Rag Chaukeshi - Drut and Jhala

Rag Chaukeshi – Drut and Jhala is a track from the 2007 album Charukeshi by sitarist Debasis Chakroborty and guitarist Sam Evans. The album released on October 1, 2007, in digital media format. The composition explores Rag Chaukeshi, a raga associated with the late-night thaat of Kafi, and features two distinct sections: a fast-paced drut exposition followed by an improvisational jhala segment.

The track occupies the third position in the album’s sequence. Chakroborty performs on sitar, while Evans contributes on acoustic guitar, blending North Indian classical traditions with Western instrumental techniques. The recording emphasizes the raga’s characteristic phrases, including the komal gandhar (flattened third) and komal nishad (flattened seventh), with rhythmic interplay between the two artists. The drut section establishes a structured melodic development, and the jhala section intensifies with percussive strumming and rapid taans (melodic runs).

The album Charukeshi serves as a collaborative work between Chakroborty and Evans, though no label information is documented in available sources. The track exemplifies cross-cultural fusion in Indian classical music, retaining the raga’s formal framework while incorporating guitar as a lead instrument. Additional details about the production, session musicians, or live recording context remain unverified in public records.