A remarkable concert of Indian classical music by the father-and-son Khan
duet tonight in Berkeley was a grand Mother's Day present for Mary Khan.
The wife of Ali Akbar Khan, 79 (and maybe more) and the mother of Alam
Khan, 18 (definitely more next month, as he turns 19), stood in the back
of the packed St. John's Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, and looked as
blissed out as the rest of the crowd.

Khansahib has given remarkable concerts in his seventies (a pup compared
with his father, playing while well over the century mark), but since the
SF Palace of Fine Arts debut of Alam, he seems newly energized and playing
with more elan than ever before.  Watching the two, as they make their
matching 25-string sarodes speak in solos and duets, is a wonderful
extra-musical experience in addition to the ultra-musical event one has
long expected (and got) from Khan pere.

Tonight, with the magic tabla of Swapan Chaudhuri, the two Khans performed
the raga "Puriya dhanashri" and brought the roof down with the tala
"Teental." Alam's technique in two short years of public appearances
progressed remarkably, and he both takes off on his own and follows his
father's direction.  Khansahib, on the other hand, acquired a new, more
lyrical tone as his attention is shared between his own instrument and
Alam's.  (For anyone coming from Western classical music to these concerts,
it's fascinating to see Khansahib play, conduct, focus, watch others, tune,
check his watch - all at the same time.)

There is a new contrast at these concerts between the melodic scales
and rhythmic cycles as the ancient tradition carried on by Khansahib's is
handed down further, but is also modified by the sound the American-born,
"hapa-haole" Alam produces.  All in all, it's a fortunate, productive
musical convergence.

Janos Gereben/SF, CA
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