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ali akbar khan

How did the court musician of the Maharaja, a man called the “Bach of India,” and “perhaps the greatest musician in the world” find himself playing to a psychedelic crowd at the Family Dog, a countercultural beacon on the edge of Western civilization, with Owsley mixing the sound? Come take a magical trip with us and find out!

“These are the most extensive files there are of our music from this time. There are titles here never heard before [on a release] and seldom played. It is historically important. Spirited.” - Commander Cody

The Owsley Stanley Foundation’s fifth release of Bear’s Sonic Journals finds lost treasures in the ozone with the launch of Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen!

"Sociologically, you know, this all represents a big switch in the whole rock 'n' roll trip" - Jerry Garcia

Celebrating 50 years of New Riders of the Purple Sage, the Owsley Stanley Foundation’s fourth release takes you back in time to the early days when this band was just getting started.

“A legend recording a legend” – T. Michael Coleman, Bass

The Owsley Stanley Foundation is pleased to present an audiophile release of incendiary performances by the incomparable Doc and Merle Watson, from Bear’s Sonic Journals -Owsley’s storied trove of live concert recordings.

It’s not just the energy of youth that shakes me when I listen to these tracks — it’s the musical dialogue that Jack and I shared in these amazing moments. -Jorma Kaukonen

The Owsley Stanley Foundation presents its third chapter: Bear’s Sonic Journals: Before We Were Them, Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady, Veterans Memorial Building, June 28, 1969, available now on CD. This live concert recording features recently discovered and previously unreleased music from Jefferson Airplane’s fabled guitar and bass players before they became known as Hot Tuna.

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Owlsey Stanley Foundation Presents Bear’s Sonic Journals:

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Ali Akbar Khan with Indranil Bhattacharya, and Zakir Hussain

That Which Colors the Mind

Live at the Family Dog on May 29, 1970

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Ali Akbar Khan was the court musician of the Maharaja of Jodphur, a MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, and was called “the Bach of India” (Washington Post) as well as “perhaps the greatest musician in the world” (Yehudi Menuhin). He was identified as a key influence by the Beatles, Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones, and Santana.

This release is one of the most evocative recordings of Ali Akbar Khan from the era, due to Owsley’s tapes’ uncanny ability to transport the listener into the room on that night.

  • This album features more than two hours of music from Ali Akbar Khan’s May 29, 1970 live performance at the Family Dog at the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA.
  • Exquisite sound quality – close your eyes, and you will be in the room!
  • The 2-CD set includes original cover art by Chris Gallen, unpublished photographs, and an extensive 28-page booklet with notes featuring new interviews from Ali Akbar Khan’s family and colleagues.
  • The notes explore some of the surprising connections between the Grateful Dead and Ali Akbar Khan, some of Bear’s theories about the impact of Indian classical music on the human central nervous system, and the intense rigor and discipline required to play this music.
  • Recorded live at the soundboard by the legendary Grateful Dead soundman, Owsley Stanley, a/k/a Bear, who is known for the purity of his “Sonic Journals” recordings.
  • These tapes were transferred and mastered by Jeffrey Norman (Mockingbird Mastering), long-time collaborator with the Grateful Dead and Owsley Stanley.

It’s been said that Bear’s tapes are like a time machine; this release starts 50 years ago and will take you back 500 years in time, to the origins of a musical tradition that was believed to have the power to heal…or even to harm if misplayed. Come and take this magical trip with us!

zakir hussian
ali akbar khan
 

CD Track List:
Disc 1: Zila Kafi 46:33
Disc 2: Sindhu Bhairavi 73:48

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The "Save The Music!" campaign seeks to raise money to enable the digitization, preservation, and release of Bear's Sonic Journals, a trove of over a thousand live concert recordings from the heart of the psychedelic era. Donations are much appreciated, and are in fact essential to our ability to preserve and release future recordings!

You can donate via our secure form, or send checks made out to the Owsley Stanley Foundation to: Owsley Stanley Foundation PO Box 625 Occidental, Ca 95465. We were officially granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit status by the IRS in December 2012. All donations to the Owsley Stanley Foundation are fully tax deductible.

Project Sponsorship:
For a donation of $500 or more, you can sponsor the production of a release of Bear's Sonic Journals, we usually have about 10 projects or so in the works, and your contribution goes toward the mastering of the music, original cover art, liner notes and related research, booklet design, and manufacturing costs. You will receive a liner notes credit in the OSF release of the project you sponsored.

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Reach out if you have questions, or to see how you can support the Owsley Stanley Foundation.

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