About A Morning Raga / An Evening Raga
A Morning Raga / An Evening Raga is a studio album by Indian sitarist and composer Ravi Shankar. Shankar recorded the album in 1968 and released it the same year under World Pacific Records. The release appeared as a 12\" vinyl LP with two extended tracks, one per side.
The album features two raga performances. The first track, \"Raga Nata Bhairav, In Teental,\" occupies the A-side and represents a morning raga. The second track, \"Raga Mishra Piloo, In Teental,\" fills the B-side and serves as an evening raga. Both compositions adhere to the teental rhythmic cycle, a 16-beat pattern common in Hindustani classical music. Shankar performs on sitar, accompanied by tabla and tambura, though the album credits do not specify the accompanying artists.
World Pacific Records, a subsidiary of Liberty Records, produced the vinyl under catalog number ST-20128. The label marketed the release as part of its series on international and traditional music. The cover art and liner notes provide contextual details about the raga tradition but omit extensive technical annotations. The recording captures Shankar’s improvisational approach within the framework of the chosen ragas.
The album emerged during a period of growing Western interest in Indian classical music, partly due to Shankar’s collaborations with artists like George Harrison and his performances at major music festivals. While exact sales figures remain undocumented, the release contributed to the broader dissemination of Hindustani classical music outside India. No reissues or digital remasters have been officially confirmed from the original label.
The context provided does not specify recording locations, session musicians, or alternate editions. The track durations also remain unlisted in available sources.