About Duets
Duets is a 1967 studio album featuring a jugalbandi collaboration between sitarist Ustad Vilayat Khan, shehnai player Ustad Bismillah Khan and tabla accompanist Pandit Shanta Prasad. The release marked a documented fusion of North Indian classical traditions through instrumental duet performances. His Master’s Voice issued the recording as a 12\" vinyl LP with three extended tracks.
The album captures a live-to-tape session where Vilayat Khan and Bismillah Khan improvise within the framework of Hindustani raga structures. Shanta Prasad provides rhythmic support on tabla across all compositions. The opening track Duetto - Jugalbandi - Raga Gujaree - Todi spans a multi-movement exploration of Raga Todi and its variant Gujaree Todi, emphasizing the contrast between sitar and shehnai timbres. The second piece, Chaiti - Dhun, adapts a folk-inspired dhun in the Chaiti style, blending seasonal themes with classical ornamentation. The closing Bhairavee - Thumree interprets Raga Bhairav through a semi-classical thumri form, showcasing melodic embellishments and rhythmic flexibility.
His Master’s Voice released the album in 1967 without supplementary liner notes or session documentation. The vinyl format preserved the unedited takes, retaining the spontaneous interaction between the artists. The recording location and production personnel remain uncredited in available sources. Later reissues or digital remasters of this album are not confirmed in public records.
The collaboration reflects the mid-20th century trend of jugalbandi recordings, where instrumentalists from different gharanas performed joint improvisations. Vilayat Khan represented the Imdadkhani gharana (sitar), while Bismillah Khan adhered to the Benares gharana (shehnai). Shanta Prasad’s tabla accompaniment followed the Delhi and Ajrada styles. The album’s track selection highlights ragas traditionally associated with morning and late-night performances in the Hindustani repertoire.