Joe Walsh, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash Join Hands on ‘Prayers'

The American guitar great and sarod maestro’s friendship led them to a “spiritually infused” three-song EP

- ANURAG TAGAT

At the age of 75, sarod legend Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is out with what he calls “my first collaboration with the rock and roll world.” He’s referring to the new EP Prayers – East Meets West (released on Universal Music India), which is a collaboration with American rock guitar legend Joe Walsh.

Walsh, at 73, has had a long run of constantly innovative and eyebrow-raising guitar music in his discography – whether it’s with Eagles, Ringo Starr, B.B. King or even his solo material. Prayers sees a three-track jam that’s heartfelt and uplifting all the way through. Khan says, “During my tours in the U.S., we recorded in Joe’s beautiful studio in Los Angeles over two sessions in 2019 so we had just finished our sessions just pre lockdown time.”

The record – which even adapts the traditional song “We Shall Overcome/ Hum Honge Kamyab” on “Hope (We Shall Overcome)” – features Khan’s sons and sarod experts Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash. Ayaan says about the collaboration, “The world of rock and roll is epic. Through this collaboration, the aim is to preserve the essence of both Indian and western traditions so they can flow into each other without artistic compromise.”