Rag Manj Khammaj

Signature Series, Volume 4 is a studio album in the North Indian classical tradition released on August 9, 1994, under the AMMP label. The recording features a duet performance by sarod maestro Ali Akbar Khan and sitar virtuoso Nikhil Banerjee. The album adopts the CD format as its primary medium.

The sole track on the release is a 21-minute-27-second rendition of Rag Manj Khammaj. The composition showcases the collaborative interplay between Khan’s sarod and Banerjee’s sitar, though specific session details such as accompanying artists, recording location, or production personnel remain undocumented in available sources. The album forms part of AMMP’s Signature Series, a collection dedicated to archival and contemporary performances of Indian classical music.

Ali Akbar Khan established his reputation as a leading exponent of the Maihar gharana, while Nikhil Banerjee represented the Imdadkhani gharana (Etah-Binkar school). Their partnership on this recording reflects the cross-gharana dialogue characteristic of 20th-century Hindustani classical collaborations. The 1994 release date places the album in the later phase of Banerjee’s career, who passed away in 1986; this suggests the work may compile previously unreleased material or a posthumous issue, though the exact recording date is unverified.

The track structure adheres to the alaap-jor-jhala framework typical of instrumental ragas, followed by a composed section in vilambit (slow) and drut (fast) tempos. No vocal accompaniment or percussion support is credited in the provided context. The AMMP label, known for its focus on traditional and fusion Indian music, distributed the album as part of its catalog expansion during the 1990s.