Rag Khammaj with Ragmala and Dhun

Sarod is a collaborative studio album by Indian classical musicians Amjad Ali Khan and Zakir Hussain. The album was released on CD in 1991 under the label Moment! Records. The recording showcases a fusion of the sarod and tabla, blending North Indian classical traditions with improvisational elements.

The album features a single extended composition titled Rag Khammaj - Ragmala - Dhun as its second track. The piece spans 24 minutes and 22 seconds and exemplifies the intricate interplay between Khan’s sarod and Hussain’s tabla. The raga Khammaj serves as the foundational framework, while the ragmala structure incorporates melodic variations and a concluding dhun (folk-inspired tune). The track highlights the artists’ mastery of alaap, jor, and jhala sections, followed by a rhythmic gat in teental (16-beat cycle).

Amjad Ali Khan composed the melodic themes and led the sarod performance. Zakir Hussain contributed the percussive accompaniment, employing complex tabla patterns and spontaneous improvisations. The recording session’s production details remain undocumented, but the album’s acoustic clarity and dynamic range reflect studio engineering standards of the early 1990s.

The release received recognition for its technical precision and artistic depth, though specific commercial performance data is unavailable. Sarod remains a reference work for students of Hindustani classical music, particularly in the study of instrumental jugalbandi (duet) formats. No reissues or remastered editions have been officially confirmed as of the latest available records.