About Rare
Rare is a collaborative studio album by Indian classical musicians Purbayan Chatterjee and Bickram Ghosh. The duo released the album in digital format on November 18, 2021. The recording features a fusion of North Indian classical traditions, with Chatterjee performing on the sitar and Ghosh on the tabla.
The album comprises three tracks, each exploring distinct raga structures and rhythmic cycles. The opening composition Behag establishes a melodic foundation in the eponymous raga. The second track, 8.5 Matra, introduces an unconventional 8.5-beat rhythmic framework, showcasing Ghosh’s percussive experimentation. The final piece splits into two movements: Rageshree - Drut Teentaal and Rageshree, Teentaal, both set in the Rageshree raga but varying in tempo and rhythmic treatment.
The release emerged as an official project under the artists’ independent distribution. No physical media accompanied the digital launch, and the label affiliation remains undisclosed in available documentation. The album’s title, Rare, reflects its limited-track structure and the artists’ intent to present condensed yet intricate improvisations within classical forms.
Critical reception and commercial performance details for Rare are not widely documented. The work stands as a testament to Chatterjee and Ghosh’s long-standing collaboration, which began in the late 1990s. Their partnership has produced multiple albums, with Rare marking one of their later digital-only releases in the 2020s.