Julian Bream in India (1963) Improvisation with Ali Akbar Khan On Sarod

[@fomomoto3]

The tabla player is none other than Usted Alla Rakha.

[@eknivsnikta]

Possibly greatest discovery ever on youtube? Thank you for uploading this!

[@viggosimonsen]

"Just sit down and do it!" Exactly! This has been the dream of western composers and musicians for centuries. He (Khan) grew up in a musical culture where this approach was the norm. You agree on a Raga (the form), and then you take off, and see where it leads you. Just the right amount of form to prevent anarchy and cacophony - yet allowing the maximum freedom in which the mind can take off, liberated from the straight-jacket of rules and limitations. Then you can be playful.

[@Soytu19]

Viggo Simonsen The espontaneity in music was more of an interest in the XX century mostly. I mean, all music is espontaneous, thats how it comes to the world. But in the XX century composers found themselves, so to speak, free of "styles" and preconceptions and therefore more dependant on espontaneity and the "pure" music.

[@PIPEHEAD]

Nothing wrong with anarchy or cacophony.

[@herbsmithguitar]

This is the best East meets West combo I've heard since Yehudi Menunhin played with Ravi Shankar. And the Bream video predates that. There are good youtubes of them.

[@antoniodespenteado]

Rest in Power Julian Bream.

[@dharmadrum926]

Yes, this is not just an ordinary tabla player, this is Alla Rakha, father of Zakir Hussain, and the father of modern tabla playing.

[@stevenhearrell1564]

Again, Julian inspires me.

[@VincentStefanelli]

Bravo Julian Bream for being incredible and versatile musician !

[@sitarnut]

I hope everybody will be as happy as I am that here- before our eyes, are two of the greatest "string" players on the planet, and who would have ever thought Bream would dig India..... Bless you for posting this.

[@Crashof2008]

I would love to hear the entire performance!

[@guillermorejas8949]

Una de las audiciones improvisadas más extraordinarias de que tenga memoria. Prueba la genialidad de estos tres grandes músicos.

[@davidfaubion]

Gotta love it at the end of this interview when Julian, a classical virtuoso of the page calls for --music in the moment-- the eternal composing mode.

[@Vengajaleo]

This is a fantastic video from the documentary The Life of Julian Bream. Amazing music, two geniuses at the top of their games. I wish the full improv without Bream's wonderful remarks were available, anynone knows about it? It should be from the BBC from what he says. It's incredibly frustrating they do not include this as an extra on the documentary DVD. Also, I want to point out it's recorded in Lime Grove Studios in London, not in India, according to Bream's own worlds.

[@gilmarHandersen]

"this is the way of making music... just sit down and do it!" : )

[@puckett456]

a lot of talent here. i really enjoyed this music. it is so beautiful. thanks for sharing this video. 10stars. god bless, margie

[@nick260682]

I adore the final thoughts there. Especially from someone of the calibre of Bream. Imagine being that good that the Julian Bream describes you as just about the finest musician he’s ever met!! Brilliant film. This is why I love KZbin.

[@brucegelman5582]

Bream "Got it"!. Indian classical improvisation as spiritual practice and spiritual ecstacy through music.

[@VLombardi01]

Cool! thanks for posting. Julian Bream is a great player.

[@6K6R]

Great posting John 2 thumbs up mon ami Claude

[@juliannevillecorrea]

cool.

[@japanesesen]

Well said - - my thumbs up!! Very uplifting music!! Thanks for sharing this awesome video. You made my day!! Love it.

[@Asfrandi]

bream sei l'idolo indiscusso!!

[@CroatAndNettles]

This is really interesting. I always thought it was the American steel string guitarists, such as John Fahey and Robbie Basho, who first tried to use classical Indian music as a basis for sustained, raga-like improvisations. It is interesting to find that Julian Bream was there a few years before. Am I right in thinking that very little of Julian Bream's later body of work involves Indian influences?

[@NuevaVenecia]

YEAH!!!

[@davibe528]

I'm sure that his SPIRIT was invigorated by his journey to india; away from the regular practice of most classically trained students of music. He seems so open minded to explore the music and philosophy of different cultures, and I am sure that he is a deeply spiritual man. I would like to meet him one day; before it is too late!!!

[@LeeiFJaw]

It is too late. He died this August.

[@lizclegg7556]

I tend to find Bream's playing quite spiritual and transcendental.

[@gamergeek3000]

@belinox love that.

[@polyoud]

astonishing encounter! like it is said by J B, just sit down an do it! great lesson!!!

[@LuisGarzonGuitarist]

I knew Julian Bream had started as a jazz guitarist, so I was not surprised to see him able to improvise so well. However I had never seen him playing with Ali Akbar Kahn. Is the Tabla player Zakar Hussein? The music is wonderful and I always love to see Julian Bream play. I audited a master class at Cal State Northridge and he was so impressive. His advice was to play simpler pieces to the six students but he also demonstrated how to make a soft passage project.

[@Crashof2008]

This is Zakir's father on tabla.

[@PIPEHEAD]

You may know that Bream started as a jazz guitarist - that doesn't actually mean it's true.

[@geoson4582]

@lougar1 the tabla player is Allah Rakah, Zakir's father

[@dongiovanni1248]

Does anybody know if they did also a studio recording? would like to have it just as audio; thx

[@CiscoNast]

yea me too.

[@segovianity]

With little experience of 'fusion' JB played very well - the Scottish guitarist, Simon Thacker, took the art further with his 'Svara-Kanti' group etc.

[@gerardmenfin]

That was great! I wonder what Ali Akbar Khan thought of this jam session and of Julian Bream.

[@Crashof2008]

He was smiling. That speaks volumes.

[@owenmcgee8496]

i saw the dvd and yet i don't remember this. i do remember surprising video footage of him improvising django reinhardt material backstage before a jb consort concert. this reminds me a little of john mclaughlin/shakti, just a little though. i think yehudi mehunin made a record with ravi shankar in the 60s but, the guitar fan that i am, i prefer this sound. i read once that bream actually played electric giutar to entertain troops in ww2 but i don't recall that in the documentary either. should watch again i guess

[@AlienProbe73]

Edinburgh is in Scotland

[@SoloGuitaristNet]

@MegaLochgelly This is not "just another English man." This is Julian Bream. The quote was "We'd met just previously, in England, at the Edinburgh festival." It would be safe to assume that they met in both places, but even if they had not, this should not cause one to dismiss the actual content and purpose of the video.

[@masterfreedo]

Alla Rakha in Tabla

[@PIPEHEAD]

Admirable that our boy wanted to meet AAK. He shows his true inability very well too. I think it's fair to say Bream had a cheek playing with AAK, even more drab than his gig with Grappelli.

[@woejinslow]

damn what raga is that?

[@MegaLochgelly]

You're right, I got the quote slightly wrong. Though I'm sure the Edinburgh festival is held in Scotland lol. I wasn't dismissing the content and purpose of the video, Ali Akbar Khan's improvising is fantastic. It's just annoying when the English and Americans become indifferent about geography. I know Julian Bream did a lot to promote the classical guitar in the English speaking world.

[@MissBlennerhassett876]

It could well have been edited like that.

[@petermicic3133]

What is the name of the raag?

[@emiwhd]

That's mishra Bhairavi (mishra meens that there's some glimpses of other ragas or notes that aren't suppose to be in this particular raga but can be very pleasant to the ear)

[@Tabladude456]

kiabath hai

[@shahn78]

hahah excellent

[@MiesterN]

@Dodom123 agree, even though i think India is rather eastern...

[@metacosmos]

Ritchie Blackmore has learned a lot from Julian Bream and this video.

[@abellogdv]

shema

[@MKFingerstyleAcademy]

it's wrong because it is very misleading. they're not opposite, they share a lot in common

[@MegaLochgelly]

@aatz1982 I can imagine you couldn't say why or when, as it was never correct to describe The British Isles as England.Not sure where you saw Scots are moaning at being hard done by; certainly not on any of my posts. It's clear you weren't paying attention at school in certain subjects e.g. the correct use of capital letters.

[@MegaLochgelly]

"We met just previously at the Edinburgh festival in England". The last time I looked on a map, Edinburgh was in Scotland. Or is this just another English man teaching the world to call Britain; England. Jullian Bream also seems to think Glasgow is in the north of England too.

[@MissBlennerhassett876]

Or, most likely, is it just the way the video was edited. There's a clear break between the two remarks. But, yano, you want that chip on your shoulder.

[@Diamondmineboy]

Renumeration...?...lol... benignly

[@aatz1982]

@MegaLochgelly in the past using england to describe all of the british isles was considered correct. couldn't say why or when this changed. anyone would think you scots are hard done by, always moaning!

[@lawrencetendler2342]

Dear mr. Bream, Do NOT give up your day job !

[@tbcass]

I don't think anything he said disagrees with that statement. Of course it takes years of practice before you master the instrument enough so you can effortlessly improvise. Kahn's abilities did not, however, exceed the mastery of the best jazz musicians.

[@Crashof2008]

Totally false. He could play, literally, in 50 time signatures. Your jazz heroes can't touch that. And he mastered the microtones, srutis, of which there are between 22 and 64 per octave, depending on the raga. Please park your arrogance at the front door. Thank you.

[@alansouzacruz970]

Cool