Shamim Ahmed and Zakir Hussain: Three Ragas [Monitor MFS 489] an LP released in the US in 1967

We recently posted a cassette by Shamim Ahmed. Here is his first LP, released in 1967 in the United States. Interestingly, this is also a 16-year old Zakir Hussain's first recording as well. As befitting an initial endeavor, both artists dedicate the album to their gurus: in Ahmed's case Ravi Shankar and in Zakirji's case his father, the great Alla Rakha Khan.

Side one:

Raga Bageshri - alap, jor, jhala

Raga Bageshri - gat in teentaal

Side two:

Raga Nat-Bhairav - gat in rupak taal

Raga Khamaj - gat in teentaal

Shamim Ahmed: sitar

Zakir Hussain: tabla

[the mysterious but probably lovely] Amanat: tanpura

Equipment used in transfer: 

Preparation: Ultrasonic cleaning for 20 minutes in pure clean water

Turntable:  Audio-technica AT-LP-1240

Cartridge: Audio-technica AT440
Pre-amplification: Vintage refurbished Pioneer SX-780.

Recorder: Sony PCM-M10 at 24bit/96kHz resolution
Software: Audacity, ClickRepair, and xAct. 

24 bit, 96kHz FLAC file

(the highest resolution I am capable of recording)

16bit, 44.1kHz FLAC file

(after decoding into wav, can be burned to a CD)

320kbps mp3 file

(highest quality compressed audio file)

Mahmud Mirza: Classical Sitar [Conifer CFR 121] An LP recorded and released in England in 1984

Here is a delightful LP featuring two side-long alap performances from the sitarist Mahmud Mirza.

I quote from the information provided by the producer of this LP, Paul Keeler, for a YouTube video:

"Ustad Mahmud Mirza was born in Delhi in 1935. At an early age he was taught the sitar by his maternal uncle Ustad Hyder Hussein Khan who initiated him into the Seniya gharana an instrumental tradition founded by the descendants of Miyan Tansen the court musician to Akbar the Moghul emperor.
"He was later initiated into the Kirana gharana by his second teacher the vocalist Pandit Jiwan lall Mattoo; a student of the renowned vocalist Abdul Wahid Khan, with whom he studied the ragas in depth over many years. Mirza first performed in public when he was 11 and at the age of 13 he was the youngest musician ever to be accepted on the staff of All India Radio. "In the late sixties Mirza made his first appearance in London where he now resides. He has performed in many of the famous concert halls of Europe and the US and is known as an outspoken defender of the pure tradition in an age when this art form has suffered due to the trend of commercialization."

side 1:

Raga Kalawati (alap) 20:17

side 2:

Raga Alhaia Bilabial(alap) 19:20

Equipment used in transfer: 

Preparation: Ultrasonic cleaning for 20 minutes in pure clean water

Turntable:  Audio-technica AT-LP-1240

Cartridge: Audio-technica AT440
Pre-amplification: Vintage refurbished Pioneer SX-780.

Recorder: Sony PCM-M10 at 24bit/96kHz resolution
Software: Audacity, ClickRepair, and xAct. 

24 bit, 96kHz FLAC file

(the highest resolution I am capable of recording)

16bit, 44.1kHx FLAC file

(after decoding into wav, can be burned to a CD)

320kbps mp3 file

(highest quality compressed audio file)

Shamim Ahmed Khan: A Delectable Treat in Ragas [Magnasound C4HI0068] a cassette recorded and released in India in 1989

Shamim Ahmed Khan (1938-2012) was a disciple of Ravi Shankar. He seemed to be on excellent terms with his teacher and followed him to California when Raviji opened a school there. Khan released relatively few records during his lifetime. This cassette was recorded with Nayan Ghosh on tabla.

side 1:
Raga Puriya Dhanashri (Alap, Jod, Jhala; with fast and slow compositions in teentaal)

side2:
Raga Hamsadwani (alap and slow composition in jhaptaal)
Dhun in dadrataal

Equipment used in this transfer:
Cassette Deck: Teac W890R (azimuth was carefully adjusted for each side)
Preamp: Parasound PHP 850
Recorder: Roland R-05
Software: Audacity and xAct

16bit, 44.1kHz FLAC (355 MB)

(after decoding to WAV, suitable for burning to CD)

320 kbps mp3 (125 MB)

(highest possible quality mp3 file; 

suitable for listening on a portable player)

 Here is a post from my good friend Tawfiq's blog of an LP recorded 10 years prior to this cassette

Alathur Brothers: Carnatic Vocal (All India Radio recording) [HTC 03B 8184] A Cassette recorded in India in 1963 and released in India in 1991

The Alathur Brothers, just like the Ramones, were not actually brothers. They consisted of vocalists Sivasubramaniya Iyer (1916-65) and Srinivasa Iyer (1911-80) who trained under Sivasubramaniya's father Alathur Venkatesa Iyer.

This is a recording of a concert broadcast on All India Radio and recorded on April 8, 1963.

Side one:
1 Vidulaku Mrokkeda (raga: Mayamalavagaula; tala: Adi)
2 Rama Neepi raga: Kedaram; tala: Adi)

Side two:
1 Kanta Tava (raga: Athana; tala: Adi)
2 Cherarvademira (raga: Ritigaula; tala: Desadi)
3 Tillana (raga: Behag; tala: Adi)
4 Visveswar Darsan (raga: Sindubhairavi; tala: Rupakam)

TS Tatachar: violin
MS Ramaiah: mridangam
S Seshagiri Das: kanjira

Equipment used in this transfer:
Cassette Deck: Teac W890R (azimuth was carefully adjusted for each side)
Preamp: Parasound PHP 850
Recorder: Edirol R-09HR
Software: Audacity and xAct

24bit, 96kHz FLAC (mono) (428 MB)

(the highest resolution I am capable of producing; 

suitable for a player capable of playing high resolution files)

16bit, 44.1kHz FLAC (mono) (169 MB)

(after decoding to WAV, suitable for burning to CD)

320 kbps mp3 (mono) (110 MB)

(highest possible quality mp3 file; 

suitable for listening on a portable player)

Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia: Yugal Bandi [ECSD 2747] an LP recorded in Sweden in 1973 and released in India in 1975

Here is an interesting example of a recording made in Sweden while these two artists were on tour there. It was subsequently released in India on EMI. Sweden had the wonderful Amigo label which released fewer than a dozen recordings of Indian classical music (but almost all of them were gems) and also apparently the Sonet label, which released primarily jazz and blues music from 1956-91.

The recording is obviously very high quality, and I would love to be able to obtain the original analog tapes and remaster these for a proper reissue. However, until that happens, we can enjoy this vinyl transfer.

Side one:

Raga Jhinjhoti

Side two:

Raga Misra Pilu

Santoor: Shivkumar Sharma

Bansuri: Hariprasad Chaurasia

Tabla: Kashinath Mishra

Tampura: Anuradha Chaurasia

Equipment used in transfer: 

Preparation: Ultrasonic cleaning for 20 minutes in pure clean water

Turntable:  Audio-technica AT-LP-1240

Cartridge: Shure M97x
Pre-amplification: Vintage refurbished Pioneer SX-780.

Recorder: Edirol R-09HR at 24bit/96kHz resolution
Software: Audacity, ClickRepair, and xAct. 

24bit, 96kHz FLAC (834 MB)

(the highest resolution I am capable of producing; 

suitable for playing on a computer or other player 

capable of playing high resolution files)

16bit, 44.1kHz FLAC (223 MB)

(after decoding to WAV, suitable for burning to CD)

320 kbps mp3 (102 MB)

(highest possible quality mp3 file; 

suitable for listening on a portable player)