Ancient Future Performs at Throckmorton Theatre July 28, 2018

Ancient Future Performs at Throckmorton Theatre

Hi-Res Photo (300 dpi, 5.7 x 3.8, 1.2 MB) by Alan Tower.
Shown: Georges Lammam, Matthew Montfort, Antoine Lammam, and Doug McKeehan

Featuring Matthew Montfort (Scalloped Fretboard Guitar), Georges Lammam (Arabic Violin), Antoine Lammam (Arabic Percussion), and Doug McKeehan (Keyboards)

This program by the pioneering world music group Ancient Future blends the rhythms and harmonies of the Arabian Peninsula with contemporary jazz and rock, producing an irresistible and exhilarating fusion that captures the essence of pilgrimage, cultural exchange, exploration and migration. These multifaceted artists create an innovative musical experience that guides listeners on a hypnotic voyage through time and place.
Ancient Future's performance features world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort, Arabic violin virtuoso Georges Lammam, Arabic percussion master Antoine Lammam, and keyboardist extraordinaire Doug McKeehan.
The concert will include music from Ancient Future's broad repertoire including music from the band's major label releases such as World Without Walls (voted in the top 5 world music picks by broadcasters worldwide upon its 2012 reissue on Capitol Records) and current releases on Ancient-Future.Com Records such as Planet Passion and the Archive of Future Ancient 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.
Saturday, July 28, 8 PM
Throckmorton Theatre
142 Throckmorton Avenue
Mill Valley, CA 94941
Doors open at 7:30 PM
Adm: $20 adv, $25 at door, $35 reserved seating
Tix: tickets.throckmortontheatre.org
Tix Tiny URL: http://tinyurl.com/y9sr52ft
Event: throckmortontheatre.org/event/ancient-future/
Info: 415-383-9600
Facebook Event

Poster to Share or Print and Post

Concert Poster (259k pdf)

Concert Review

"Woe, is for all of you who missed the Ancient Future event sponsored by Rhythm & Bliss. The group Ancient Future is made up of Musical Masters in their genres. The band consists of 24 musicians that come together in different configurations and create fused music. This configuration was an Arabic/Rock fusion. I have no words to describe what it is to hear live musical virtuosos. After hearing and dancing to this quality of music nothing else stirs my soul the same way. It was truly a grand evening. I was so very glad to have been there." – Mary Wheeler, The Harrakat, Eugene, Oregon

Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard and fretless guitars)

Hi-Res Photo (300 dpi, 5 x 3) by Michael Braden of Matthew Montfort Recording A.F.A.R.

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.

Georges Lammam (Arabic violin and vocals)

Georges Lammam, of Palestinian descent, was born in Beirut, Lebanon. He is a solo violinist exemplifying the Arab style of instrumental improvisation. Mr. Lammam toured in Bolivia with renowned artists Eddie and Gabriel Navia, and joined stellar performers hosted by JoinedHands (USA NP), organized by Marcus Lovett (Phantom of the Opera), to support refugee families and humanitarians in the refugee camp in Chalkida, Greece, hosting thousands of people from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. His compositions and performance excerpts are included in scores for two award-winning documentaries:  Occupation 101 and Tea on the Axis of Evil, and he recorded a well-known folkloric dabke (an Arab folk dance) in a 2016 feature film, Wrestling Jerusalem by Aaron Davidman. His newest CD, Opus Omnia, was released in 2017.

Doug McKeehan (piano, synthesizers)

Doug McKeehan started his piano studies at age five, and began his first professional work at the age of twelve. He studied music at the Oberlin Conservatory, Kent State University, and the University of Otago (New Zealand). He has toured Europe twice and spent considerable time in India studying with notable Indian music teachers such as Pandit Ram Narayan, Ustad Kursheed Khan and Pandit A.G. Bhattacharya. He has composed original music for stage and T.V. productions in San Francisco and Los Angeles and has been musical director of two original musical comedy productions. He cofounded Air Craft with violinist Bruce Bowers, which released a highly acclaimed new age/jazz album, So Near, So Far (Catero CAT-019). He is a first call jazz pianist in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Antoine Lammam (Arabic percussion)

Photo of Antoine Lammam and Matthew Montfort at the Petaluma Library
Antoine Lammam was born in Beirut, Lebanon. His musical career started at the age of 8 after he was given his first drum, an Egyptian tabla. At the age of 14, his family moved to United Arab Emirates, running away from the war in Lebanon. He was encouraged to master his craft and studied under Khaliji conga master Jumah Ibrahim and Syrian bongo 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 Khaliji 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 and recording with various famous artists of that time. Antoine has 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. He 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.

Video

'El Zaffa' by Ancient Future

'El Zaffa' YouTube Video URL: https://youtu.be/mHle2ipjQsU
Ancient Future performs 'El Zaffa' from their Planet Passion recording. The composition is based on the Egyptian wedding march rhythm elzaffa and features Matthew Montfort (composer, scalloped fretboard guitar), Georges Lammam (Arabic violin), Salaheddin Takesh (Arabic percussion), Doug McKeehan (keyboards), and Sapphira (belly dance). It reached #1 Middle Eastern on Ethnocloud.com in July 2014. In memory of and thanks to Brilla and Gordy Hall at Gordyo Video.

Relevant Recordings on Ancient-Future.Com Records

The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings by Ancient Future

Hi-Res Cover Art (300 dpi, 5 x 5)
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.

Planet Passion by Ancient Future

Hi-Res Cover Art (300 dpi, 5 x 5)

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

Hi-Res Cover Art (300 dpi, 5 x 5)

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

81 Word Radio Announcement for Ancient Future at Throckmorton Theatre

The trailblazing world music group Ancient Future will perform as a quartet featuring world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort, Arabic violin virtuoso Georges Lammam, Arabic percussion master Antoine Lammam, and keyboardist extraordinaire Doug McKeehan on Saturday, July 28, at 8 PM, at the Throckmorton Theatre, located at 142 Throckmorton Ave. in Mill Valley, California. For further information, call 415-383-9600 or visit throckmortontheatre.org. Admission is $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and $35 for reserved seating. Advance tix are available at tickets.throckmortontheatre.org.

###

Ancient Future Performs at Watermelon Music in Davis April 28, 2018

Ancient Future Duet at Watermelon Music in Davis

Hi-Res Photo (300 dpi, 8.75 x 3) of Matthew Montfort and Abbos Kosimov

Featuring World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort with Uzbek Percussion Virtuoso Abbos Kosimov

One of the variations of the trailblazing world fusion music ensemble, Ancient Future, this duet features world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort accompanied by Uzbek percussion virtuoso Abbos Kosimov. This improvisatory program focuses on the world music traditions of Central Asia, India, and Europe, renditions of music from Ancient Future's ground breaking world music recordings, and new unreleased works!
Saturday, April 28, 8 PM
Ancient Future Duet
Featuring Matthew Montfort (Scalloped Fretboard Guitar) and Abbos Kosimov (Uzbek Percussion)
Watermelon Music
1970 Lake Blvd, Suite #1
Davis CA 95616
Adm: $15. Tix at watermelonmusic.com. Info: Call 530-758-4010 or email info@watermelonmusic.com. Doors open at 7:30 PM.
Facebook Event.

Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard and fretless guitars)

Hi-Res Photo (300 dpi, 5 x 3) by Michael Braden of Matthew Montfort Recording A.F.A.R.

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.

Abbos Kosimov (Uzbek percussion)

Hi-Res Photo (300 dpi, 6.2 x 10) of Abbos Kosimov
International phenomenon Abbos Kosimov is a master of the doyra (a frame drum with metal rings) and an ambassador of Uzbek culture. Abbos is known for taking the doyra to unprecedented new heights. He developed finger tapping techniques inspired by North Indian tabla masters, adding new dimensions to the instrument's sonic capabilities. Abbos also plays qayroqs, darbuka, dof, and riqq.
Abbos was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to a highly musical family. His father played santoor (hammered dulcimer) and his brother played ney (flute). He began studying doyra at age ten, beginning with his brother Umar Kosimov and father Rakhmat Kosimov. His brother soon introduced him to the honored Uzbek doyra artist Tuychi Inogomov. He also attended the doyra school of the famous doyra musicians Brothers Islamovs. In 1988, Abbos graduated from the College of Culture and Music under dorya master Mamurjon Vahbov. Following graduation, Abbos completed his higher education at the Tashkent State Institute of Culture in 1994, and established his own Abbos school where he taught the most talented youth of his country to play doyra. In honor of the 10th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s Independence, Abbos was awarded with a medal and given the illustrious title of Honored Artists of Uzbekistan by the president of Uzbekistan in 2001.
From 2001 to 2005, Abbos participated in numerous international festivals, concerts and university workshops in the United States, Canada, England, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, The United Emirates, Austria, Italy, Japan, Germany, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Greece, Bangkok, Taiwan, Australia, India, Malaysia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. In 2005, Abbos moved to the United States, leading to performances with artists such as Randy Gloss, Austin Wrinkle, Houman Pourmehdi, Andrew Grueschow, Adam Rudolph, Zakir Hussain, Giovanni Hidalgo, Terry Bozzio, Swapan Chaudhuri, Alim Qasimov, Kronos Quartet, Homayun Sakhi Trio, Voices of Afghanistan, and Omar Sosa. He recorded with R&B singer Steve Wonder for his 2006 CD Time to Love. In 2008, Abbos was a guest performer on one of Ustad Zakir Hussain’s Masters of Percussion tours in the US, later becoming a full member of the project.
Abbos released his solo album, Infinite Rhythm, in July 2012. That same year, Abbos met Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort when they were both hired to perform with renowned Indian singer Pandit Binay Pathak. Abbos has since recorded tracks for Ancient Future's fan funded recording project, The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings.

Video

Yearning for the Wind from A.F.A.R.

Yearning for the Wind YouTube Video URL: http://youtu.be/zurMLOP68K0
Recorded in December 2013, this evocative piece was produced for The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, Ancient Future's ambitious ongoing recording project featuring the many master musicians from around the world who perform with the band. To finance A.F.A.R., Ancient-Future.Com Records provides financial supporters access to select files from Ancient Future's recording archives and new studio recordings as they are created. On February 11, 2014, the exact 35th anniversary of the first Ancient Future concert, Yearning for the Wind became the 10th track added to the archive. To promote The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, Earth Day of Ancient Future's 35th year performing was chosen for the digital preview release of Yearning for the Wind through iTunes and other digital retailers. The enhanced CD version, an audio CD with a CD-ROM session for computers with liner notes and an HD video with 96/24 audio, will be released at fine stores such as Ancient-Future.Com and Amazon.com starting July 22, 2014.
Within a week of its digital preview release, 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 in June, 2014.

A.F.A.R. Behind the Scenes

Recording A.F.A.R. YouTube Video URL: http://youtu.be/J5ZzrVzrXWI
Upon his return from a concert tour of India with Zakir Hussain, Uzbeki master percussionist Abbos Kosimov absolutely rocked this March 7, 2013, overdub session. The video above is a quick little snippet of the unprocessed camera audio recorded from the back of the overdub room during a sound test. Supporters of The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings get access to more exclusive behind the scenes content covering the making of A.F.A.R.!

Drums in the Air!

Drums in the Air YouTube Video URL: https://youtu.be/Yp3SUZgWhwQ
Everyone was brought to their feet for a standing ovation following this solo performance by Abbos Kosimov climaxing with his drums flying in the air.

Relevant Recordings on Ancient-Future.Com Records

The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings by Ancient Future

Hi-Res Cover Art (300 dpi, 5 x 5)
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

Hi-Res Cover Art (300 dpi, 5 x 5)
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

Hi-Res Cover Art (300 dpi, 5 x 5)

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

Hi-Res Cover Art (300 dpi, 5 x 5)

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

69 Word Radio Announcement forAncient Future at Watermelon Music in Davis

The trailblazing world music group Ancient Future will perform as a duet featuring scalloped fretboard guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort and Uzbek percussion master Abbos Kosimov on Saturday, April 28, at 8 PM, at Watermelon Music, located at 1970 Lake Blvd, Suite #1, in Davis, California. Doors open at 7:30 PM. Admission is $15. Tickets are available at Watermelon Music. For more information, visit watermelonmusic.com, call 530-758-4010, or email info@watermelonmusic.com.

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.

Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble Performs at the Freight and Salvage, Berkeley, 1/20/2013

Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble

Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Sextet (clockwise: Mariah Parker, Matthew Montfort, Paul McCandless, Kash Killion, Brian Rice, Ian Dogole). Hi-res collage by Mettagraphics (7' x 7' jpg, 3 MB)

Live Concert Recording Session and Birthday Celebration

Sunday, January 20, 2013, 8:00 PM
Freight and Salvage
2020 Addison Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Tix: $20.50 adv. at Freight Box Office and Ticketweb.com, $22.50 door (doors open at 7:00 PM)
Info: (510) 644-2020, info@freightandsalvage.org
Facebook Event. Download Poster.

Mariah Parker's multi-faceted approach to music blends the driving rhythmic syncopations of Latin jazz, the uplifting spirit of Eastern music, and the soul of flamenco. On the evening of January 20, 2013, Mariah and her world-class Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble collaborate for a live CD recording session at the Freight & Salvage, Berkeley's premier music performance space. That evening, which is Mariah's birthday, the band will present compelling new pieces Mariah composed for a live album following up on Sangria, her critically acclaimed debut release on Ancient-Future.Com Records.

The concert features Mariah Parker (composer, piano, santur) and a stellar lineup of musicians including Paul McCandless (Grammy award-winning woodwind virtuoso with the groups Oregon and Paul Winter Consort), Matthew Montfort (pioneering guitarist with Ancient Future), Ian Dogole (global percussion), Brian Rice (Latin percussion), and Kash Killion (bass, cello, bolong).

"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. Intriguing melodies that draw musical inspiration from the tempos of Brazil, Cuba, India and Spain make for an uplifting serene yet passionate musical journey into an ideal world." - LATIN BEAT MAGAZINE

"Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble packed Yoshi's in Jack London Square, and the incredible live performance had the audience screaming for more of the Indo-Latin jazz rhythms filling the celebrated jazz club." - BERKELEY DAILY PLANET

"Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble creates voodoo... when I saw them live at Kuumbwa Jazz Cafe they were purely raw and fearless." - JOHN SHELTON IVANY, TOP 21 (former editor of Hit Parader and Rock and Soul national magazines)

Ancient-Future.Com Recording Artist Mariah Parker and Her Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble

Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Sextet (from left: Mariah Parker, Fred Randolph, Matthew Montfort, Paul McCandless, Brian Rice, Ian Dogole). Hi-res photo by Ted Cohen (8 x 4 jpg, 1.6 MB)

Mariah Parker (composition, piano, santur)

Mariah Parker. Hi-res photo by Ross Pelton (5 x 7 jpg, 2.3 MB)

www.mariahparkermusic.com
Mariah Parker is a composer and multi-instrumentalist whose main instruments are santur and piano. Her first instrument was the piano which she began playing at age 5. Later in music school, she fell in love with the sound of the santur when she heard it drifting across campus. The transition was a natural one given that the santur, along with its Western offspring, the hammered dulcimer, is the ancestor of the piano. The strings of the santur are played directly with delicate hammers, creating a beautiful shimmering sound, while the strings of the piano are mechanically triggered by striking the keys.

While completing her degree in music at UC Santa Cruz, she worked with ethnomusicologist Fred Lieberman and Mickey Hart on the Planet Drum project. She has performed in the US and Europe, and worked with many musicians of note including acoustic guitar icon Alex de Grassi, composer Pauline Oliveros, the late Zimbabwean composer Dumisani Maraire, and the innovative world music group Ancient Future.


Mariah Parker with santur. Hi-res photo by Ross Pelton (5 x 4 jpg, 1.6 MB)

Matthew Montfort (Scalloped Fretboard Guitar)

Recently recognized as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists, Montfort is a pioneer of the scalloped fretboard guitar (an instrument combining qualities of the South Indian vina and the steel string guitar). The leader of the seminal world fusion music ensemble Ancient Future, Montfort's first solo guitar recording, 'Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar,' debuted at #8 on the 2009 ZMR World Radio Chart. He has performed world wide, including at the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra in Spain and the Mumbai Festival at the Gateway of India.

Paul McCandless (Reed Virtuoso)

During a distinguished career spanning three decades, Paul McCandless has brought a soaring lyricism to his playing and composing that has been integral to the ensemble sound of two seminal world music 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.

Brian Rice (Latin Percussion)

Brian Rice is a freelance percussionist with a B.M. in Percussion Performance and Ethnomusicology from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. A well-rounded musician, Brian is a highly acclaimed performer, educator and recording artist adept at numerous musical styles including Latin, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and contemporary music. Brian currently performs with several groups including Mike Marshall with Choro Famoso and the Antionio Calogero Quartet (featuring Paul McCandless and Mike Manring).

Ian Dogole (Global Percussion)

For three decades, Ian Dogole has articulated his vision of Global Fusion Music as a multi-percussionist, bandleader, educator, recording artist, composer and producer. He is a member of Ancient Future, and has recorded and performed with artists such as Hamza el Din, Tito La Rosa, and Alex de Grassi on a wide variety of percussion instruments, including udu, cajon, hang, African talking drum, kalimbas, cymbals and dumbek. Ian has received numerous grants, including a Jazz Performance Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Kash Killion (Bass, Cello, Bolong)

Kash Killion has played extensively with such icons as Cecil Taylor, John Zorn, Sun Ra, Butch Morris, and George Lewis. His interest in avant-garde jazz was ignited by Sun Ra in 1978, and further heightened by meeting and playing with Pharoah Sanders. Playing cello, bass and assorted Middle Eastern stringed instruments such as sarangi and esraj, Kash's concert history includes performances with Donald Byrd, George Cables, Billy Higgins, and Reggie Workman as well as the Sun Ra Arkestra.

Videos

www.youtube.com/mariahparker


Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble performs 'Affinity Minus One' at Yoshi's


Ancient Future performs 'Sangria' by Mariah Parker at 30th Anniversary Concert at Freight & Salvage

Sangria by Mariah Parker

Hi-res CD cover art of Sangria (3.2 MB)


Sangria by Mariah Parker (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2017). $17.98: Buy 1 Now. audio.

Mariah Parker's debut recording on Ancient-Future.Com Records, Sangria, features her original compositions that draw musical inspiration from Brazil, Cuba, Spain, and India. Her Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble accompanies her and includes musicians from the bands Ancient Future, Oregon, Sun Ra, and Herbie Hancock's Headhunters.

To date, Sangria has received airplay on over 408 New World, Jazz, and Latin radio programs including two tracks on the Smooth Jazz Now Top 100 Songs of 2009 Chart, and earned rave reviews such as the following:

"Dazzling debut.... Parker’s subtle and sensuous sounds reflect exotic flavors of India, the Middle East and Latin America." - PALO ALTO DAILY NEWS

"Spicy tantalizing flamenco melodies cross pollinate with East Indian rhythms." - MAXIMUM INK MUSIC MAGAZINE