One of the turning points in the 20th century musical arts occurred when the sarod virtuoso Ali Akbar Khan and the sitarist destined for omnipresence, Ravi Shankar, combined forces to perform jugalbandis or duets. Though they shared the same guru, despite Khan being younger, he was senior because he was of bloodlines. Nothing ever changed that hierarchy.

This volume in Bear's Sonic Journals series captures the 48-year-old Khan in another sarod-sitar jugalbandi combination. Captured live in concert at Chet Helm's psychedelic ballroom by the multi-valenced Owsley Stanley, here Khan duets in another, almost fatherly role. The sitarist is one of his father's junior shishyas (disciple-students), the 28-year-old Indranil Bhattacharya. Shining on tabla is the 19-year-old future percussion superstar, the sure-fingered, sure-minded Zakir Hussain Qureshi. At 46 minutes 33 seconds in, Zila Kafi thrillingly lays the table for the main repast. That is the electrifying 73' 48” Sindhu Bhairavi. If pushed to compare it to Ravi Shankar & Ali Akbar Khan's Music from India Series Duets volume from 1965, this interpretation wins hands down.

There is a great surround-story to this superbly-packaged recording, explained in the superlative notes and first-rate interviews (especially with sons Alam and Manik Khan). Above all – and I have never said and expect never to say the like again – this is genius music on celestial planes of spontaneity. Exhausting in the way only the best is, it left this listener wrung out and smiling.