About Raga Jog
Raga Jog is a studio album by Indian classical musician Shivkumar Sharma, released on January 1, 1992. The recording features Sharma on the santoor, accompanied by Anindo Chatterjee on the tabla and Usha Shastri on the tanpura. The album presents a detailed exploration of Raga Jog, a raga traditionally performed in the late evening or early night and associated with the Jaunpuri thaat.
The album comprises three tracks that collectively unfold the raga in the classical khayal format. The opening track, Raga Jog - Alap - Jhor, establishes the raga through an unmetered alap followed by the rhythmic jor section. The second track, Raga Jog - Jhala, intensifies the performance with rapid, intricate strokes characteristic of the jhala phase. The final track, Raga Jog - Dhun - Teentaal, concludes the rendition with a lighter dhun set to the 16-beat teentaal cycle.
Sharma’s interpretation of Raga Jog emphasizes the raga’s symmetrical structure and its use of both shuddha and komal variants of the note ni (seventh). Chatterjee’s tabla accompaniment adheres to the Benares gharana style, providing rhythmic support with improvisational tihais and rela. The production retains the acoustic clarity of the instruments, capturing the resonance of the santoor and the subtle drone of the tanpura.
The album was released in audio CD format. The label information remains unverified in available sources. Raga Jog exemplifies Sharma’s contribution to adapting the santoor, a Kashmiri folk instrument, into the Hindustani classical repertoire. The collaboration with Chatterjee and Shastri reflects a common ensemble configuration in North Indian classical recordings of the period.