Ustad Ali Akbar Khan & Pandit Ravi Shankar With Ustad Alla Rakha At San Francisco

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan & Pandit Ravi Shankar With Ustad Alla Rakha At San Francisco is a live Indian classical music release. The performance features Ali Akbar Khan on sarod, Ravi Shankar on sitar, and Alla Rakha on tabla. The recording captures a jugalbandi, a duet format common in Hindustani classical music, where two lead instrumentalists perform together.

The album was released in 1983. The primary format is an audio recording. The label for this release is not specified in available sources. The performance took place in San Francisco, though the exact venue and date of the live event remain unconfirmed.

The release contains two tracks. The first track, "Raga Khamaj (Alap & Gat - Madhya and Drutlaya: Trital)," presents a traditional structure of alap followed by gat compositions in medium and fast tempos, set to trital, a 16-beat rhythmic cycle. The second track, "Raga Durga (Alap & Gat - Jhaptal)," follows a similar format with alap and gat sections, performed in jhaptal, a 10-beat cycle.

Ali Akbar Khan, a prominent sarod maestro, was a key figure in popularizing Indian classical music in the West. Ravi Shankar, a sitar virtuoso, contributed significantly to global recognition of Hindustani music. Alla Rakha, a celebrated tabla player, provided rhythmic accompaniment, known for his precision and improvisational skill. The collaboration reflects the interplay of melody and rhythm characteristic of Hindustani classical performances.