Ostad often played this suite, but rarely on the five-stringed tanbur; this is the only recording of its kind. In a calm and peaceful atmosphere, he introduces the piece with these words:

Ey Khodāvand-e tabārak va taālā rūh-e mān va tavajoh-e mān be sūy-e Tost
Ey Khodāyā
Īnak barāy-e meymanat-e shab-e emshab ke shab-e mobārakī be nazar mīresad, īnak shurū mīkonīm be yek Jelo Shāhī
Omīdvāram ke pasand-e maqām-e Manavī beshavad.
Hū yā Ali

O God, the Almighty and Great, our soul and our attention are turned toward You, O Lord!
Now, in order to receive grace on this night, which appears to be a blessed night, we will begin by playing Jelo Shāhī.
I hope it will meet with the approval of the spiritual Rank.

The piece opens with several chords struck vigorously in a major key. The deep, majestic sounds reverberate to fill the entire audible spectrum. Throughout the piece, the energy and intensity of the playing increase, with moments of lively staccato. During a more solemn passage at about 10’20 in the recording, the main melody seems to divide itself, leading to several distinct melodic phrases, all different yet complementing each other, as if additional instrumentalists had joined in, rendering a true polyphony.

Almost of a pictorial nature, this piece offers a series of musical canvasses that impart a sense of grandeur, dignity, and nobility, unfolding like scenes from a film. At first, one can sense a feeling of joy, but a feeling that is somewhat contained. The melodies relate a sense of anticipation up until the final passage, which corresponds to the arrival of the spiritual king.

Although the typical melodies of the Jelo Shāhī suite are all discernable,¹ they are played here with complete freedom of improvisation. At times they are played faster, and at times they can only be heard between two cavalcades: the rhythms are races, gallops, and rushing whirlwinds. Each melody appears to want to displace the prior one. The lush and orchestral sound that Ostad Elahi produces with the five-stringed tanbur endows this interpretation with a masterful dimension, yet another account of the freedom that was among the hallmarks of his playing.