About Surbahar
Surbahar is an Indian classical music album by sitar and surbahar exponent Irshad Khan. India Archive Music released the album in 1995. The release appears in CD format.
Irshad Khan performs two extended compositions on the album. The first track, "Raga Jansanmohini - Alap," presents the alap section of Raga Jansanmohini. The alap establishes the raga’s melodic framework through slow, unmetered exploration. The second track, "Raga Jansanmohini - Jor & Jhala," continues the raga with the jor and jhala sections. The jor introduces a rhythmic pulse without percussion, while the jhala accelerates the tempo and intensifies the interplay of melody and rhythm.
The album contains no additional tracks beyond the two listed. India Archive Music, a label specializing in Indian classical and traditional music, distributed the recording. The release date aligns with the label’s catalog of archival and contemporary performances from the mid-1990s.
Irshad Khan, a descendant of the Imdadkhani gharana, trained under his father, Ustad Vilayat Khan. His interpretation of Raga Jansanmohini reflects the stylistic conventions of the gharana, emphasizing intricate ornamentation and dynamic phrasing. The surbahar, a bass variant of the sitar, produces deeper tonal resonance and sustains notes longer than its higher-pitched counterpart.
The album does not include liner notes, supplementary materials, or additional performers. The total duration of the recording is not specified in available sources.