Ancient Future Performs Free Educational Library Concerts in Sonoma County

Ancient Future Performs Free Educational Library Concerts

Hi-Res Photo of Matthew Montfort and Vishal Nagar at Recording Session by Michael Braden (858k)

Featuring World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort with Arabic Percussion Virtuoso Antoine Lammam or Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar

One of the program variations of the trailblazing world fusion music ensemble, Ancient Future, this improvisatory duet features world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort accompanied by either Arabic percussion virtuoso Antoine Lammam or Indian tabla virtuoso Vishal Nagar. Strains of flamenco, Arabic music, and Indian raga emanate from this duet performing renditions of music from Ancient Future's ground breaking world music recordings as well as many new unreleased works!

These hour long educational concerts by Ancient Future at Sonoma County libraries will introduce the audience to musical concepts from world music such as Indian and Arabic rhythms.

Final Spring Concert

• Saturday, May 19, 2018, 2 to 3 PM, Ancient Future Guitar and Tabla Duet with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar) and Vishal Nagar (tabla), Sonoma Valley Regional Library, 755 West Napa Street, Sonoma, CA 95476. Free. Info: 707- 996-5217 or visit www.sonoma.lib.ca.us. 

Fall and Winter Concerts

• Wednesday, September 6, 2017, 6:30 to 7:30 PM, Ancient Future Duet with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar) and Antoine Lammam (Arabic percussion), Petaluma Regional Library, 100 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma, CA 94952. Free. Info: 707-763-9801 or visit www.sonoma.lib.ca.us.
  
• Saturday, September 16, 2017, 2 to 3 PM, Ancient Future Duet with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar) and Antoine Lammam (Arabic percussion), Northwest Santa Rosa Library, 150 Coddingtown Center, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. Free. Info: 707-546-2265 or visit www.sonoma.lib.ca.us.
  

• Wednesday November 8, 2017, 5 to 6 PM, Ancient Future Duet with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar) and Antoine Lammam (Arabic percussion), Healdsburg Regional Library, 139 Piper Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448. Free. Info: 707-433-3772 or visit www.sonoma.lib.ca.us.
  
• Wednesday November 8, 2017, 7 to 8 PM, Ancient Future Duet with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar) and Antoine Lammam (Arabic percussion), Windsor Regional Library, 9291 Old Redwood Highway Building 100, Windsor, CA 95492. Free. Info: 707-838-1020 or visit www.sonoma.lib.ca.us.
  

• Saturday, January 6, 2018, 2 to 3 PM, Ancient Future Duet with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar) and Antoine Lammam (Arabic percussion), Guerneville Regional Library, 14107 Armstrong Woods Rd., Guerneville, CA 95446. Free. Info: 707-869-9004 or visit www.sonoma.lib.ca.us.
  

'El Zaffa' by Ancient Future

Video of Arabic fusion music by Ancient Future

'Yearning for the Wind' by Ancient Future

Video of Indian fusion music by Ancient Future

Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard and fretless guitars)

Hi-Res Photo of Matthew Montfort by Julie Marten (2 MB)

The leader of the world music group Ancient Future, Matthew Montfort, released his first solo recording, Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar, in 2009. He is a pioneer among guitarists who have had their fretboards scalloped in order to play various forms of world music that require intricate note-bending ornaments while still being able to play chords. Montfort immersed himself in an intensive study with vina master K.S. Subramanian in order to fully apply the South Indian gamaka (note-bending) techniques to the guitar. He is recognized as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists by DigitalDreamDoor.com, a curated "best of" site, along with such luminaries as Michael Hedges, Leo Kottke, Chet Atkins, John Fahey, Merle Travis, John Renbourn, Tommy Emmanuel, Doc Watson, Pierre Bensusan, Alex De Grassi, and Peppino D'Agostino. The December 2009 Les Paul issue of Guitar Player Magazine includes a full page feature on Matthew Montfort with a corresponding GuitarPlayer.Com video and lesson entitled “The Music of Jimi Hendrix Applied to Indian Raga.” He has performed concerts worldwide, from the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra on the golden coast of Spain to the Festival of India in Mumbai. He has performed live on national radio and TV shows such as the Echoes Living Room Concerts on Public Radio International, and the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. He has worked with many world music legends, including tabla phenomenon Zakir Hussain and Chinese zither master Zhao Hui. Montfort wrote the book Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali, and India, which has been used by many musicians to improve their rhythm skills.

Antoine Lammam (Arabic percussion)

Antoine Lammam was born in Beirut, Lebanon. His musical career started early, where at the age of 8 he was given his first drum, an Egyptian tabla. Antoine's passion and his huge talent was noted by his family, many of whom were themselves involved in the arts. At the age of 14, Antoine moved to United Arab Emirates with his family, running away from the war in Lebanon, where he joined a local band at 16. He was encouraged to master his craft and studied under very famous Khalidji Conga master Jumah Ibrahim and famous Syrian bongos and tambourine player Marwaan Sheriff. The move to United Arab Emirates and joining a number one band consisting of 20 members gave the young Antoine a rich insight into the cultural origins of Middle Eastern music mixed with the flavors of Indian and African rhythms. In the mid of 1970's, Antoine became the main drummer for famous Khalidji singer Abdullah bel-Kheir. But as Antoine began looking for new dimensions of percussive sounds, he found himself turning full circle into his first interest and his sensual passion for the Arabic tambourine.
It wasn't till late 1970's, when Antoine met and studied with famous tambourine player Michael Baklouk. After that, Antoine became the main tambourine player at Dubai's major radio station, where he enjoyed playing for famous artists, doing different contest shows, and recording for various top singers of that time. Antoine had accompanied many famous singers in the USA, played at major night clubs all over America, and taught Arabic rhythms and percussion theories at UC Berkeley (World Music from the Middle-East) from 1991-2009. Antoine is featured on many record releases, including Ancient Future's Planet Passion and his own poetry and music album, Echoes Of Silence, which features his brothers, the famous violinist Georges Lammam and master accordion player Elias Lammam.

Vishal Nagar (Indian tabla)

Hi-Res Photo of Vishal Nagar by Inni Singh (5 MB)

"He has magic in his hands" - Hindustan Times
Vishal Nagar is considered one of the most gifted tabla players of his generation. Born into a family of musicians, Vishal has been surrounded by music in an extremely musically creative and artistic environment. Since childhood, he has been fascinated by tabla and began to play at an early age. Vishal had his initial training for a very brief period with the late Ustad Latif Ahmed Khan of the Delhi Gharana. After his Ustad's untimely demise, Vishal continued his training under the guidance of Ustad Shamim Ahmed Khan of the same Gharana (school). Along with the dense and rare tabla repertoire taleem which was he received from his Ustad, he also has had intense rhythmic (layakari) training from his mother, the renowned and highly respected Kathak dancer and vocalist, Urmila Nagar. Vishal has been praised in the Indian press for his unique combination of melodic tabla sound production with masterful command of rhythm.
Vishal has had the privilege of performing with such renowned artists as Ustad Shujaat Khan, Guru Urmila Nagar, Vidhwan Trichur Ramachandran, Pandit Ramesh Misra and Miss. Kala Ramnath. Vishal has also had the honor of sharing the stage with some great world music masters such as African drum legend Babatunde Olatunji, Michel Shrieve, Evyind Kang, Carmona Flamenco, and Michael Wimberley. Vishal has also expanded his cultural boundaries and collaborated with musicians from around the world. Some of his memorable works have been with the Ghanaian Guitarist Koo Nimo with whom he also appeared in WOMAD USA (a leading world dance and music festival started by Peter Gabriel). Starting his performance career at the age of eight in Patna, Vishal has performed around the globe including performances in many cities in India, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Thailand and the United States. Vishal has also been awarded with the Ministry of Culture Scholarship from the Department of Culture.

Recent Recordings on Ancient-Future.Com Records

'The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings' by Ancient Future

The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings by Ancient Future. (Ancient-Future.Com AF-2030). Recording Newsletter Package (128 kbps MP3): $15. Download Supporter Package (320 kbps MP3): $25. Limited to 300 packages. Limited Edition CD Sponsor Package (CD quality .wav): $50. Limited to 200 packages. Honorary A & R Representative Package (Hi-res 24 bit .wav): $75. Limited to 100 packages.
During Ancient Future's 30th anniversary year, work started on the next project of the band: the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings (A.F.A.R.). To finance the project, a subscription system model is being employed to fund the recording through fans of world fusion music. There are already eight tracks in the archive available right now to subscribers, with more coming as money is raised for production.

'Yearning for the Wind' by Ancient Future

Yearning for the Wind by Ancient Future. Signed Audio/Video E-CD-R. List $17.98.
"Matthew Montfort has been sending us wonderful music for many years now… this newest EP is (without question) the best music I've ever heard him play! The 9:37 'Yearning For The Wind' is 'the' piece… Matthew is joined by Vishal Nagar on tabla, and they clearly show (sonically) the joy than can be achieved by well-placed and strictly focused music. The tabla percussion makes it far more than 'just another raga'… I'm very strongly impressed and moved by this single piece of music…. you'll find yourself spinning it over and over again." — Dick Metcalf, ZZAJ PRODUCTIONS

'Planet Passion' by Ancient Future

Planet Passion by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2010) $17.98.

"If the members of the United Nations formed a world-fusion band, it might look and sound a little something like Ancient Future's re-issue of their seventh recording. Featuring instrumentation from Africa, Asia, South America and the Middle East, Planet Passion is a mythical story of love, flirtation, seduction, courtship, marriage and longing. Manose Singh's bansuri flute and Matthew Montfort's scalloped fretboard work stand out in this eclectic, visionary global village, where each track features its own unique set of players. At its best, Planet Passion strives to preserve the world's vast musical heritage via international collaboration: the idea that one protects the old by creating something new. This is at the heart of fusion music and the heart of Ancient Future's global aesthetics, too: a diverse, unified world without borders, a multicultural community, a new, reconstituted sonic reality." — Ryan Allen, LEO WEEKLY, Louisville, Kentucky

'Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar' by Matthew Montfort

Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2008). $17.98.
"Because Montfort's guitar has a scalloped fretboard, his fingers touch only the strings, enabling him to produce ornaments more characteristic of the sitar. This album reveals a thorough knowledge of Hindustani microtonal ornaments, transferred in ways that create one of the most distinctive guitar sounds in contemporary music. However, it also reveals a lifetime of exploration in world music, which can be immediately summoned in a flash of inspiration. When this level of mastery is reached, there is no need to rewrite. The first improvisation has the depth of a reworked composition." — Teed Rockwell, INDIA CURRENTS, March 2009

'Sympathetic Serenade' by Matthew Montfort

Sympathetic Serenade by Matthew Montfort. (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2012). Signed Mini EP CD-R- $12.98.
"Both Matt Montfort and his band Ancient Future have been reviewed in FAME before, and the work is always superlative, but this one, a CD 11-minute single, is an expression of solo virtuosity on a variant axe which isn't employed by very many. Primarily a Spanish composition, there's nonetheless always a generous infusion of raga structures and riffs in Montfort's work as well as more Westerly rhythmatics. Sympathetic Serenade is no exception. Brilliant modern semi-neoclassical work with very strong ties to the traditional residing within progressive annals." – Mark S. Tucker, FAME

56 Word Radio Announcement for May 2018 Sonoma County Library Concert

The trailblazing world music group Ancient Future will perform a free educational library concert featuring scalloped fretboard guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort with accompaniment by Indian tabla master Vishal Nagar on Saturday, May 19, 2018, from 2 to 3 PM, at Sonoma Valley Regional Library at 755 West Napa Street in Sonoma. For more information, visit www.sonoma.lib.ca.us.

Where's the Beat? From Ancient Rhythms to Future Grooves for Gizmos, Gadgets and Thingamajigs

Where's the Beat?

A. West Africa, Bali, and India, birthplaces of polyrhythm, gamelan, and tala.
B. Within every performer, where musical dreams are made.
C. In a rhythm training manual by Matthew Montfort called Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities.
D. In the new companion set from Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Audio Guide and MIDI Groove Tracks from the Traditions of Africa, Bali, and India.
E. Through world rhythm workshops and Skype study with Matthew Montfort.
F. All of the above.

The Answer

If you answered "all of the above," you are well on your way to finding the beat! Read on to find out how a training manual on the rhythms of Africa, Bali and India can help performers of all types reach their musical dreams, enable listeners to get more out of music, and is now bringing these ancient rhythms into the grooves of the future with the release of an audio companion edition for digital audio workstations, sequencers, computers, tablets, smartphones, CD players and other gizmos!

The Beginning, the Beat, the Book

Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali and India. By Matthew Montfort. Mill Valley: Panoramic Press, 1985. ISBN 0-937879-00-2. Comb Bound Book- $46.95 list. Book and Enhanced Audio CD Set with MIDI files- $74.95 list. New Best Buy! Book & Audio Guide/MIDI Download- $69.95 list.
This classic "world beat bible" by Matthew Montfort takes the student on a musical voyage through the ancient rhythmic traditions of Africa, Bali, and India with a series of exercises that require no instruments to perform. Interesting, imaginative and fun, these rhythm exercises will be of immense help to all music lovers, not just percussionists. Indeed, Matthew Montfort, leader of the trailblazing world fusion music group Ancient Future, was inspired to write the book because it was difficult for him to find musicians who had the skills to perform multi-cultural music. African polyrhythms, Balinese kotèkan and Indian classical music were chosen as the source material for the training because these three traditions in combination cover the major types of rhythmic organization used in most of the world's music. By enabling home study of these non-Western rhythms with enough material for years of practice for most students, the training develops refined rhythmic skills, promotes multi-cultural musicianship, stimulates new ideas for composers and improvisers, and fosters cross-cultural music appreciation.

The New Guides and Grooves

 
Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Audio Guide and MIDI Groove Tracks from the Traditions of Africa, Bali, and India. By Matthew Montfort. Ancient Future Music (AF-0001, 2005. V 4.0, 2017). New Preview Release! Companion MP3/MIDI Guide Tracks Download Set- $34.95 list. Companion Audio/MIDI Guide Tracks 2 Volume CD/CD-ROM Set- $39.95 list.
A new downloadable companion set of MP3 audio guide and MIDI groove tracks of the exercises in the book Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities will be released in fall 2017. The preview beta release is on sale now at Ancient-Future.Com. The downloads are set up for playback on Mac and PC computers, tablets, and smartphones. The tracks are also available on a CD/CD-ROM set.
West African drum music, Balinese gamelan, and Indian tala are oral traditions, and the new downloadable files make it very convenient to integrate the tradition of learning by ear into the rhythm studies. The material is presented in two complimentary formats: audio guide tracks and MIDI groove tracks, which are also available separately as downloads.

The Audio Guide Tracks

Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Audio Guide Tracks is a set of 115 audio guide tracks of the exercises in Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities that help facilitate correct practice habits. The download version is divided into three zipped folders of MP3 files. Volume I covers the exercises in Chapter 1, West Africa, and Chapter 2, Bali. Volume II A covers the South Indian exercises in Chapter 3, India. Volume II B covers the North Indian exercises in Chapter 3, India, and Chapter 4, Future Possibilities. Two printable .pdf booklets are included: the A.T.F.P Audio Guide Tracks CD Booklet, a wrap around CD booklet with instructions for burning CDs if desired, and the A.T.F.P Audio Guide Track List, which includes the names, durations, tempo settings, and book page numbers for all 115 audio guide tracks.

The MIDI Groove Tracks

Ancient Rhythms – Future Grooves: MIDI Percussion Groove Tracks from the Traditions of Africa, Bali, and India is a complete set of 128 MIDI tracks that playback in Standard MIDI File compatible web browsers. For greater control or for use as rhythm tracks in audio productions, load them into a MIDI sequencer app (Mac, PC, iOS, Android, etc.) to loop tracks, change the tempo, or listen to individual parts. The files come arranged for General MIDI percussion and can be remapped to other instruments using the included MIDI maps with explanations of the sounds of West African drums, Balinese gamelan, South Indian mridangam, and North Indian tabla. A full set of tabla samples is included along with supporting files for using them with VSTi instruments (PC) and GarageBand (Mac).

The Eve Orchestra of West Africa

The Eve people of the island town of Anyako off the coast of Southeastern Ghana have developed a music rich in polyrhythmic interplay, such as in the drum music of takada, a dance and drumming club developed by the Eve women. The instruments of their percussion orchestra are detailed in the West African section of Ancient Rhythms – Future Grooves. The exercises are arranged for General MIDI agogo, bongo, conga and maracas. MIDI maps of the Eve instruments are included for those who want to experiment with different drum sounds.

The Interlocking Rhythms of Balinese Gamelan

A gamelan is an ensemble normally composed primarily of percussion. In Bali, orchestras of tuned gongs, bronze kettles, bronze metallophones, bamboo xylophones, drums, cymbals, and flutes fill the night air with animated music. Melodic parts interlock, divided in such a way that musicians play alternate notes to form the melody line. These interlocking parts, known as kotèkan, require cooperation and a keen sense of rhythm to perform. The Balinese section of Ancient Rhythms – Future Grooves details the music and instruments of the Gamelan Semar Pegulingan and other ensembles.

The Rhythmic Cycles of India

The perception of the cyclic nature of life is reflected in Indian classical music through the device of tala, a recurring time-measure or rhythmic cycle. There are two different traditions in Indian classical music, the Carnatic music of South India and the Hindustani music of North India.
The tabla is a North Indian drum set comprised of two drums with goat-skin heads. For every sound on the drum there is a corresponding syllable. These syllables are known as bols. Each North Indian tala has a theka, a standard set of bols that identify the rhythmic cycle. The MIDI files of these thekas are arranged for General MIDI conga and bongo, and make excellent groove tracks for creating compositions or practicing. The North Indian section of Ancient Rhythms – Future Grooves features a full explanation of the tabla bols complete with audio links to tabla samples of each bol, and files for VSTi instruments and GarageBand that remap the MIDI files to the included tabla samples.
The mridangam is a South Indian two-headed barrel drum made of jackwood with goatskin heads. South Indian drumming has a language all of its own known as solkattu. For the sounds produced by the mridangam, there are corresponding syllables known as konokol. The South Indian section of Ancient Rhythms – Future Grooves features an explanation of the konokol syllables used in the solkattu compositions that are presented. The South Indian rhythm exercises have been arranged for General MIDI conga and bongo. Instructions and sequencer files are included to help in remapping the MIDI files to tabla or mridangam samples.

The Author

Scalloped fretboard guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort has devoted his life to cross-cultural music through his role as the leader of the world music group Ancient Future. He spent years of study with some of the world's best musicians, such as gamelan director K.R.T. Wasitodipuro, North Indian sarod master Ali Akbar Khan, and vina master K.S. Subramanian, with whom he did an intensive study of South Indian note-bending techniques. He has recorded with legendary world music figures ranging from Bolivian panpipe master Gonzalo Vargas to tabla maestros Swapan Chaudhuri and Zakir Hussain, and performed concerts worldwide, from the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra on the golden coast of Spain to the Festival of India in Mumbai. He has taught masterclasses at prestigious universities, schools, camps, museums, and resorts, and has over four decades of teaching experience, including two on the faculty of Blue Bear School of Music in San Francisco. He is recognized as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists by DigitalDreamDoor.com, a curated "best of" site, along with such luminaries as Michael Hedges, Leo Kottke, Merle Travis, John Renbourn, Tommy Emmanuel, and Alex De Grassi. He was interviewed in the December 2009 Les Paul issue of Guitar Player Magazine about the scalloped fretboard guitar and the application of the rules of Indian raga to the music of Jimi Hendrix as exemplified by "Purple Raga" from his debut solo recording, Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar.

The Workshops and Skype Lessons

Matthew Montfort offers instruction based on Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities through online lessons via Skype and rhythm workshops at conservatories, public schools, and resorts.

The Quotes

"You can view this deceptively slim masterwork from a few different angles: as a friendly yet serious appetizer on three of the most sophisticated rhythm systems on earth; a chance to work on your rhythmic sight reading; a three-culture dip with matching mp3s for your ears; a gateway to exotic spices, complete with MIDI files, for your songwriting or drumming; or a fun way to organically digest complex time signatures. No matter how you slice it, this scholarly labor of love is packed with rich flavors for those patient enough to harvest them." – E.E. Bradman, Bass Player Magazine

"You've heard Afro-Pop, sitar, gamelan and world music for years. But do you know what they are and how they work? Better yet, would you like to play those twisted cross-rhythms and melodies? In Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities, Matthew Montfort, a founding member of the world music band Ancient Future, has put together the book for people who want to dig into world music with both hands. The first section of the book covers traditional music of West Africa, Bali and India with theories and exercises. Wherever possible, Montfort has provided beat counts alongside the standard musical notation so even if you can't read music, you can still learn the rhythms. The last section of the book mixes patterns from different cultures, demonstrating the powerful music these simple exercises can generate." – Richard Kadrey, San Francisco Chronicle

"A hands-on exploration of Balinese, African, and Indian rhythms that should appeal to all musicians. One needn't play percussion instruments, or any instruments at all, for that matter, to use and benefit from the book." – Drums and Drumming 

"A very practical manual. There is enough material to keep interested musicians busy for years. Montfort has done a great service for western musicians interested in world music. A pleasure to work with." – Option

"Very highly recommended for any instrumentalists hoping to expand their rhythmic horizons. If you've never investigated the beautiful clash of African polyrhythm, the incredible interlocking textures of Balinese music, or the complex metric structure of Indian classical music, check out Ancient Traditions – it will blow your mind and deepen your groove." – Guitar Player

"If you're tired of programming your drum machine with the same old 4/4 back-beat, or you want to sharpen your rhythmic chops, this book is highly recommended." – Electronic Musician

"An excellent book for use in percussion technique sessions or other classroom situations. The descriptive material is lucidly written and is aimed at a novice." – Percussive Notes 

"Not just a book about world music, but a guide book on how to create it. Sections include styles of Northern and Southern India, West Africa and Balinese gamelan. In the 'Future Possibilities' section, you see how to combine styles into something new, weird and beautiful." – Covert Culture Sourcebook

"Offers a series of enjoyable exercises based on authentic rhythms and mnemonic found in the featured cultures. Appropriate for grade 3+ though adult expert, all can be performed using hands, voice, body or desks, cans, etc. or traditional instruments." – World Music at West Music

The Performers

Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities has been used and admired by many teachers and musicians around the world.

Lou Harrison (1917-2003), prominent composer and founder of the American gamelan movement, called the work "a very useful contribution to musical scholarship."

Reinhard Flatischler, founder of the TaKeTiNa rhythm training process, was an early enthusiast of the method book.

John Bergamo (1940-2013), composer and coordinator of the percussion department at the California Institute of the Arts, found a copy of Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities when he cleaned out his desk at retirement. As he finally had the time available, he worked his way through it, after which he called the author to thank him for writing it, and encouraged him to write more world music training manuals. One is in the works.

Steve Smith, stellar jazz and rock drummer of Journey fame, went through the book in preparation for a percussion summit with tabla master Zakir Hussain.
Start your own journey to musical excellence with Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities!

The Promotion

Review and exam copies of the Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Audio Guide and MIDI Groove Tracks are available as downloads to media outlets and music schools. Send requests to info@ancient-future.com.

The promotion campaign includes rhythm workshops at conservatories, public schools, and resorts; videos at www.youtube.com/ancientfuture; interviews and reviews in major newspapers, magazines, web sites, and on radio; and free introductory rhythm lessons online at Ancient-Future.Com, a high traffic world music education site.

The Retail and Wholesale Outlets

Available online at www.ancient-future.com, and wholesale to retail outlets and music schools from:
Ancient-Future.Com Books and Records, P.O. Box 264, Kentfield CA 94914-0264.
Email: info@ancient-future.com. Tel: 415-459-1892.

Ancient-Future.Com Recording Artists Perform at the San Francisco International Arts Festival

The 2017 San Francisco International Arts Festival features three performances showcasing Ancient-Future.Com Recording Artists. Ancient Future performs a Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi June 1 at 8 PM at the Fort Mason Chapel. Mariah Parker brings her Indo Latin Chamber Jazz Sextet June 3 at 6 PM to Gallery 308. Scalloped fretboard guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort, master Italian guitarist Giacomo Fiore, and German fingerstyle guitarist extraordinaire Teja Gerken hold a Global Guitar Summit June 4 at 3 PM at the Fort Mason Chapel.

June 1, 8 PM, Fort Mason Chapel:

Ancient Future Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi

Shown: Pandit Habib Khan, Matthew Montfort

Featuring Pandit Habib Khan (Sitar), Matthew Montfort (Guitar), and Ferhan Qureshi (Tabla)

Jugalbandi is a classical North Indian musical duet (meaning literally "tied together"). The guitar is not often used in the music of India. However, Matthew Montfort has studied sitar and is a pioneer of the scalloped fretboard guitar, an instrument combining qualities of the South Indian vina and the steel string guitar. This jugalbandi works well because Matthew Montfort is a guitarist with knowledge of sitar, and Pandit Habib Khan has been described as the "Jimi Hendrix of the sitar" by L'Orient le Jour, Beirut's French language newspaper. They will be accompanied by tabla master Ferhan Qureshi.

Ancient Future is the first and longest running musical organization dedicated exclusively to the mission of creating world fusion music. The term was coined by bandleader Matthew Montfort in 1978 to describe Ancient Future’s unusual blend of musical traditions from around the world. Billboard calls the group "trendsetters" for their early contributions to the movement, which seeks to show how people from different cultures can grow by learning from each other.
Thursday, June 1, 2017, 8 PM
San Francisco International Arts Festival
Fort Mason Chapel
San Francisco, CA 94109
Adm.: $25 gen., $12.50 under 18. Students with ID and seniors, $4 off cover price. Festival Pass (5 shows for $70).
Box office: 415-345-7575. Buy Tix.
Event page. Facebook artist page. Facebook event page. Full press release.

Poster (pdf)

Concert Review

"Their concert was billed as a guitar-sitar ‘jugalbandi’ concert – a blend of classical Eastern and Western music featuring Montfort on guitar and Pandit Habib Kahn on sitar, with guests on dulcimer and percussion – and was simply an outstanding presentation. What made the 'jugalbandi' concert so special was the fact that guitar is seldom featured in Indian classic music – yet Montfort is a pioneer of such and uses the scalloped fretboard guitar to bring out the best in Indian sounds. His background as a student of the notoriously-difficult sitar lends to translations which shine on guitar; and by having a blend of sitar and rare guitar interactions, the concert became an extraordinary presentation indeed, spiced by the intimacy of stage which felt nearly small and close enough to be a living room. Ancient Future’s focus on world fusion music has always produced extraordinary artist interactions and results; but this concert was an exceptional meld of East and West and offered up unique fingerings, approaches and collaborative efforts. It also held the unique ability to reach out not only to audience members already versed in Indian classic music, but to newcomers to the genre. It’s not to be missed." — WorldDiscoveries.net

Video

Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi version of 'Dawn of Love' by Matthew Montfort (229k YouTube views)

June 3, 6 PM, Gallery 308, Fort Mason:

Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Chamber Jazz Sextet

Shown: Mariah Parker, Matthew Montfort, Paul McCandless, Ian Dogole, Sascha Jacobsen, Jim Hurley

Featuring Mariah Parker (piano, santur), Paul McCandless (woodwinds), Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Jim Hurley (violin), Sascha Jacobsen (bass) and Ian Dogole (percussion)

Pianist Mariah Parker has just released her second recording of original compositions, Indo Latin Jazz Live In Concert, on Ancient-Future.Com Records. For this concert, Mariah adds chamber music to her mix. Her all-star Indo Latin Chamber Jazz Sextet features Grammy winner Paul McCandless on woodwinds and chamber bassist Sascha Jacobsen along with guitarist Matthew Montfort, violinist Jim Hurley, and percussionist Ian Dogole from the world music group Ancient Future.
According to Latin Beat Magazine, "Parker and friends blend the rhythmic syncopations of Latin jazz music with the entrancing, asymmetrical meters of East Indian rhythms resulting in first-class world music." This chamber variation of the ensemble with its emphasis on strings will explore new compositions as well as rearrangements of existing work.

Shown: Mariah Parker
Saturday, June 3, 2017, 6 PM
San Francisco International Arts Festival
Gallery 308, Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94109
Adm.: $25 gen., $12.50 under 18. $30 reserved table, $35 reserved front table. Students with ID and seniors, $4 off cover price. Festival Pass, 5 shows for $70.
Box office: 415-345-7575. Buy Tix.
Event page. Facebook artist page. Facebook event page. Full press release.

Poster (pdf)

Video

Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble performs 'Sol de Barcelona'

June 4, 3 PM, Fort Mason Chapel:

Global Guitar Summit

Shown: Matthew Montfort, Giacomo Fiore, Teja Gerken

Featuring Matthew Montfort, Giacomo Fiore, and Teja Gerken

This Global Guitar Summit presents three international acoustic guitar virtuosos who will perform solo and ensemble pieces. The summit features American scalloped fretboard guitar and world fusion music pioneer Matthew Montfort, master Italian guitarist and musicologist Giacomo Fiore, and German fingerstyle guitarist extraordinaire Teja Gerken. The music performed will include new arrangements of classical works, Celtic music, Indian classical, contemporary compositions, popular songs, and much more.
Sunday, June 4, 2017, 3 PM
San Francisco International Arts Festival
Fort Mason Chapel
San Francisco, CA 94109
Adm.: $25 gen., $12.50 under 18. Students with ID and seniors, $4 off cover price. Festival Pass, 5 shows for $70.
Box office: 415-345-7575. Buy Tix.
Event page. Facebook artist page. Facebook event page. Full press release.


Poster (pdf)

Videos

Matthew Montfort performs 'Soul Serenade' at Ancient Future's 30th Anniversary Concert.

Giacomo Fiore performs 'Sarabande pour Guitare' by Francis Poulenc.

Teja Gerken performs '1948' live.

Bios

Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar)

Performing June 1 with Ancient Future, June 3 with Mariah Parker, & June 4 at the Global Guitar Summit
Matthew Montfort is a pioneer of the scalloped fretboard guitar, an instrument with a modified fretboard in which the wood between frets has been carved out in order to facilitate intricate note-bending ornaments. The leader of the world music group Ancient Future, he is recognized as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists by DigitalDreamDoor.com for his work expanding the boundaries of guitar playing through the study of the world's great music traditions. For example, in 1979 Montfort immersed himself in an intensive study with vina master K.S. Subramanian in order to fully apply the South Indian gamaka (note-bending) techniques to the scalloped fretboard guitar. He has performed worldwide, from the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra in Spain to the Festival of India in Mumbai, and live on national radio and TV shows such as the Echoes Living Room Concerts on PRI and the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. He has worked with many world music legends, including tabla phenomenon Zakir Hussain and Chinese zither master Zhao Hui. Montfort wrote the book Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali, and India, which has been used by many musicians to improve their rhythm skills.
These will be the first San Francisco performances on Montfort's new custom Martin guitar. C.F. Martin's Dick Boak, who has been involved in the conception of more than one hundred and forty signature guitar collaborations with the top musical talents of our time, worked with Montfort to help design the instrument, which features a large sound hole to add volume, an extra upper bout sound hole so that Montfort can hear the guitar better, a cutaway with extra frets protruding into the sound hole to accommodate his extended playing range, and a short scale yet wide neck to allow for greater string bending capability. Master luthier Alan Perlman scalloped the fretboard and added finishing touches to complete this amazing instrument in 2016.
"Because Montfort’s guitar has a scalloped fretboard, his fingers touch only the strings, enabling him to produce ornaments more characteristic of the sitar. This album reveals a thorough knowledge of Hindustani microtonal ornaments, transferred in ways that create one of the most distinctive guitar sounds in contemporary music. However, it also reveals a lifetime of exploration in world music, which can be immediately summoned in a flash of inspiration. When this level of mastery is reached, there is no need to rewrite. The first improvisation has the depth of a reworked composition." – Teed Rockwell, INDIA CURRENTS, March 2009

Pandit Habib Khan (sitar)

Performing June 1 with Ancient Future
Pandit Habib Khan is regarded as one of the best sitar players in the country today. He was born into a family of musicians and can trace his lineage back several generations to when classical music enjoyed the patronage of the nobility and royalty of India. He began his training at the tender age of five under the strict eye of his accomplished father, Ustad Hameed Jaffer Khan. The Jaffer Khan family was from Indore and were well known for their unique style of playing the sitar, melding the effect of the human voice and the instrumental tone into a harmonious whole. Habib Khan has carved out a distinct style of his own which is a blend of his father's traditional techniques and his own imaginative inventions. He is as much at ease with light classical and religious music as he is with pure classical renderings of ragas.

Ferhan Qureshi (tabla)

Performing June 1 with Ancient Future
Ferhan Najeeb Qureshi is a senior disciple of the legendary tabla master Ustad Tari Khan. Prior to his ongoing training with Ustad Tari Khan, Ferhan took his initial lessons in Hindustani (North Indian classical) music theory and practice with Surinder Singh Mann. Ferhan studies the Punjab gharana (school) of classical tabla which both of his teachers represent. In addition to performing tabla lehara (tabla solo), Ferhan Qureshi has also accompanied numerous distinguished classical artists (vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers) both in the United States and in Pakistan.

Mariah Parker (composition, piano, santur)

Performing June 3 with Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Chamber Jazz Sextet

Mariah Parker has been playing music from the time she could reach the keys on the grand piano in her family home. While completing her degree in music at UC Santa Cruz, she worked with ethnomusicologist Fred Lieberman and drummer Mickey Hart on the “Planet Drum” project and became fascinated with the possibilities of bridging musical concepts from different traditions. She has performed her original compositions in festivals in the US and Europe. A gifted composer and band leader, she released her first solo recording of her compositions, “Sangria,” in February of 2009. This release received extensive airplay and critical acclaim worldwide.
“Dazzling…. Parker’s subtle and sensuous sounds reflect exotic flavors of India, the Middle East and Latin America.” — Palo Alto Daily News

Paul McCandless (woodwinds)

Performing June 3 with Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Chamber Jazz Sextet

Grammy Award winner and world renowned jazz superstar, Paul McCandless has brought a soaring lyricism to his playing and composing that has been integral to the ensemble sound of two seminal world jazz bands – the original Paul Winter Consort and the relentlessly innovative quartet, Oregon. A gifted multi-instrumentalist and composer, McCandless has specialized in an unusually broad palette of both single and double reed instruments that reflect his grounding in both classical and jazz disciplines. As a collaborator and solo artist, he has performed on more than 200 albums and appeared with such renowned all-star musicians as Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Wynton Marsalis, Lyle Mays, and Mark Isham.

Jim Hurley (violin)

Performing June 3 with Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Chamber Jazz Sextet

Influenced profoundly by South Indian violinist L. Shankar, Jim Hurley incorporates styles from bebop to zydeco, European classical to Zairean soukous. He has been musical director and composer for several theater productions, including an entire score in the Balinese gamelan style. His compositions have received widespread acclaim and extensive airplay. Live TV appearances include Saturday Night Live (with Queen Ida) and CNN's Showbiz Tonight (with Dan Hicks). He has toured Europe and Japan and performed at numerous major music festivals, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and the Monterey Jazz Festival.

Sascha Jacobsen (acoustic bass)

Performing June 3 with Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Chamber Jazz Sextet

In addition to leading his own group, the Modern Art Quintet, which plays his original works, Sascha Jacobsen has performed with Rita Moreno, Hugh Jackman, Martin Short, Bonnie Raitt, Randy Newman among others. He has served on the faculty at Humboldt State University, Laney College, Golden Gate Bass Camp, and the Sequoia Chamber Music Festival. Sascha is in demand as a performer, composer, and arranger with commissions from the San Francisco Arts Council, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, San Jose Dance, San Jose Youth Symphony and SF Friends of Chamber Music.

Ian Dogole (global percussion)

Performing June 3 with Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Chamber Jazz Sextet

For nearly 30 years, Ian Dogole has articulated his vision of Global Fusion Music as a multipercussionist, bandleader, educator, recording artist, composer and producer. He has released seven recordings as a band leader, and has recorded and performed with artists such as Hamza el Din, Tito La Rosa, and Alex DeGrassi. His instrumental array includes drums and melodic instruments from Africa, South America, the Middle East and Asia. He has received numerous grants, including a Jazz Performance Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and multiple grants from the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music.

Giacomo Fiore (guitar)

Performing June 4 at the Global Guitar Summit
Giacomo Fiore is an Italian guitarist and musicologist who has performed across the United States, Brazil, Canada, and Europe, giving world and U.S. premieres of classical, just intonation, and electric guitar works by Larry Polansky, Ron Nagorcka, Kenji Oh, Garry Eister, Agustin Castilla-Avila, and many others. He has appeared at the Sarzana, Healdsburg, Sierra Nevada, Santa Barbara, and Cervo Guitar Festivals, released several solo recordings, and published articles in Classical Guitar and Ukulele magazines. Currently he teaches at USF, the SF Conservatory, and UCSC, and is a member of the new music ensemble Wild Rumpus.
"Scenes from Nek Chand ... was given an inspired performance by Fiore, who brought appropriate character to each movement: sensitive introspection for 'Leaning Lady,' mercurial dancelike energy for 'Rock Garden,' and an admirable flexibility for 'Sinuous Arcade With Swings in the Arches.'" – SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE

Teja Gerken (guitar)

Performing June 4 at the Global Guitar Summit
German-born Teja Gerken is a contemporary steel-string fingerstyle guitarist whose playing merges the styles of European guitar pioneers such as John Renbourn and Pierre Bensusan with the distinct sounds of American players such as Leo Kottkeand Micheal Hedges. Known for his original compositions, many of which employ alternate tunings, two-handed tapping, percussive effects, and other extended guitar techniques, Teja will also bring Celtic, jazz, and classical styles to the Global Guitar Summit.
"Releasing his second CD, Postcards, is San Francisco area fingerstyle guitarist Teja Gerken, who delivers solo instrumental compositions with enough surprises and innovative twists to delight aficionados of the world music and folk genres. His tunes employ physical techniques such as two-handed tapping, alternate tunings, and percussive effects, but his developed sense of melody is what will keep his CD playing in your mind long after the 'stop' button is pressed. Another impressive feature is that Gerken's playing is captured without overdubs; the intricate arrangements delivered as you might hear the artist in concert. Gerken is one of a rare breed - a guitarist's guitarist with equal appeal for the non-musicians out there. His Postcards album is highly recommended." – GUITAR9.COM

Ancient-Future.Com Records Featuring Artists Performing at SFIAF

The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings

The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2030)
The next Ancient Future record is fan funded. There is already over an hour of music in A.F.A.R available right now to supporters, with more tracks coming as money is raised for production. Two of the tracks feature both Pandit Habib Khan and Matthew Montfort.

Yearning for the Wind

Yearning for the Wind by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com AF 90352)
Yearning for the Wind is the first audio/video release in Ancient Future history, available both as a digital download and an enhanced CD that includes an HD video with 96/24 audio. Composed by Matthew Montfort, Yearning for the Wind is a poignant piece based on Rag Kalyan, an evening raga that corresponds to the Lydian mode. A duet with Indian tabla virtuoso Vishal Nagar, who is considered one of the most gifted tabla players of his generation, Yearning for the Wind is set in matta tal, a nine beat rhythmic cycle. Yearning for the Wind rose to the top of the Ethnocloud World Music Charts, earning #1 spots in both the video and audio track categories, and propelling Ancient Future to the #1 rated artist spot.

Planet Passion

Planet Passion by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2010)
"If the members of the United Nations formed a world-fusion band, it might look and sound a little something like Ancient Future’s re-issue of their seventh recording. At its best, Planet Passion strives to preserve the world’s vast musical heritage via international collaboration: the idea that one protects the old by creating something new. This is at the heart of fusion music and the heart of Ancient Future’s global aesthetics, too: a diverse, unified world without borders, a multicultural community, a new, reconstituted sonic reality." — LEO WEEKLY

Indo Latin Jazz Live in Concert

Indo Latin Jazz Live In Concert by Mariah Parker (Ancient-Future.Com AF 20142)
In 2009, Mariah Parker launched her Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble with a sold-out debut concert at Yoshi's in Oakland, California. Mariah’s new release for AncientFuture.com records, “Indo Latin Jazz Live in Concert,” captures the magic of that first performance, as well as subsequent Northern California concerts at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, the Throckmorton Theater in Mill Valley and a studio session at Bob Weir's TRI Studios in San Rafael. These multi-track live recordings were painstakingly mixed and mastered over a seven-year period by veteran Ancient Future producer Matthew Montfort.

"This is sophisticated stuff, an album of global fusion performed by a group with character, charisma and the confidence that comes across when world-class musicians at the top of their games come together and create magic in the here and now of a live performance." — Marin Independent Journal

Sangria

Sangria by Mariah Parker (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2017)
This debut recording features her original compositions that draw musical inspiration from Brazil, Cuba, Spain, and India, and includes musicians from the bands Ancient Future, Oregon, Sun Ra, and Herbie Hancock's Headhunters. Sangria received airplay on over 468 New World, Jazz and Latin jazz radio programs, and earned over 365 reviews and media placements, including two songs that ascended to the Smooth Jazz Now Top 100 Songs of 2009 chart.

Sympathetic Serenade

Sympathetic Serenade for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2012)
Matthew Montfort was added to DigitalDreamDoor's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists list partly in response to the release of this EP. When Montfort was working on his 2009 solo recording, he recorded a number of spontaneously improvised serenades. Were it not for some serendipitous sequencing coupled with the allure of alliteration, it's likely that 'Sympathetic Serenade' would have been released as the eighth improvisation on what became Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar. Instead, this evocative Spanish serenade/raga hybrid receives a mini EP treatment on Matthew Montfort's Sympathetic Serenade for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar. The nearly 11 minute long track is available as a download complete with nine pages of digital liner notes, and as a signed CD-R exclusively at Ancient-Future.Com.

Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar

Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2008)

The debut full length solo recording by Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort showcases his pioneering work on the scalloped fretboard guitar. While previously known more for his compositions for the trendsetting world music group Ancient Future, this first solo effort features his improvisational music. The recording debuted at #8 on Zone Music Reporter's Top 100 February 2009 World Radio Chart, and held the #34 spot on the Top 100 2009.

188 Word Radio Announcement

Ancient-Future.Com Records artists are featured in three different programs at the San Francisco International Arts Festival. On Thursday, June 1, at 8 PM at Fort Mason Chapel in San Francisco, the trailblazing world music group Ancient Future will perform a Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi featuring scalloped fretboard guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort and sitar master Pandit Habib Khan with tabla accompaniment by Ferhan Qureshi. On Saturday, June 3, at 6 pm at Gallery 308 in Fort Mason, composer, pianist, and santurist Mariah Parker will perform with her Indo Latin Chamber Jazz Sextet featuring Paul McCandless on woodwinds, Matthew Montfort on scalloped fretboard guitar, Sascha Jacobsen on bass, Jim Hurley on violin, and Ian Dogole on global percussion. On Sunday, June 4, at 3 PM at Fort Mason Chapel, three international acoustic guitar virtuosos will perform solo and ensemble pieces in a Global Guitar Summit featuring American scalloped fretboard guitar and world fusion music pioneer Matthew Montfort, master Italian guitarist and musicologist Giacomo Fiore, and German fingerstyle guitarist extraordinaire Teja Gerken. For more information, visit www.sfiaf.org. Admission for each show is $25 general, and $12.50 for those under the age of 18. A Festival Pass for five shows is $70.

Ancient Future Times: The Early Bird Gets the Tix

Ancient Future Times: The Early Bird Gets the Tix Half Price
March 2017 Issue:

San Francisco International Arts Festival Early Bird Tickets Half Price!
•Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi, June 1; Mariah Parker, June 3; Global Guitar Summit, June 4
Gyani Indo-Jazz Ensemble In Concert March 28
•World Music Series at Capistrano Concert Hall, CSU Sacramento
'Indo Latin Jazz Live In Concert' by Mariah Parker
•New Release on Ancient-Future.Com Records Coming to Internet and Radio Stations Near You

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S. F. International Arts Festival Early Bird Tickets Half Price!

Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi, June 1; Mariah Parker, June 3; Global Guitar Summit, June 4

Ancient-Future.Com Records artists will perform three different concerts as part of the San Francisco International Arts Festival at Fort Mason. Half price early bird tickets are available online until March 31, so get yours now!

Ancient Future Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi, June 1, Chapel, Fort Mason

Thursday, June 1, 2017, 8 PM, Ancient Future Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Pandit Habib Khan (sitar), and Ferhan Najeeb Qureshi (tabla), San Francisco International Arts Festival, Fort Mason Chapel, Upper Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA 94109. Take Franklin Street from Bay Street. The Chapel is located near Park Head Quarters and the General's Residence. Admission: $25 general, $12.50 under 18. Full time students with ID and seniors, $4 off cover price. Limited early bird tickets available until March 31 from $12.50. Buy Tix. Concert Poster. Press Release.
Jugalbandi is a classical North Indian musical duet (meaning literally "tied together"). The guitar is not often used in the music of India. However, Matthew Montfort has studied sitar and is a pioneer of the scalloped fretboard guitar, an instrument combining qualities of the South Indian vina and the steel string guitar. This jugalbandi works well because Matthew Montfort is a guitarist with knowledge of sitar, and Pandit Habib Khan has been described as the “Jimi Hendrix of the sitar” by L'Orient le Jour, Beirut's French language newspaper. They will be accompanied by tabla master Ferhan Qureshi.

Mariah Parker’s Indo Latin Chamber Jazz Quintet, June 3, Gallery 308, Fort Mason

Saturday, June 3, 2017, 6 PM, Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Chamber Jazz with Mariah Parker (piano, santur), Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Ian Dogole (percussion), Sascha Jacobsen (upright bass), and Jim Hurley (violin), San Francisco International Arts Festival, Gallery 308, Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA 94109. Admission: $25 general, $12.50 under 18. Full time students with ID and seniors, $4 off cover price. Limited early bird tickets available until March 31 from $12.50. Buy Tix. Concert Poster. Press Release.
According to Latin Beat Magazine, "Parker and friends blend the rhythmic syncopations of Latin jazz music with the entrancing, asymmetrical meters of East Indian rhythms resulting in first-class world music." Paul Liberatore of the Marin Independent Journal says they "fuse Latin rhythms with influences from South America and India with a dash of straight-up American jazz… an intoxicating blend of East and West. Like all the best jazz bands, this group is as disciplined as it is innovative." This chamber variation of the ensemble with its emphasis on strings will explore new compositions as well as rearrangements of existing work.

Global Guitar Summit, June 4, Chapel, Fort Mason

Sunday, June 4, 2017, 3 PM, Global Guitar Summit with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Giacomo Fiore (classical guitar), and Teja Gerken (acoustic guitar), San Francisco International Arts Festival, Fort Mason Chapel, Upper Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA 94109. Take Franklin Street from Bay Street. The Chapel is located near Park Head Quarters and the General's Residence. Admission: $25 general, $12.50 under 18. Full time students with ID and seniors, $4 off cover price. Limited early bird tickets available until March 31 from $12.50. Buy Tix. Concert Poster. Press Release.
This Global Guitar Summit presents three international acoustic guitar virtuosos who will perform solo and ensemble pieces. The summit features American scalloped fretboard guitar and world fusion music pioneer Matthew Montfort, master Italian guitarist and musicologist Giacomo Fiore, and German fingerstyle guitarist extraordinaire Teja Gerken. The music performed will include new arrangements of classical works, Celtic music, Indian classical, contemporary compositions, popular songs, and much more.

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Gyani Indo-Jazz Ensemble In Concert March 28

World Music Series at Capistrano Concert Hall, CSU Sacramento

The Gyani Indo-Jazz Ensemble combines Indian raga, jazz, Arabic melodies, and global rhythms to make a unique brand of music blending classic Hindustani forms and cutting-edge improvisation. The California-based ensemble brings together world class musicians who share a passion for exploring and expanding the possibilities of merging Indian music with other genres. The result is stirring, stimulating, and breathtaking in its beauty.
Tuesday March, 28th, 2017, 8 PM, Gyani Indo-Jazz Ensemble featuring Pandit Binay Pathak (vocals, harmonium), Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Osam Ezzeldin (keyboards), Abbos Kosimov (percussion), and Vishal Nagar (tabla), World Music Series, Capistrano Hall, CSU Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819. Adm: $15 general, $12 senior, and $8 student (free to Sac State music students on the night of the show, subject to availability). Tickets can be purchased online or by calling (916) 278-4323.

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'Indo Latin Jazz Live In Concert' by Mariah Parker

New Release on Ancient-Future.Com Records Coming to Internet and Radio Stations Near You!

Indo Latin Jazz Live In Concert by Mariah Parker (Ancient-Future.Com AF-20142).
Indo Latin Jazz Live in Concert captures the magic of the concert debut of Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble in front of a full house at Yoshi’s in Oakland, as well as subsequent concerts at Berkeley’s Freight & Salvage, the Throckmorton Theater in Mill Valley, and Bob Weir’s TRI Studios in San Rafael.
Indo Latin Jazz Live in Concert is already on all of the major download sites and streaming sites such as Spotify and YouTube, so check it out online and then buy the CD at Ancient-Future.Com to hear it in its full glory. The add date for terrestrial radio airplay isn't until March 27, but already programmers on over 50 stations and eight countries are giving the record rave reviews. The record even debuted as the #2 World Music release on Stanford's KZSU, which played cuts from the record early to promote some local concerts!

The Streams They Are a-Changin': Be The Change You Wish to Hear with Deep Listening*

Streaming music sites do not even come close to making a sustainable financial contribution to an artist's ability to make new recordings, as payments to artists are now measured in thousandth of a cent increments. The free ad-supported streaming business model is not viable and balances its books on the backs of artists, so Ancient-Future.Com Records supports the Content Creators Coalition, which is working hard to advance the interests of musicians in the digital age. Since streaming has just overtaken digital sales of music, new artists do need to have a presence on streaming sites to be positioned for a future where artists' rights and interests are are actually considered in the equation. But we are far from that goal at present, so in the meantime please take the following steps while streaming:

1. Listening to music should be cherished actitivy. Don't waste your listening time with low-res streaming on a cell phone or computer. Turning your master volume down to homeopathic levels while streaming will allow you to appreciate later deep listening to hi-res music on a good stereo.
2. Share these WorldFusionMusicRadio.com playlists featuring Mariah Parker's music to gain greater exposure for world fusion music:
   1. World Music Connections: World fusion music and the traditional music that inspired it side by side.
   2. World Jazz: Jazz that influenced Ancient Future along with recent world jazz recordings.
   3. Women of World Music: World music inspired by the mythology of the feminine.
   4. Spanish Diaspora: A rich tapestry of music resulting from migrations into and out of Spain.
   5. Indian Guitar: Guitarists working in Indian music utilizing everything from slides to scalloped fretboards.
   6. Indian Fusion: Top artists in Indian fusion music.
   7. Shakti and Ancient Future: Musicians who have performed with John McLaughlin and Shakti or Ancient Future.
   8. Interspecies Music: Intriguing music influenced by interspecies interactions and nature, including live jams with Pacific tree frogs, elephants playing instruments, and Mariah Parker's 'Milo's Moment,' which was named by her cat Milo using refrigerator magnets!
3. Buy recordings at Ancient-Future.Com and then host a deep listening party with your friends!
   

*Apologies to Bob Dylan, Mahatma Gandhi, and Pauline Oliveros. No apologies to streaming sites.

Celebrating 38 Years of World Fusion

Ancient Future Times: Performances Celebrating 38 Years of World Fusion
February 2017 Issue:

Ancient Future Performs Live on KPFA, 94.1 FM, Feb. 9, 10 PM PST
•World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort, Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar, & Pianist/Santurist Mariah Parker
Trinity Chamber Concerts Presents Ancient Future Feb. 11, 8 PM
•38th Anniversary Show at Trinity Chapel, Berkeley
'Indo Latin Jazz Live In Concert' by Mariah Parker
•New CD Release on Ancient-Future.Com Records
Save the Dates: San Francisco International Arts Festival
•Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi, June 1; Mariah Parker, June 3; Global Guitar Summit, June 4

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Ancient Future Performs Live on KPFA, 94.1 FM, Feb. 9, 10 PM PST

World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort, Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar, & Pianist/Santurist Mariah Parker

Ancient Future will be performing LIVE on Derk Richardson's "The Hear and Now" on KPFA 94.1 FM on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 10 PM PST. Listen on your radio, or stream it live from the link below. Afterwards, it will be archived for two weeks.
https://kpfa.org/program/the-hear-and-now/

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Trinity Chamber Concerts Presents Ancient Future Feb. 11, 8 PM

38th Anniversary Show at Trinity Chapel, Berkeley

Celebrating the exact 38th anniversary of their first concert, the trailblazing world music group Ancient Future will perform as part of the Trinity Chamber Concerts Series in Berkeley on February 11, 2017.
Blending ancient world music traditions from fiery flamenco to resonant raga with the contemporary colors of jazz and rock, this variation of the world fusion music group Ancient Future features world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort, renowned Indian tabla virtuoso Vishal Nagar, and composer/pianist/santurist Mariah Parker performing new music and favorites from the band's eight ground breaking recordings.
Ancient Future is the first and longest running musical organization dedicated exclusively to the mission of creating world fusion music. The term was coined by bandleader Matthew Montfort in 1978 to describe Ancient Future’s unusual blend of musical traditions from around the world. BILLBOARD calls the group “trendsetters” for their early contributions to the movement, which seeks to show how people from different cultures can grow by learning from each other. Their first concert was February 11, 1979, at the original Sleeping Lady Cafe in Fairfax, California.
Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017, 8 PM
Trinity Chamber Concerts
Trinity Chapel
2320 Dana Street between Bancroft Way & Durant Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
Tix: $20 general, $15 senior/disabled/student. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Info and reservations: 510-778-1719 or email info@trinitychamberconcerts.com. Press Release. Facebook Event.

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'Indo Latin Jazz Live In Concert' by Mariah Parker

New Release on Ancient-Future.Com Records

Indo Latin Jazz Live In Concert by Mariah Parker (Ancient-Future.Com AF-20142).
Released Jan. 20, 2017, Indo Latin Jazz Live in Concert captures the magic of the concert debut of Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble in front of a full house at Yoshi's in Oakland, as well as subsequent concerts at Berkeley's Freight & Salvage, the Throckmorton Theater in Mill Valley, and Bob Weir's TRI Studios in San Rafael.
"A collection of smartly imagined original tunes that touch on range of cultural influences. You'd expect nothing less from a cast a master musicians whose credits range from Wynton Marsalis to Sun Ra to Bolivian pan flute maestro Gonzalo Vargas. The cultural mix changes from song to song and often within the song. Reeds master Paul McCandless starts the opening track, 'Affinity Minus One,' with a passage that lightly but firmly references Indian classical music before shifting into a more Coltrane-y mood later in the song. Guitarist Matthew Montfort similarly does a brilliant sitar imitation at the start 'Close Passage' before dialing back to a more natural timbre. The group makes its boldest cross-cultural stand with 'Sangria,' which combines McCandless's Indian-flavored musings on oboe and bass clarinet, yet more of Montfort's sitar evocations and Rice variously suggesting flamenco and salsa with his percussive flourishes. Plus Parker playing the santur, a dulcimer of Persian origins. On paper, it looks like a recipe for disaster, but the musicians pull it off with aplomb. So who cares if the zeitgeist is turning to xenophobia and isolationism—viva multiculturalism!" – David Becker, AllAboutJazz.Com

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Save the Dates: San Francisco International Arts Festival

Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi, June 1; Mariah Parker, June 3; Global Guitar Summit, June 4

Ancient-Future.Com Records artists will perform three different concerts as part of the San Francisco International Arts Festival at Fort Mason. Save the dates for these three unusual performances!

Ancient Future Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi, June 1, 7:30 PM, Chapel

Jugalbandi is a classical North Indian musical duet (meaning literally "tied together"). The guitar is not often used in the music of India. However, Matthew Montfort has studied sitar and is a pioneer of the scalloped fretboard guitar, an instrument combining qualities of the South Indian vina and the steel string guitar. This jugalbandi works well because Matthew Montfort is a guitarist with knowledge of sitar, and Pandit Habib Khan has been described as the “Jimi Hendrix of the sitar” by L'Orient le Jour, Beirut's French language newspaper. They will be accompanied by tabla master Ferhan Qureshi.

Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Chamber Jazz Quintet, June 3, 6 PM, Gallery 308

According to Latin Beat Magazine, "Parker and friends blend the rhythmic syncopations of Latin jazz music with the entrancing, asymmetrical meters of East Indian rhythms resulting in first-class world music." Paul Liberatore of the Marin Independent Journal says they "fuse Latin rhythms with influences from South America and India with a dash of straight-up American jazz… an intoxicating blend of East and West. Like all the best jazz bands, this group is as disciplined as it is innovative."  This chamber variation of the ensemble with its emphasis on strings will explore new compositions as well as rearrangements of existing work.

Global Guitar Summit, June 4, 3 PM, Chapel

This Global Guitar Summit presents three international acoustic guitar virtuosos who will perform solo and ensemble pieces. The summit features American scalloped fretboard guitar and world fusion music pioneer Matthew Montfort, master Italian guitarist and musicologist Giacomo Fiore, and German fingerstyle guitarist extraordinaire Teja Gerken. The music performed will include new arrangements of classical works, Celtic music, Indian classical, contemporary compositions, popular songs, and much more.