Tuesday, 5 March 2019

Ali Akbar Khan 1970 'Ragas of India: Raga Madhabi, Raga Khammaj'

Hi friends. Here is a little surprise I found in a local store. I didn't have it in my collection yet. It was in great condition. There was a set of Signatures Series CDs released with a few of the Connoisseur Society recordings on them (these track were included on Vol. 2) - all of very good quality, but here is the LP in case you want to compare. The CD has a warm, rounder sound, whereas the vinyl is a little brighter. Hope you enjoy. By the way, I have no idea why anyone thought it was appropriate to put a pair of breasts on the cover of this album, but it is what it is!

Label: Connoisseur Society ‎– CS-2020

Tracks:
A - Raga Madhabi
B - Raga Khammaj

 
FLAC unaltered



Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -2.0db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Sunday, 24 February 2019

Ravi Shankar 1972 - Ragas Kameshwari, Gangeshwari, Rangeshwari

Here is a 1972 LP of Ravi. This, and the LP in the previous post were not digitalised in a mainstream release on CD (I think) - compared to many of the World Pacific recording which were remastered and released on the BGO/Angel CD labels... If you know of any CD releases of these albums feel free to comment. There is some imperfections on the first track and some background noises in the actual recording like equipment moving around.... but they came up very nicely. The LP was in great condition visually. Enjoy! I love these rarer recordings.

Label: His Master's Voice ‎– EASD 1502

Tracks:
A - Raga Kameshwari (Alap, Jod, Gat in Jhap Taal)
B1 - Raga Gangeshwari (Gat in Rupak Taal)
B2 - Raga Rangeshwari (Gat in Teen Taal)



Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -2.0db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Thursday, 21 February 2019

Ravi Shankar 1973 'Sitar - Ragas Alahiya Bilawal & Patdeep'

Hi friends. Ravi Shankar is one of my favourite sitar players. I read somewhere a long time ago that saying you admire or love something is worthless unless you can say why. Well I love Ravi's understanding of rhythm from his fascination with south Indian music and the way he uses it in his performances. I love his unique use of the lower register of the sitar in sections of Alap. This is particularly beautiful and always puts me in a meditative state. I believe Ravi was influenced by the Surbahar,  as well as the Dhrupad style, which explains this kind of nod towards it in his playing. You can hear some of this around between 4-7 minutes of Raga Patdeep (Track 2). My understanding is that the Vilayat Khan style of sitar in comparison had its range reduced in favour of more flexibility to produce meend and ornamentation - the aim of Vilayat's music being to imitate the singing style - gayaki ang.

Some of my favourite recordings where you can hear the use of the low register on Ravi's Sitar are "Raga Bairagi Todi" - track one from the 1988 album "Spirit of India" (in fact, this is the first Ravi Shankar recording I ever heard back in 2007). Another is the Alap of Raga Charukauns, track one of the 1986 album "Incredible Ravi Shankar". Both have very good digital versions available on CD.

The reason I'm sharing more background info than usual is because I have a couple more Ravi Shankar LPs that I want to post. I most of Ravi's LP discography - which is quite a lot! Most of these have been digitised fairly well on CD - but then again some haven't. I look forward to sharing a few more with you in the future. Thanks again for your support and loving ears.

P.s. If you haven't read Ravi Shankar's autobiography - I strongly encourage you - it's called "Raga Mala" by Element Books Ltd - the one with the gold cover!

Label: His Master's Voice ‎– EASD 1380

Tracks:
A - Raga Alahiya Bilawal (Vilambit Gat In Teental, Drut Gat In Ektal)
B - Raga Patdeep (Alap, Jor And Gat In Sitarkhani Tal)



Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -2.0db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Tuesday, 19 February 2019

Hariprasad Chaurasia 1987 'In Concert'

Here is a rare Hariprasad Chaurasia LP as promised. I'm not sure whether this was ever digitised, if anyone knows please comment. It's not the best quality or most consistent recording, but thankfully not the worst... I hope to enjoy it. It seems to just be track D1 - Ragmalika that has a long fade in and hiss for some unknown reason - it must be in the recording.

Label: His Master's Voice ‎– PSLP 1479/80

Tracks:
A - Raga Jhinjhoti - Alap
B - Raga Jhinjhoti - Alap, Jod, Dhrupad Ang
C - Raga Hansadhwani
D1 - Ragmalika
D2 - Pahadi Dhun



Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -3.0db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Sunday, 17 February 2019

Ustad Vilayat Khan 1968 'The Supreme Genius Of Ustad Vilayat Khan'

Hi friends, it's been a long time since my last post. This has been mainly because I've become busy with other things in life, and also because I have posted most of the rarer LP's in my collection already. The rest of my collection has mostly been posted on other blogs, but I shall slowly post my own copies in case they are of better quality than what is already available out there. This Vilayat Khan recording was posted not too long ago on oriental blogspot - and I don't want to reduce in any way the amazing work being done there, the posts are super frequent and admirable. However, I just happened to compare my copy of this LP with the one I had downloaded from Oriental Blogspot and noticed my copy was clearer and brighter. Therefore I have shared it as well. Please enjoy. Next I plan to post a rare LP by Hariprasad Chaurasia 1987 'In Concert' - His Master's Voice ‎– PSLP 1479/80. This is a double LP so will need to find time to record and edit. Thanks, Kirrin.

Label: His Master's Voice ‎– EASD-1332

Tracks:
A - Raga Darbari Kanada (Alap & Jhala)
B - Raga Darbari Kanada (Gat In Teentaal)



Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -2.5db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Tuesday, 3 July 2018

Ali Akbar Khan 1967 'Raga Medhavi & Bairagi'

[Re-post and Re-transfer with FLACs]

Here is a 1967 Indian release of Ali Akbar Khan. I believe our friend Tawfiq at 'oriental-traditional-music' posted a copy of this in 2015. I have compared my version and found it brighter with more upper frequencies, which adds a nice clarity. I ordered this LP from the Ukraine... so not only was I happy that it actually made it all the way to Australia, it also looked unplayed, so a great opportunity to digitise it in its prime! It's truly a joy to find these 50 year old records in such great condition. A  fairly relaxed rendition of Raga Medhavi and a nice rendition of Bairagi. The technical accuracy stands out nicely into the faster passages.

Label: His Master's Voice ‎– EASD 1319

Tracks:
A - Raga Medhavi (Short Alap & Vilambit Gat in Teentaal)
B - Raga Bairagi (Short Alap, Gats in Taal Shashanka & Fast Gat in Teentaal)



Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -1.5db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Monday, 25 June 2018

Ravi Shankar ‎1963 'The Exciting Music Of Ravi Shankar'

Hi friends. Here is a 1963 UK pressing of Ravi Shankar. Fairly sure it's only released in mono. Not the worst recording! It's fairly easy to get a copy of this LP online. A friend has told me there are a few various compilation CDs from India with these tracks. Hopefully this is better than those.

Label: Melodisc (3) ‎– MLP 12-151, EALP 1273 & MOAE 126

Tracks:
A1 - Raga Hema-Bihag
B1 - Raga Malaya Marutam
B1 - Raga Mishra-Mand


Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as WAV/FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -1.5db and tracks merged to MONO to reduce noise, in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Tuesday, 19 June 2018

Ravi Shankar 1967 'In New York'

Hi friends. Here is a nice 1967 US pressing of Ravi Shankar In New York. I have compared it to the Angel CD release. The vinyl has a bit more space/ambience, where as the CD version sounds slightly flat but louder. Also on the vinyl the Sitar lies a bit more to the right of the stereo spectrum. The tabla sounds a bit more open and sustained on the vinyl as well. Anyway - you can choose yourself which versions you prefer! Enjoy. 

Label: World Pacific ‎– WPS-21441

Tracks:
A1 - Raga Bairagi
A2 - Nata Bhairavi
B1 - Raga Marwa


Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as WAV/FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -1.5db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Monday, 18 June 2018

Ali Akbar Khan 1964 'The Classical Music of India'

[Re-post and Re-transfer with FLACs]

This vinyl was released in the US in 1964 as a Mono and a Stereo version and re-released in 1972. There was also a CD released of the Stereo version in Europe, which is almost impossible to find. I have a copy - quality isn't much better but it's louder with more bass in the tabla. Some mono versions also exist on some other CD's such as 'The Emperor of Melody'. However, they sound a bit flat. Here is the 1964 Stereo digitised version that I acquired in January 2018. There was also an Indian pressing from earlier than 1964 with Ali Akbar Khan sitting on the floor.

Label: Prestige ‎– PRST 1079

Tracks:
A - Raga Lajwanti 13:47
B - Raga Todi 13:45



Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -1.5db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Thursday, 7 June 2018

Nazakat Ali - Salamat Ali 1964 'Raga Abhogi Kanada, Thumree'

As promised - a second LP post before I go on vacation. An early 1964 recording by Nazakat and Salamat Ali - I believe it is their second LP? Feel free to comment on this duo. I really enjoyed the first LP "Classical Music From Pakistan" 1959, which was beautiful transferred on Flat, Black, Classical blog: (http://flatblackandclassical.blogspot.com/2018/03/nazakat-and-salamat-ali-khan-clp-1308.html). Enjoy!

Label: His Master's Voice ‎– EALP 1282

Tracks:
A1 - Raga Abhogi Kanada
B1 - Raga Gavati
B2 - Raga Mishra Khamaj


Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as WAV, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -1.5db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Wednesday, 6 June 2018

Savita Devi ‎1985 'Shyam Mori Gali Aaja'

Hi friends. I haven't been able to post much lately due to my work. Anyway, I am going to post two LPs now before I go away for a short vacation. This is an Indian pressing of Savita Devi. As far as I know, this may be her only LP? I don't know much about this artist so feel free to comment with any facts and trivia - but I've also included some more biography info below.

Label: His Master's Voice ‎– ECSD 3116

Tracks:
A1 - Shyam Mori Gali Aaja - Thumri Bhairvi
A2 - Zulmi Sanvaria Na Jane Kadariya - Bhairavi Dadra
A3 - Salone Sawan Aayo Re - Kajri
B1 - Mooratiya Man Men Basi Tori - Thumri Based On Misra Tilang
B2 - Banke Saiyan Na Jane Man Ki Batiyan Ho Ram - Dadra Based On Pahari
B3 - Hori Main Kheloongi Shyam Se Dat Ke - Hori Based On Shahana


Some more info from the cover:

SAVITA DEVI hails from a well-known musical family in Benares which has given us many memorable exponents of classical and light classical music since the last hundred years or more. Maina Devi, her daughter Rajeswari Devi, the latter's daughter Siddheswari Devi (who was our contemporary until 1977), and her illustrious and versatile daughter SAVITA DEVI - have all been names to conjure with in the field of light classical varieties of the Poorab ang. As long as Siddheswari Devi dominated the world of light classical music, Savita was content to remain in her mother's shadow as a supporting singer imbibing her mother's rich musical traditions with deep devotion. However, after Siddheswari Devi's death in March 1977. Savita has risen to prominence as the heiress to the musical wealth and rich repertoire of her reputed mother. Providing vocal support to Siddheswari Devi in various public concerts and radio programmes, Savita received excellent training as a concert-artiste. Endowed with a charming stage-personality, pleasing "mukha-vilas", and a melodious, widely-ranged voice that can easily cover three octaves, Savita is a versatile artiste who can sing anything from a Khayal to a Kajri or a Poorbi Dhun with ease and emotion. A graduate from the B.H.U., an MA. in Music and a Sangeet-Alankar", Savita Devi who is a well-graded broadcaster of Vocal music and Sitar, is Head of the Department of Instrumental music in a College of the Delhi University. Although she has received years of training in Khayal from Pdt. Mani Prasad, a well-known vocalist of the Kirana gharana, her forte is the light classical form, and she has already earned a prominent place for herself as an exponent of the "Benares ang" light classical iwrieties.

______________________________________________________________________________

Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered as FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -1.5db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Sunday, 27 May 2018

Ravi Shankar 1968 'Ravi' (Raga Abhogi-Kanada & Tilak-Shyam)

Hi friends. Here is a nice US pressing of Ravi Shankar 1968. The record is in good condition and sounds pretty good on the transfer - nice and clear. I have almost all of Ravi Shankar's LP's - on account of being a huge fan... there's just something comforting in his style that I'm drawn to and haven't been able to find elsewhere. I'm planning to post a few more in the future. Enjoy!

Label: Capitol Records ‎– ST 10504

Tracks:
A - Raga Abhogi-Kanada
B - Raga Tilak-Shyam


Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as WAV, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -1.5db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Tuesday, 22 May 2018

Kalyani Roy 1986 'The Virtuoso Of Sitar Vol. II'

Here is the second volume of Kalyani Roy's 'The Virtuoso of Sitar', a lovely Japanese release and pressing from what we believe 1986. From the information in the rare CD release it appears these recordings were made over a decade beforehand on September 20, 1974. Very odd considering the recording quality is so good - but maybe it turned out for the better because the technology was far more advanced when it finally got onto CD and Vinyl.

Label: Denon ‎– ZX-7019-ND

Tracks:
A - Raga Yaman
B1 - Raga Yaman (Gat II)
B2 - Bhatiali (Boatsong Of Bengal)


Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -1.5db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Monday, 21 May 2018

Kalyani Roy ~1986 'The Virtuoso Of Sitar Vol. I'

Here is a lovely Japanese release and pressing of Kalyani Roy. There is not a lot of recorded work by this artist, but the two volumes by Denon are very nice. I'll be posting Volume II next. The release year is unknown, but I'm guessing it is about 1986, as there was a CD released in this year containing tracks from both volumes. The CD is however harder to obtain than the LP and also does not include the first track of this Volume - Raga Todi. Considering the pressing is so good, the CD and LP would be fairly comparable in quality anyway. On tabla Manick Das! Please feel free to comment with facts and trivia about Kalyani Roy.

Label: Denon ‎– ZX-7018-ND

Tracks:
A - Raga Todi
B1 - Raga Durga
B2 - Raga Mishra Kamaj


Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -1.5db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Saturday, 19 May 2018

Ali Akbar Khan 1973 'Bangla Desh'

Hey friends, another beautiful recording of Ali Akbar Khan on the Connoisseur Society label. This was posted on the flatblackclassical blog a while ago, but I thought I would post my copy as well. I was lucky enough to find this in my local shop. There aren't many copies available so very lucky. The second track was re-released on the AMMP Signature Series Volumes - but not the first track... which seems a bit strange. Anyway - enjoy!

Label: Connoisseur Society ‎– CS 2042

Tracks:
A - Raga Bhim Palashree
B - Raga Misra Shivaranjani


Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -1.5db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Wednesday, 16 May 2018

Rare Arvind Parikh 1969 'Music of India - Sitar Recital'

Here is a 1969 LP of Arvind Parikh, I think this is his first LP. The LP is in great condition, however I think the quality of the recording is not great. I have copied some of the liner notes below. I have listened to Arvind Parikh in the past, there are a few CDs and digital recordings, however I'm not fully knowledgeable, apart from that he was an early student of Ustad Vilayat Khan.

Label: Regal ‎– S/ELRZ 9

Tracks:
A1 - Raga Kaunsi Kanada
B1 - Raga Jaijaiwanti
B2 - Raga Bhairvi


LINER NOTES:

Arvind Parikh comes from Ahmedabad, capital of Gujarat State, India. He does not have a musical lineage. The environment at home, however, was happily congenial to his interest in music. His grandfather, a local education officer, was a sitarist by inclination. But it was Arvind's mother, herself a noted painter of her time, who wholly influenced the development of his musical personality:
Endowed with a sensitive ear and an even more sensitive power of observation, Arvind showed his weakness for music even as a child of 7. He first toyed with the dilruba, a bow instrument, and soon showed astounding precision in handling it. Equally keen was his curiosity for other instruments as well, so that by the time he was 14, he acquired a winsome command over the violin, the flute, the mandolin, the jalatarang and, finally, the sitar.

Meeting the Master Then came his first meeting with the world-famous sitar-wizard, Vilayat Khan. This was in Bombay, in 1943, and it marked the beginning of an eventful career for the youngster. Vilayat Khan found in Arvind a pupil of talent and imagination prepared to pursue his art with diligence and determination. The receptive pupil soon caught from his master the rich strains of traditional music and wove them into a style of his own. It was also characteristic of the budding sitarist that his absorption in music did not come in the way of his brilliant academic career. In fact, the most intensive phase of his training under Vilayat Khan synchronised with an equally arduous period of his scholastic education. And he graduated in Economics with high honours!


Arvind Parikh made his debut as a sitarist of great promise at the All-India Music Conference in 1955. To his great guru, Vilayat Khan, this performance brought a sense of fulfilment. For, what the youngster played at the conference bore something much more than the impress of the master's genius. And it was not long before his recitals came to be in demand at major musical events all over the country. One shining feature of Vilayat Khan's teaching is the complete freedom he gives his disciples to develop their own style which is why Arvind's play strikes a distinctive note of individualism. His recitals reveal a neat balance between technical ability and practical skill. Pretence and showmanship are unknown to him and, unlike many contemporary impressionists, he does not embroil himself into a maze of technicalities! He prefers graceful curves to broad sweeps and he carries his music in a quiet stride in the slower pace and in a racy canter in the faster passages.

__________________________________________________________________________

Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -1.5db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Sunday, 13 May 2018

Ali Akbar Khan 1973 'Ahir Bhairav & Durgeshwari'

[Re-post and Re-transfer with FLACs]

If you haven't guessed by now, I'm a huge Ali Akbar Khan fan... and for good reason! I don't understand why so many of his recordings weren't remastered and re-released on CD. This LP was released in India in 1972. A beautiful and peaceful rendering of Ahir Bhairav - a raga which I first fell in love with from hearing the song 'Albela sajan' from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and also rendered nicely by Rashid Khan... and many others... Anyway!

Label: His Master's Voice ‎– EASD 1391

Tracks:
A - Raga Ahir Bhairav (Alap & Gat Madhyalaya - Teental)
B - Raga Durgeshwari (Gat - Vilambit & Drut - Teental)


Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -1.5db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Friday, 11 May 2018

M. Nageswara Rao ‎1969 'The Pulse Of Tanam'

Hi friends. This is a South Indian Carnatic LP from 1969 with Nageswara Rao on Veena. It's quite easy to find a copy of this vinyl to buy online, however I don't think it has been digitised. It's actually a really funky and good quality recording. Despite the tattered cover of my version here that I found in the dark crevices of a crammed used vinyl store, the LP is still in good shape. Looks like it even survived a public school library from decades ago...! Enjoy.

Label: Nonesuch ‎– H-72032

Tracks:
A - Ragas Nata (10.35), Goula (4.45)
B - Ragas Arabhi (4.02), Varali (3.32), Sri (7.25)


Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -1.5db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Wednesday, 9 May 2018

Shivkumar Sharma, Zakir Hussain 1979 'Kirwani'

Here is a 1979 Indian release of Shivkumar Sharma and Zakir Hussain. I think there are digital versions floating around... the one I found was really bad. The LP I have is in very good condition, however the recording quality is not the best, noting it is live and can hear some audience noise too. Still enjoyable though!

Label: The Gramophone Company Of India Ltd. ‎– ECSD 2830

Tracks:
A - Raga Kirwani (Alap, Jor, Jhala)
B - Raga Kirwani (Gat in Teental)


Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -1.5db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.

Thursday, 3 May 2018

Vilayat Khan 1979 'The Brilliance Of Sound'

[Re-post and Re-transfer with FLACs]

This is a 1979 Indian release by Ustad Vilayat Khan. I think this LP was never digitised or re-released on CD. Ustad Vilayat Khan is quite an interesting character. He was determined personally to become one of the best sitarists in history, leaving a legacy behind. To a large extent this has been accomplished. There are many many disciples of his school. He also made several modifications to the sitar - creating what is known as the Vilayat Khan style of sitar. Effectively he sacrifices some of the range of his instrument for better performance and more flexibility with meend and ornamentation - as he was focused on melodic expression of raga. Vilayat Khan was originally trained in a vocal tradition 'Gayaki Ang' and therefore is well know for adopting this style on sitar.

Note: I'm not sure why the tone falls gradually towards the end of side A and the opposite effect on Side B. This seems to be a fault in the actual recording - either in the original tapes or master cutting process.

His Master's Voice ‎– ECSD 2828

Tracks:
A1 Raga Ghara
B1 Sindhi Bhairavi
B2 Punjabi Dhun



Digitised with: Project Essential II Turntable, Ortofon Red Stylus, recorded as WAV 16/48 in Audacity and saved unaltered (apart from track separation/info tags) as FLAC, and then separately edited with: Clickrepair (low settings) then slight reduction on surface noise + normalised to -1.5db in Audacity and exported as FLAC and MP3 320kbps.