The Holy Man's Plea

The Master is a collaborative studio album by American guitarist and composer Warren Cuccurullo and Indian sarangi virtuoso Ustad Sultan Khan. The album released on July 22, 2014, under Six Degrees Records in CD format.

The project marks a fusion of Hindustani classical traditions with Western instrumental arrangements. Cuccurullo composed the musical framework and handled guitar performances, while Khan contributed sarangi melodies rooted in the gayaki ang (vocal-style) technique of North Indian classical music. Production details credit Cuccurullo as the primary arranger, though the extent of Khan’s involvement in compositional decisions remains undocumented.

The opening track The Holy Man’s Plea runs for 4 minutes and 29 seconds. The piece features a dialogue between Cuccurullo’s electric guitar and Khan’s sarangi, with rhythmic support from unspecified percussionists. The composition employs a cyclical structure common to alaap-jor-jhala progressions but incorporates harmonic layers atypical of traditional dhrupad or khayal forms. No lyricist or vocalists appear on the track.

Six Degrees Records distributed the album as part of its world music catalog. The label promoted the release with emphasis on the cross-cultural exchange between Cuccurullo’s rock and fusion background and Khan’s lineage in the Indore gharana. Additional session musicians or recording locations are not publicly confirmed. The album’s reception focused on its experimental blend of genres, though specific sales figures or chart performances are not available in public records.

Ustad Sultan Khan passed away in 2011, predating the album’s release by three years. The recordings likely derive from archival sessions, though exact dates and circumstances of the collaboration remain unverified. Cuccurullo has not released subsequent projects in this style as of 2024.