Ancient Future 'World Without Walls' Reunion Concert at San Francisco International Arts Fest May 26

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
4/4/2019
Contact: Ancient-Future.Com Records
1-415-459-1892
info@ancient-future.com

Celebrating 40 Years of World Fusion

Ancient Future 'World Without Walls' Reunion Concert

Sepia for print (14.7" x 9.7" sepia jpg, 7.2 MB). Ancient Future circa 1990. Photo by Irene Young. Pictured: Matthew Montfort (guitars), Jim Hurley (violin), Doug McKeehan (keys), Ian Dogole (percussion).

World Jazz Featuring Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Jim Hurley (violin), Doug McKeehan (keyboards, piano), and Ian Dogole (percussion)

Sunday, May 26, 2019, 5 PM
San Francisco International Arts Festival
Gallery 308, Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94109
Tix: $25 general. $30 reserved table, $35 reserved front table, $15 youth 17 and under.
Buy Tix Link. Box office: 415-345-7575. Email: info@sfiaf.org.
Facebook Event Page.

Poster (1.1 MB .pdf)
In celebratrion of Ancient Future's 40th season of world fusion music, the exact lineup of Ancient Future that performed on the band's influential World Without Walls and Asian Fusion recordings will reunite to perform at the San Francisco International Arts Festival. The reunion show features the original lineup of Matthew Montfort on scalloped fretboard guitar, Jim Hurley on violin, Doug McKeehan on keyboards, Ian Dogole on percussion. Their uptempo virtuoso world fusion music is an exhilarating mix of jazz improvisation with the exciting rhythms, exotic sounds, and enchanting melodies of world music.
This lineup of Ancient Future played over a hundred concerts together from 1988 to 1995. In 2011, they reunited for the first time in 15 years to perform concerts at Todos Santos Plaza in Concord and Yoshi's in San Francisco. In honor of the reunion concerts, World Without Walls was released digitally by Capitol Records for the first time ever at major digital retailers such as iTunes. Twenty two years after its initial release in 1990, broadcasters worldwide voted the record as one of the top 5 world music releases of 2012. In September 2012 they performed at the Frick Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and then at the Freight and Salvage in October 2013. This show at the San Francisco International Arts Festival will be their fifth reunion concert.
They have headlined such venues as San Francisco's Great American Music Hall and Eugene's Hult Center for the Performing Arts, appeared at numerous jazz festivals such as the Sacramento River Jazz Festival, Cotati Jazz Festival, Valhalla Jazz Festival, and Sand Harbor, and shared bills with other leading jazz and contemporary music artists including Fourth World with Flora Purim and Airto, Tower of Power, Craig Chaquico, Acoustic Alchemy, and Ottmar Liebert. Ancient Future was the subject of numerous features in publications such as JAZZIZ and MÚSICA GLOBAL. A selection of these articles have been uploaded to the archives of Ancient Future history, providing an interesting perspective on a period of growth in the world music movement.

'World Without Walls' Reunion Video

YouTube Video of Ancient Future Performing Bookenka at 'World Without Walls' Reunion. Shown: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Jim Hurley (violin), Doug McKeehan (keyboards, piano), Ian Dogole (percussion), Kash Killion (bass), and Mariah Parker (santur).
"Ancient Future is a rare kind of band that might simultaneously aggravate purists, confound New Age dilettantes, seduce skeptics, and dazzle just about everybody else. Delicious compositions, intricate arrangements, crisp playing and impeccable production put these ambitious voyagers in a league of their own." - Derk Richardson, SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN

Band Bio

B/W for print (5.11" x 3.55" 300 dpi jpg, 212k). Ancient Future circa 1990. Photo by Irene Young. Pictured: Matthew Montfort, Jim Hurley, Doug McKeehan, Ian Dogole.
"Ancient Future is a rare kind of band that might simultaneously aggravate purists, confound New Age dilettantes, seduce skeptics, and dazzle just about everybody else. Delicious compositions, intricate arrangements, crisp playing and impeccable production put these ambitious voyagers in a league of their own." -Derk Richardson, SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN
Formed in late 1978, 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 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.
Ancient Future has released seven full length studio CDs selling over 150,000 units: Visions of a Peaceful Planet, Natural Rhythms, Quiet Fire, Dreamchaser, World Without Walls, Asian Fusion, and Planet Passion. Over one million legal mp3 files from three of these releases on Ancient-Future.Com Records have been distributed commercially. Ancient Future is also featured on samplers selling millions of units on labels such as Putumayo and Narada. They are currently working on recordings for their fan funded Archive of Future Ancient Recordings. Over an hour of music in the archive is already available exclusively to supporters, with more to come as funds are raised.
Over the years, Ancient Future has expanded its musical vision through collaborations with master musicians from more than two dozen countries, cultures, and musical traditions who are now an integral part of what is today more than just a band. Ancient Future has grown to become a large multinational music ensemble with many smaller ensembles within it, enabling Ancient Future to realize its core mission of creating world fusion music. Through cross cultural exchange, Ancient Future has created a musical world without borders.

Matthew Montfort (bandleader, scalloped fretboard guitar)

Matthew Montfort is the leader of the world fusion music ensemble Ancient Future. He is a pioneer of the scalloped fretboard guitar (an instrument combining qualities of the South Indian vina and the steel string guitar). Montfort spent three months in intensive study with vina master K.S. Subramanian in order to fully apply the South Indian gamaka (note-bending) techniques to the guitar. In 2009, he released his first solo guitar recording, Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar, which debuted at #8 on Zone Music Reporter's Top 100 February 2009 World Radio Chart, and held the #34 spot on the Top 100 of 2009. He has performed concerts worldwide, including at the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra on the golden coast of Spain near Barcelona and the Mumbai Festival at the Gateway of India in Bombay. He has performed live on national radio and TV shows such as the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. 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.

Jim Hurley (violin)

Jim Hurley has been playing violin since 1969. He holds a B.A. in Music from Humboldt State University. Influenced profoundly by South Indian violinist L. Shankar, he incorporates styles from bebop to zydeco, European classical to Zairean soukous. He is well known for his performances with Ritchie Blackmore and Blackmore's Night (rock legend turned Celtic and Renaissance musician), American roots music leaders such as Grammy winners Queen Ida and Al Rapone, and swing legend Dan Hicks' Acoustic Warriors. 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. Jim Hurley has released two solo recordings, Primary Colors, and Finger Painting.

Doug McKeehan (keys)

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 progressive jazz album, So Near, So Far (Crafted Air CA 30100). He is a first call jazz pianist in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Ian Dogole (percussion)

Ian Dogole holds a B.A. in Ethnomusicology from Brown University and an M.A. in Classics from Villanova University. He began his musical studies with the piano at the age of five, later switching to jazz guitar which was to be his primary focus until taking up percussion during his ethnomusicology studies. He has released numerous albums as a bandleader, including Along the Route (Dr. Unit), Dangerous Ground (Café), Ionospherses (C.E.I.), Night Harvest (Global Fusion Music), Convergence (Jazzheads), and Outside the Box – Jazz Journeys & Worlds Beyond (Global Fusion Music), all pioneering works in the field of world fusion music. He has received numerous prestigious grants and fellowships, including a Jazz Performance Fellowship from the N.E.A in 1991; Marin Arts Council grants in 1994, 1995, and 2008; San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music performance grants in 2009, 2011, and 2015; and an InterMusic SF grant in 2018 to present the music of saxophone giant Pharoah Sanders.

Recordings Featuring Reunion Lineup

World Without Walls by Ancient Future

(Sona Gaia/MCA 163): CD - $24.98 (collectable signed copy): Buy Link. >YouTube Music.
Press Audio Downloads: Lakshmi Rocks Me (Jim Hurley) MP3 (excerpt, 976 K). >YouTube Music.
14 Steps (Matthew Montfort) MP3 (excerpt, 1 MB). >YouTube Music.
As its name suggests, World Without Walls depicts a musical world without borders. Released in 1990, it features performances by such world music luminaries as Zakir Hussain, the master of the North Indian tabla. The inviting melodies and ingenious use of ethnic textures make this recording one of Ancient Future's most accessible and broadly appealing releases ever.

World Without Walls Media Report (6.4 MB .pdf)
"World Without Walls speaks to a cultural enrichment, a melding of world culture with Ancient Future's own lush sense of melody and rhythmic drive." - John Diliberto, JAZZIZ

Asian Fusion by Ancient Future

(Narada Equinox ND-63023): CD - $24.98 (collectable signed copy): Buy Link. >YouTube Music.
Press Audio Download: Mezgoof (Ian Dogole) MP3 (excerpt, 800K). >YouTube Music
Asian Fusion is a musical travelogue spanning the vast geographic and cultural expanse of Asia showcasing some of the top performers in the Asian music field, including Zhao Hui, China's preeminent master of the gu zheng (Chinese zither) and Bui Huu Nhut, a leading performer of the Vietnamese dan bau (a one-string Vietnamese instrument with an indigenous version of a whammy bar). Asian Fusion received much critical acclaim. It made the Tower Pulse! Top 10 Best Contemporary Instrumental Releases of 1993 List (#4) and was Guitar Player magazine's "Pick" for April 1994.

Asian Fusion Media Report (11.4 MB .pdf)
"This compilation of 12 songs influenced by the Far East has all the sweeping impact of epic movies such as 'The Last Emperor.'" - CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Planet Passion by Ancient Future

(Ancient-Future.Com AF 2010): CD - $17.98: Buy Link. >YouTube Music.
Press Audio Download: Socha Socha (Khan/Montfort) MP3 (short version, 3.6 MB). >YouTube Music.
The classic lineup of Ancient Future performing these special reunion concerts also was featured on one cut on the Planet Passion CD: the song Socha Socha on which they accompanied sitar master Pandit Habib Khan. Originally released in 2002, it was remastered and re-issued in 2009 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first Ancient Future concert.

Planet Passion Media Report (3 MB .pdf)
"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." - Ryan Allen, LEO WEEKLY, Louisville, Kentucky

100 Word Radio Announcement

The exact lineup of the pioneering world music group Ancient Future that performed on their influential World Without Walls and Asian Fusion recordings is reuniting to perform at the 2019 San Francisco International Arts Festival on Sunday, May 26, at 5 PM at Gallery 308 in Fort Mason in San Francisco. The reunion show features Matthew Montfort on scalloped fretboard guitar, Jim Hurley on violin, Doug McKeehan on keyboards, Ian Dogole on percussion. For more information, visit sfiaf.org or call the box office at 415-345-7575. Tickets are $25 general, $12.50 under 18, $30 reserved table, and $35 reserved front table.

###

Ancient Future 40th Anniversary Reunion Concert at the Freight & Salvage, Feb. 12, 2019

NEWS UPDATE: Announcing an Original 1979 Band Lineup Reunion!!!

Ancient Future 40th Anniversary Concert at the Freight & Salvage, Berkeley, February 12, 2019

Hi-Res Photo of Ancient Future Circa 1981 (1.2 MB). Shown: Mindia Devi Klein, Benjy Wertheimer, Matthew Montfort

Original Band Reunion Plus Celebrating 40 Years of World Fusion Music!

Ancient Future's first concert took place on February 11, 1979, at the Sleeping Lady Cafe in Fairfax, California, a vegetarian cafe and music club co-op that was the center of a vibrant local music scene. It was the day before Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort's birthday, who was not yet of nightclub age. This concert on Montfort's birthday celebrates Ancient Future's 40 years at the forefront of the world fusion music movement.
The first set of the concert will feature original band members Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Benjy Wertheimer (tabla, esraj), and Mindia Devi Klein (bansuri, silver flute).
The second set will feature band members from Ancient Future's major label releases along with top master musicians from around the world who have a long history of cross cultural music collaborations with the band. Check the press release and Facebook event pages periodically for surprise announcements of featured musicians.

Tuesday, February 12, 2019, 8 PM
Freight and Salvage
2020 Addison Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Doors Open: 7 PM
Purchase Tix: $20 in advance at the F&S, $24 at the door. All tickets are subject to an additional $4 per ticket facility fee.
Box Office Phone: 510-644-2020, open 12:30 PM–7 PM (excluding holidays) and during all performances.
Email: info@freightandsalvage.org
Facebook Event


Poster (384k .pdf)

First Ancient Future Video

YouTube Video of Ancient Future Circa 1978. Shown: Matthew Montfort, Yusef Ali, Mindia Devi Klein, Phil Fong, Benjy Wertheimer

This concert video teaser features an amazing archaeological find: the very first video of Ancient Future, recorded in late 1978, months before Ancient Future's first concert! Thanks to Jonah and Mariposa at Marin Artists International who, after learning of the reunion concert, were able to rescue parts of Ancient Future's first video recording session from archival oblivion. This video showcases an excerpt from 'Eternal Embrace' by Phil Fong. Performances of two complete pieces have been recovered, and are now included as a video session on the eCD version of Visions of a Peaceful Planet.

Reunion Concert Edition With Long Lost 1978 Video

Visions of a Peaceful Planet by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2004) Audio/Video E-CD-R: $19.98 list

First Set: Original Bandmembers

Hi-Res Photo of Ancient Future Circa 1981 by Sherry Freeman (1.1 MB). Shown: Benjy Wertheimer, Mindia Devi Klein, Matthew Montfort
Ancient Future was formed in late 1978 by students at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California, including Mindia Devi Klein (who went by Mindy in those days), Matthew Montfort, Benjy Wertheimer, and Phil Fong.
On April 19, 2015, the original lineup of Ancient Future performed together for the first time this century to a full house at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley. Sadly, Phil Fong was unable to attend the reunion as he was battling ALS. He passed away on July 18, 2016.
The first set will feature all three surviving original Ancient Future bandmembers: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Benjy Wertheimer (tabla, esraj), Mindia Devi Klein (bansuri and silver flute).
If enough funds are raised through ticket presales and donations, there may be additional featured guest artists. Check the press release and Facebook event pages periodically for surprise announcements.
Facebook Event
Press Release

Matthew Montfort (band leader, scalloped fretboard guitar)

Matthew Montfort is the leader of Ancient Future. He is pioneer of the scalloped fretboard guitar (an instrument combining qualities of the South Indian vina and the steel string guitar), and studied with vina master K.S. Subramanian in order to fully apply the note-bending techniques to the guitar. In 2009, he released his first solo guitar recording, Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar, which reached #8 on Zone Music Reporter's World Radio Chart. He is recognized as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists by DigitalDreamDoor.com, a curated "best of" site, and has been featured in Guitar Player Magazine. He has performed concerts worldwide, and live on national radio and TV shows such as the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. 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.

Mindia Devi Klein (Indian bansuri and silver flute)

Mindia Devi Klein is a founding member of Ancient Future and an award winning musician, composer and educator known for her haunting Indian bansuri flute music. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, where she began her formal music training at the tender age of two with African American folk singer Charity Bailey. Early exposure to the jazz greats and the vast diversity of the world's music left her hungering for a doorway into the mystic heart and roots of music. She followed her muse to California and the Ali Akbar College of Music where she began training with the late Ustad Ali Akbar Khan for over 40 years. She also trained under the late bansuri maestro G.S. Sachdev and then learned in India under guidance of world renown bansuri flutist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. She is a recipient of the American Institute for Indian Studies Smithsonian Fellowship, the Fulbright Scholarship in Balinese gamelan, and numerous arts and composition awards.

Benjy Wertheimer (tabla, esraj)

Benjy Wertheimer, a founding member of Ancient Future, is an award-winning musician, composer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. He has performed and recorded with such artists as Krishna Das, Deva Premal and Miten, Jai Uttal, Walter Becker of Steely Dan, Zakir Hussain, and G. S. Sachdev. Benjy has been a student of Indian classical music for over 40 years, sitting with some of the greatest masters of that tradition, including Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain, Ali Akbar Khan and Z. M. Dagar. Along with the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, he was a contributing composer and member of the Zakir Hussain Rhythm Experience. For over five years, Benjy scored music for the internationally syndicated NBC series Santa Barbara, and his CD Circle of Fire went to #1 on the international New Age radio charts in 2002. Making his home in Portland, Oregon, he now tours internationally with his wife Heather in the kirtan group Shantala.

Second Set: Ancient Future Hear and Now

The second set will feature band members from Ancient Future's major label releases and top master musicians from around the world. The lineup will depend on funds raised through ticket presales and donations. Check the press release and Facebook event pages periodically for surprise announcements.
Facebook Event
Press Releasel

Coconspirators and Likely Guest Artists

Georges Lammam (Arabic violin)

Georges Lammam was born in Beirut, Lebanon. Of Palestinian descent, he is a solo violinist exemplifying the Arab style of instrumental improvisation. He 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 refugees from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan in the refugee camp in Chalkida, Greece. 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 dabke (an Arab folk dance) in a 2016 feature film, Wrestling Jerusalem by Aaron Davidman. Ancient Future bandleader Matthew Montfort met Georges Lammam at the Middle Eastern Music and Dance Camp in Mendocino in 1993. In 1998 Georges Lammam performed on a track for Ancient Future's 7th release, Planet Passion. He has been touring with the band since 2001, including trips to the East Coast, up and down the West Coast, and the Southwest.

Vishal Nagar (Indian tabla)

Considered one of the most gifted tabla players of his generation, Vishal Nagar wasn't yet born when Ancient Future performed their first concert in 1979. But he was being introduced to rhythm and melody while still in the womb, as his mother is the renowned Kathak dancer and vocalist, Urmila Nagar. He began to play tabla as a toddler as soon as he was tall enough to reach the drums. He had intense rhythmic training for a brief period with the late Ustad Latif Ahmed Khan of the Delhi Gharana, and after his Ustad's untimely demise, continued under the guidance of Ustad Shamim Ahmed Khan. Vishal has had the privilege of performing with many renowned Indian classical artists including Ustad Shujaat Khan, Vidhwan Trichur Ramachandran, Pandit Ramesh Misra, and Kala Ramnath, and has also collaborated with musicians from around the world such as the Ghanaian Guitarist Koo Nimo with whom he appeared in WOMAD USA (a world music festival started by Peter Gabriel). He began performing and recording with Ancient Future in 2013, and has since performed seven tours with the band. He is prominently featured on Ancient Future's Yearning for the Wind, which was the highest rated recording on Ethnocloud for April 2014, holding #1 spots in both the video and audio categories.

Pandit Habib Khan (sitar)

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. 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 has recorded three Indian jazz fusion albums featuring bandleader Matthew Montfort. Habib Khan began performing concerts with Ancient Future in 1998, and is prominently featured on Ancient Future's 7th release, Planet Passion. Between Ancient Future and Habib Khan's Indian Jazz Ensemble, Montfort and Khan have performed over a hundred concerts together in the USA, India, and the Middle East.

Doug McKeehan (keys)

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. In 2008 he was commissioned to compose and perform live music for the Diablo Ballet's production Jazz Fever. He cofounded Air Craft with violinist Bruce Bowers, which released a highly acclaimed jazz fusion album, So Near, So Far. He is a first call jazz pianist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since joining Ancient Future in 1985, he has performed hundreds of concerts with the band.

Ian Dogole (percussion)

Ian Dogole has articulated his vision of global fusion music as a multi percussionist, bandleader, educator, recording artist, composer and producer. He has released seven records and a DVD as a leader – Along the Route, Dangerous Ground, Ionospheres, Night Harvest, Convergence, Crossroads, Outside the Box – Jazz Journeys & Worlds Beyond and Ian Dogole & Hemispheres In Concert (DVD). Ian has recorded and performed with artists such as Hamza el Din, Tito La Rosa, Richie Cole, Paul McCandless and Alex de Grassi. He performs on a wide variety of percussion instruments, including udu, cajon, hang, African talking drum, kalimbas, cymbals and dumbek. Since joining Ancient Future in 1985, he has performed hundreds of concerts with the band.

Jim Hurley (violin)

Jim Hurley began playing violin in the Livermore public schools, and later explored rock guitar and bass, jazz and world music. Influenced profoundly by South Indian violinist L. Shankar, he incorporates styles from bebop to zydeco, European classical to Zairean soukous. He studied violin with Dr. Madeline Schatz, protege of Jascha Heifetz and Josef Gingold, at Humboldt State University, where he earned his B.A. in Music. Jim's professional credits include performances and recordings with Queen Ida's Grammy-winning Bon Temps Zydeco Band, Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (with Jon Anderson from Yes), Kenneth Nash, Dan Hicks, Al Stewart, Josh Groban, Smokey Robinson, Stanley Jordan, the Waybacks, Tempest, and many other artists. He has performed on NBC's Saturday Night Live, NPR's A Prairie Home Companion, and at numerous festivals including New Orleans Jazz and Heritage, Monterey Jazz, Winnipeg Folk, and Strawberry Music. Since joining Ancient Future in 1988, he has performed hundreds of concerts with the band.

Mariah Parker (santur)

Mariah Parker worked with ethnomusicologist Fred Lieberman and Mickey Hart on the Planet Drum project while completing her degree in music at UC Santa Cruz. She has worked with many musicians including the late composers Pauline Oliveros and Dumisani Maraire (mbira master from Zimbabwe) . She has studied with jazz great Art Lande and Latin jazz pianist extraordinaire Rebeca Mauléon. She began performing with Ancient Future in 2005 starting with a tour of Spain. She has released two recordings of her compositions on Ancient-Future.Com Records: Sangria, her 2009 debut, and 2017's Indo Latin Jazz Live In Concert, which received rave reviews and quickly rose to #32 on the JazzWeek radio charts.

Ancient Future History

Original Lineup

Hi-Res Photo of Ancient Future Circa 1979 (1.3 MB). Shown: Benjy Wertheimer, Phil Fong, Mindia Devi Klein, Matthew Montfort
This lineup of Ancient Future made two recordings that are now considered world fusion classics. In December, 1978, the band went into Tres Virgos Studio in Mill Valley to record Montfort's song Moonbath. The song became the springboard for the first Ancient Future record, Visions of a Peaceful Planet. The concept for Natural Rhythms, the band's second record, grew out of a spontaneous recording session at a friend's recording studio near a frog pond. The sound of croaking frogs was leaking into the studio, so Montfort went out to the pond with a zither and began to play, and found that certain rhythms produced musical responses from the frogs. Several months later, Montfort and Klein went to Bali to study gamelan music. They were amazed to find paintings all over the island portraying Balinese rice paddy frogs playing gamelan instruments, so they ventured out into the rice paddies where a frog jam session ensued that became part of the Natural Rhythms release.

Original Lineup Releases

Visions of a Peaceful Planet by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2004).
Natural Rhythms by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com 2005).

Major Label Period

Hi-Res Photo by Irene Young of Ancient Future Circa 1990 (14.7" x 9.7" jpg, 7.2 MB). Shown: Matthew Montfort, Jim Hurley, Doug McKeehan, Ian Dogole
"Ancient Future is a rare kind of band that might simultaneously aggravate purists, confound New Age dilettantes, seduce skeptics, and dazzle just about everybody else. Delicious compositions, intricate arrangements, crisp playing and impeccable production put these ambitious voyagers in a league of their own." - Derk Richardson, SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN
This lineup of Ancient Future that performed on the band's influential major label recordings played over a hundred concerts together. In 2011, they reunited to perform concerts at venues from Yoshi's in San Francisco to the Frick Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In honor of the reunion, World Without Walls was released digitally by Capitol Records for the first time ever at major digital retailers such as iTunes. Twenty two years after its initial release in 1990, broadcasters worldwide voted the record as one of the top 5 world music releases of 2012.

Major Label Releases

Quiet Fire by Ancient Future (Narada/MCA 1012).
Dreamchaser by Ancient Future (Sona Gaia/MCA 154).
World Without Walls by Ancient Future (Sona Gaia/MCA 163).
Asian Fusion by Ancient Future (Narada Equinox ND-63023).

Video

YouTube Video of Ancient Future at their 'World Without Walls' Reunion at the Freight and Salvage. Shown: Doug McKeehan (keyboards, piano), Kash Killion (bass), Ian Dogole (percussion), Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Jim Hurley (violin), Mariah Parker (santur)

World Music Collaboration Period

Hi-Res Photo of Ancient Future Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi by Julie Marten (3.75 x 5.64 jpg, 1.7 MB). Shown: Pandit Habib Khan (sitar), Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar)
Over the years, Ancient Future has expanded its musical vision through collaborations with master musicians from more than two dozen countries, cultures, and musical traditions who are now an integral part of what is today more than just a band. Ancient Future has grown to become a large multinational music ensemble with many smaller ensembles within it, enabling Ancient Future to realize its core mission of creating world fusion music. Some popular offerings include the Indo-Arabic, Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi, and Asian Jazz programs. Through cross cultural exchange, Ancient Future has created a musical world without borders.

Hi-Res Photo of Ancient Future Indo-Arabic Roots (3.6 x 1.7 jpg, 474k). Shown: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Georges Lammam (Arabic violin), Vishal Nagar (Indian tabla)

World Music Collaboration Releases

Planet Passion by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2010).
Archive of Future Ancient Recordings by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com AF-2030).

Videos

YouTube Video of Yearning for the Wind by Ancient Future. Shown: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Vishal Nagar (tabla).

YouTube Video of El Zaffa from Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Shown: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Georges Lammam (Arabic violin), Salaheddin Takesh (Arabic percussion), Doug McKeehan (keyboards), Sapphira (belly dance).

Original Ancient Future Reunion April 19, 2015, at Throckmorton Theatre

Original Ancient Future Reunion

featuring Mindia Devi Klein (flutes), Benjy Wertheimer (tabla), and Matthew Montfort (guitars) plus Special Guests

Hi-Res Photo of Ancient Future Circa 1981 (1.2 MB). Shown: Mindia Devi Klein, Benjy Wertheimer, Matthew Montfort
Sunday, April 19, 7:30 PM
142 Throckmorton Theatre
142 Throckmorton Avenue
Mill Valley, CA 94941
Tix: $20 adv, $25 at door, $35 reserved seating. Doors open at 7 PM.
Info: 415-383-9600
Venue Website: www.142ThrockmortonTheatre.com
On Sunday, April 19, the original line-up of the pioneering world fusion music group Ancient Future will perform together for the first time this century. Ancient Future was formed in 1978 by students at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California, including Mindia Devi Klein, Matthew Montfort, Benjy Wertheimer, and Phil Fong. Ancient Future's first concert took place to a packed house on February 11, 1979, at the original Sleeping Lady Cafe in Fairfax, California, then a vegetarian cafe and music club co-op that was the center of a vibrant local music scene.
This line-up of Ancient Future made two recordings that are now considered world fusion classics. In December, 1978, the band went into Tres Virgos Studio in Mill Valley to record Montfort's song Moonbath. The song became the springboard for the first Ancient Future record, Visions of a Peaceful Planet.
The concept for Natural Rhythms, the band's second record, grew out of a magical spontaneous recording session at a friend's recording studio near a frog pond. When Montfort and Klein noticed the sound of croaking frogs leaking into the studio, they were inspired to record them. Montfort went out to the pond with a zither and began to play, and found that certain rhythms produced musical responses. Several months later, Montfort and Klein went to Bali to study gamelan music. They were amazed to find paintings all over the island portraying Balinese rice paddy frogs playing gamelan instruments. They decided to extend their musical experiments to include the Balinese rice paddy frogs. Late at night, they gathered their musical Balinese friends, went out into the rice paddies, and jammed with the frogs. Again, some very magical moments of music were recorded, and became part of the Natural Rhythms release.

Hi-Res Photo of Ancient Future Circa 1981 by Sherry Freeman (1.1 MB). Shown: Benjy Wertheimer, Mindia Devi Klein, Matthew Montfort

Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard and fretless guitars)

The leader of Ancient Future, Matthew Montfort, 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.

Mindia Devi Klein (Indian bansuri & silver flutes, Balinese gamelan)

Mindia Devi Klein is an award winning musician, composer and educator. Known primarily for her rare and haunting Indian bansuri flute music, she was actually born in Brooklyn, New York where she began her formal music training at the tender age of 2 with African American folk singer Charity Bailey. Early exposure to the jazz greats and the vast diversity of the world's music left her hungering for a doorway into the mystic heart and roots of music. She followed her muse to California and the Ali Akbar College of Music where she met and began training with her root guru, the late great Ustad Ali Akbar Khan who taught Indian music in the ancient guru-shishya style for over 40 years at Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California. She also trained under bansuri maestro G.S. Sachdev and then learned in India under guidance of world renown bansuri flutist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. A recipient of the American Institute for Indian Studies Smithsonian Fellowship, the Fulbright Scholarship in Balinese gamelan and numerous community arts and composition awards, Mindia's training and insight into the world's ancient and ever evolving contemporary music of today has impressed itself deeply on her own. Her playing and compositions blend together the sounds and ideas of many worlds in a subtle and unique way. An international performing and recording artist, she can be heard on many albums of note including several as a founding member of Ancient Future.

Benjy Wertheimer (tabla, percussion, and esraj)

An award-winning musician, composer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist equally accomplished on tabla, congas, percussion, esraj, guitar, and keyboards, Benjy Wertheimer has performed and recorded with such artists as Krishna Das, Deva Premal and Miten, Jai Uttal, Walter Becker of Steely Dan, virtuoso guitarist Michael Mandrell, tabla master Zakir Hussain, and renowned bamboo flute master G. S. Sachdev. He has also opened for such well-known artists as Carlos Santana, Paul Winter, and Narada Michael Walden. Benjy is a founding member of the internationally acclaimed world fusion ensemble Ancient Future. He began his musical studies at age five, starting with piano and later violin, flamenco guitar, and Afro-Cuban percussion. Benjy has been a student of Indian classical music for over 25 years, sitting with some of the greatest masters of that tradition, including Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain, Ali Akbar Khan and Z. M. Dagar. Along with the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, he was a contributing composer and member of the Zakir Hussain Rhythm Experience. Trained in audio engineering at San Francisco State University, Benjy is also very much in demand as a producer, engineer and studio session musician. For over five years, Benjy scored music for the internationally syndicated NBC series Santa Barbara, and his CD Circle of Fire went to #1 on the international New Age radio charts in 2002. Making his home in Portland, Oregon, he now tours internationally with his wife Heather in the kirtan group Shantala.

Ancient Future 'World Without Walls' Reunion Concert to Stream Live on ConcertWindow.com October 16 at 8 PM PDT

Ancient Future Concert to Stream on ConcertWindow.com

'World Without Walls' Reunion Concert Streams Live October 16 at 8 PM PDT

In a first for Ancient Future, their upcoming 'World Without Walls' reunion concert at the Freight & Salvage will be available for viewing anywhere in the world as a live stream. This is a very rare chance for Ancient Future fans worldwide to view a live concert of the exact lineup of the pioneering world music group that performed on Ancient Future's influential World Without Walls and Asian Fusion recordings. They will perform their fourth reunion concert after a 15 year hiatus on Wednesday, October 16, at 8 PM at the Freight and Salvage, located at 2020 Addison Street in Berkeley.

Online tickets are available now for $5 at concertwindow.com/shows/ancient-future. The webshow will not be archived – it's offered only in real time starting at 8 PM Pacific Daylight Time on October 16. It is recommended to purchase a ticket in advance to sign up for an email reminder to tune in for the show at the correct time. ConcertWindow.com includes a show time count-down clock, or a site such as timezoneconverter.com can be used to calculate the local time the concert will begin streaming. For example, for music fans in Mumbai, India, the concert stream will begin at 8:30 AM on October 17.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013, 8 PM PDT
Streaming Live at ConcertWindow.com
Freight and Salvage
2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
Tix: $18.50 in advance, $20.50 at the door, or $5 for live stream at concertwindow.com/shows/ancient-future.
Info: Call 510-644-2020 or email info@freightandsalvage.org
Facebook Event.

'World Without Walls' Reunion Video of 'Indra's Net' Released in Celebration

Live Medley of 'Alap' and 'Indra's Net' Recorded at Yoshi's, San Francisco, 6/7/11


To celebrate Ancient Future's first worldwide live streaming video concert, a live video recording of a medley of Matthew Montfort's 'Alap' and Jim Hurley's 'Indra's Net' composition is being released, available for viewing at http://youtu.be/fCVQZLBS43c. Inspired by Hindu mythology, 'Indra's Net' was used as a soundtrack for a United Nations documentary film, Closing the Curtains of Death, about drift net fishing. This version was recorded at Yoshi's San Francisco on June 7, 2011, the day of their first performance together in 15 years. The video features Doug McKeehan on piano, Kash Killion on bass, Ian Dogole on percussion, Matthew Montfort on scalloped fretboard guitar, Jim Hurley on violin, and Patti Weiss on violin. 'Indra's Net' is the third video to be released from the reunion concert, joining '14 Steps' by Matthew Montfort (http://youtu.be/Ro0VAo7a9BY) and 'Turkish Taffy' by Doug McKeehan (http://youtu.be/e0YyuM7YTIo).

'World Without Walls' by Ancient Future on Capitol Records

Hi-Res Square Cover Art (3 MB)

Featuring Tabla Master Zakir Hussain

(Sona Gaia/MCA 163): CD - $24.98 (collectable signed copy): Buy Link. audio.
Press Audio Downloads: Lakshmi Rocks Me (Jim Hurley) MP3 (excerpt, 976k). audio.
14 Steps (Matthew Montfort) MP3 (excerpt, 1 MB). audio.

As its name suggests, World Without Walls depicts a musical world without borders. Originally released in 1990, it features performances by such world music luminaries as Zakir Hussain, the master of the North Indian tabla. World Without Walls was reissued digitally by Capitol Records in 2011 to honor Ancient Future's reunion concerts. In 2012, broadcasters worldwide voted the reissue as one of the top 5 world music releases of the year, 22 years after its initial release. The inviting melodies and ingenious use of ethnic textures make this recording one of Ancient Future's most accessible and broadly appealing releases ever.


Tabla master Zakir Hussain

Ancient Future Band Biography

Sepia photo for print (14.7" x 9.7" sepia jpg, 7.2 MB). Ancient Future circa 1990. Photo by Irene Young. Pictured: Matthew Montfort (guitars), Jim Hurley (violin), Doug McKeehan (keys), Ian Dogole (percussion).

BILLBOARD calls the group "trendsetters" for contributing to the emerging movement known as world fusion music, a term Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort coined at the band’s inception for music that blends musical ideas from many different cultures. Formed in 1978, Ancient Future is the world's first and longest running ensemble dedicated exclusively to the mission of the creation of world fusion music. Their original music is an exhilarating fusion of exciting rhythms and sounds from around the globe that combines contemporary jazz and rock with the irresistible rhythms of African, Balinese, Indian, Middle Eastern and South American percussion, the rich harmonies of Europe, and the beautiful melodies of Asia.
In the years since the initial CD release of World Without Walls, Ancient Future has expanded from its core lineup through collaborations with noted masters of various world music traditions who are now an integral part of what is today more than just a band. Ancient Future has grown to become a large chamber ensemble of more than thirty performers from around the world with over a dozen smaller ensembles within it, enabling Ancient Future to realize its core mission of creating world fusion music.

Quotes

World Without Walls Media Report (13.9 MB)

Below are just a few of the rave reviews for the reissue of World Without Walls:

"Bloody hell, get me some Alzheimer's drugs, will you? Ancient Future was on Narada's Sona Gaia subsidiary with a world beat album that was ahead of it's time and they were hanging out with Zappa's world beat buddies and I don't remember any of it? Each track has a different taste and a different texture making this a world beat travelogue that gleefully genre bends whatever the crew felt like with a merger of hillbilly and Indian music, the sound of an African traffic jam and more stuff that tastes good without the over riding vibe of being good for you. And it's not empty calories either. No wonder the group labored so long and so hard to get Capitol to reissue this, it's time. More bloody hell, new copies of this are going for over $200 on Amazon! How did I miss this? This is the world beat/jazz/pop album for people that shy away from things called world beat and jazz. Fun stuff throughout that still sounds fresh and in the moment today." - Chris Spector, MIDWEST RECORD (July 2011)

"21 years after the release of the already classic 'World Without Walls,' the original lineup of 'Ancient Future' reunited in a series of shows at Yoshi's in SF. On this occasion Capitol/EMI Records launched the first digital version of this influential album that marked not just the career of the band and its members but represents a reference of the World Music phenomenon. The original album released in 1990 features 10 songs that mix Oriental, Celtic and African inspired rhythms with modern jazzy beats, and subdued lyricism with melodic creativity. As the title of the album suggests there's no walls between musical influences but we can say that there's no wall between these virtuoso performers, whose joyful interplay delights the listener with a fusion of exotic and western harmonies that sound like chamber music. The three composers of the album (Jim Hurley on violin, Matthew Montfort guitars, Doug McKeehan piano, synthesizers) looked for inspiration to ancient lands of musical tradition, bringing the African, Balinese, Chinese, Indian, Middle eastern sounds into a modern setting that preserves their original savor. It is a surprising and enchanting synthesis of classical, modern and exotic crafted with the art of a jeweler. Talking drum, bells, chimes, dumbek, udu, bass drums, sleigh bells and tabla (played by Zakir Hussain on 3 songs) keep the rhythm alive and fresh, while organically blending into the compositions. An album that is also inviting to listen more from what this legendary band has produced over the years." - Stephen Bocioaca, WORLD JAZZ NEWS (July 2011)

"Ancient Future is a well known group inside the interesting world of the World Fusion Music (or World Music with fusions of many other styles). It is a group with a perfect fit of traditional instruments (flutes, percussion of different parts of the world, violin, etc) with others more associated with rock (bass and electric guitar, synthesizers...) and is made up of musicians who are capable of playing them all, which opens up many possibilities. The band was originally formed in 1978, with what at present is one of the most long-lived formations that has been dedicated exclusively to World Music, a genre (or perhaps an assembly of genres) that is very common at present, but that was not the case at end of the 70's. Ever since their beginnings they have mixed diverse forms of music, originating from Africa, Bali, the India, the Near East, South America, Europe and Asia in general. 'World Without Walls' was originally released in 1990, but is now being re-issued, principally for Internet distribution. The 10 themes they composed gravitate between African and Asian ethnic rhythms and melodies adorned with a lot of Hindu sounds and wrapped, as is the usual custom in Ancient Future, with sounds of multiple instruments that move the disk towards rock or jazz in certain moments (such as guitars, piano and synthesizers). The Hindu influence is especially present due to the contribution of Indian percussionist Zakir Hussain. Hussain is a musician of great prestige inside the musical circle of the members of Ancient Future, so his percussive embellishments fit perfectly with World Without Walls. Zakir Hussain participates in the pieces entitled 'Lakshmi Rocks Me,' '14 Steps,' and 'Gopi Song.' 'World Without Walls' has a very appropriate title. Music is, without doubt, an authentic universal language and Ancient Future shows it, by mixing in such a stunning manner so many styles that appear antagonistic, that nevertheless, they insert perfectly upon filtration through the group's sieve ." - Jorge Sergio Iglesias, Articmist.org, (Aug 2011)

"Sona Gaia and Narada were two of the more interesting World/New Age labels to erupt as the arts scene began diversifying with a seriousness that arose following the collapse of the 60s/70s ethos. Narada was a sketchy proposition at times, tending to the New Agier side of the house, whereas Sona always held a more serious attitude, and one of their best releases—this one, Ancient Future's World Without Walls—was never quite critiqued or marketed as it should have been: as a set of works in the tradition of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Between, Shakti, and other adventurous bands with almost inhuman chops. After all, the entire World gig pretty much rooted in the inestimably superlative Oregon, an ensemble that was and still is eons ahead of its time, talented beyond compare. Thus, those who came after should have been of-a-kind and acclaimed as such, right? Ah, but then the micky-marketeers entered, and what should've been a quantum leap became, well, Private Music, Steven Halpern, and Georgia Kelley, alas… although, in Shadowfax and others, the path was never quite erased. Well, now that everyone has sobered up and finds him- and herself able to ponder backwards, a few gems are being rescued. This re-release very much demonstrates that we missed quite a bit, even though Matthew Montfort continued his musical evolution and the band itself realigned for a dazzling concert last June (go to http://www.youtube.com/ancientfuture and click on 14 Steps for a marvelous example). Along with Montfort came Ian Dogole, Doug McKeehan, and Jim Hurley, masters of their instruments, and the quartet played and still plays as though it were twice that size, complicated narrative and rhythms filling each track. 'World Without Walls' is drenched with the most enticing and hypnotic of essences, a record that, despite the passage of 21 years since its debut, cannot age, a document upholding a spirit of creativity ahead of its time hundreds of years ago and remaining so in the hands of masters such as these. Thank goodness some things never change." - Mark S. Tucker, FOLK & ACOUSTIC MUSIC EXCHANGE (Sept 2011)

"When one listens to the melodies and musical textures of the fifth release 'World Without Walls' by the group Ancient Future, words like exotic, elegant and sublime immediately come to mind. Check out the group on YouTube and see if you are not drawn into their hypnotic enchantment. Ancient Future offers a musical vision of a 'world without walls' which is both appealing and accessible to the average listener and is highly recommended for anyone wishing to explore the amazing genre of World music." - Jack Montgomery, Amplifier, BOWLING GREEN DAILY NEWS (Sept 2011)

"It's hard to remember — with the plethora of World Fusion albums currently available — a time when this sort of music was the new kid on the block. This classic album by Ancient Future was a breath of fresh air at the time of its release in 1990. With inspired skill and a great respect for the other cultures from which they took much of their inspiration, the band blended western music with that of pretty much every other continent, weaving magic with their melodies and rhythms. And you know what? 'World Without Walls' sounds as fresh and invigorating today as it did all those years ago upon its initial release. There's not a single bad moment on the album." - Charles de Lint, SleepingHedgehog.com (Nov 2011)

"Not insipid easy-listening 'World Music', 'World Without Walls' is a remastered re-release of their 1990 classic, and doesn't sound dated at all. 'World Without Walls' is a fusion of musical stylings, scales and rhythms from around the world. The main influences I hear are Middle Eastern, Indian and South American, though there's also Jamaican 'Island Music' sounds, Balinese and probably dozens of other influences too subtle for me to notice. The instruments run the gamut of acoustic instruments like violins, piano, tuned percussion instruments and tablas (by renowned master Zakir Hussain) and also electric guitar synths and synthesizers. Leader Matthew Montfort plays (along with other guitars) a unique scalloped-fretboard acoustic guitar which allows for subtle pitch-bending and timbre-modulation effects. A careful listen will reveal that this is way beyond the usual health-food store 'World Music' offerings and is instead a high-energy, very experimental fusion of styles from around the world. Highly recommended." - Fred Trafton, GILBRALTAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PROGRESSIVE ROCK (Nov 2011)