akbar Khan/Shirish Gor via His Master's Voice, Yvette Mimieux/Mahapurush Misra/Ali Akbar Khan via Connoisseur Society, Alla Rakha and Ravi Shankar via Alla Rakha Foundation, John Handy via Wikipedia, Zakir Hussain by Jim McGuire, Khan photo and garland via Ali Akbar College of Music, Swapan Chaudhuri/Mary Khan/Ali Akbar Khan via Swapan Chaudhuri, Yvette Mimieux via Soundtrack Classics, Yehudi Menuhin via Wikimedia