Ancient Future Performs at the Winchester Cultural Center in Las Vegas September 8, 2018, at 2 PM

Ancient Future Performs in Las Vegas

Hi-Res Photo (300 dpi, 3.6 x 1.7) by Julie Martin, Sharif, and Inni Singh.
Shown: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Georges Lammam (Arabic violin), and Vishal Nagar (tabla)

Featuring World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort, Arabic Violin Virtuoso Georges Lammam, and Indian Tabla Master Vishal Nagar

This program by the pioneering world music group Ancient Future blends the rhythms and melodies of the Arabian Peninsula, Spain, and India with contemporary jazz and rock, producing an irresistible and exhilarating fusion that captures the essence of pilgrimage, cultural exchange, exploration, and migration. The trio consists of scalloped fretboard guitarist Matthew Montfort performing with Arabic violin virtuoso Georges Lammam and Indian tabla master Vishal Nagar. These multifaceted artists create an innovative musical experience that guides listeners on a hypnotic voyage through time and place.
Musical concepts such as taqsim (an Arabic method of melodic improvisation), tala (the recurring rhythmic cycles of Indian classical music), and compás (the rhythmic structure of flamenco) will be showcased. 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, Yearning for the Wind, 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, September 8, 2 PM
Ancient Future Indo Arabic Trio
Featuring World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort, Arabic Violin Virtuoso Georges Lammam, and Indian Tabla Master Vishal Nagar
Winchester Cultural Center
3130 S. McLeod Dr.
Las Vegas NV 89121
Adm: $12 advance, $14 day of show
Purchase Tix
Info: Call 702-455-7340
Facebook Event

Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar)

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.

Vishal Nagar (Indian tabla)

Hi-Res Photo by Michael Braden of Vishal Nagar Recording A.F.A.R.

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

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.

'Yearning for the Wind' by Ancient Future

'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.
Within a week of its digital preview release, Yearning for the Wind rose to the top of the Ethnocloud.com 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.

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

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.

Ancient Future Performs Free Educational Library Concerts in Sonoma County

Ancient Future Performs Free Educational Library Concerts

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

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

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

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

Final Spring Concert

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

Fall and Winter Concerts

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

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

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

'El Zaffa' by Ancient Future

Video of Arabic fusion music by Ancient Future

'Yearning for the Wind' by Ancient Future

Video of Indian fusion music by Ancient Future

Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard and fretless guitars)

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

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

Antoine Lammam (Arabic percussion)

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

Vishal Nagar (Indian tabla)

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

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

Recent Recordings on Ancient-Future.Com Records

'The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings' by Ancient Future

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

'Yearning for the Wind' by Ancient Future

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

'Planet Passion' by Ancient Future

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

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

'Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar' by Matthew Montfort

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

'Sympathetic Serenade' by Matthew Montfort

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

56 Word Radio Announcement for May 2018 Sonoma County Library Concert

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

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

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

June 1, 8 PM, Fort Mason Chapel:

Ancient Future Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi

Shown: Pandit Habib Khan, Matthew Montfort

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

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

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

Poster (pdf)

Concert Review

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

Video

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

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

Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Chamber Jazz Sextet

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

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

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

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

Poster (pdf)

Video

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

June 4, 3 PM, Fort Mason Chapel:

Global Guitar Summit

Shown: Matthew Montfort, Giacomo Fiore, Teja Gerken

Featuring Matthew Montfort, Giacomo Fiore, and Teja Gerken

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


Poster (pdf)

Videos

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

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

Teja Gerken performs '1948' live.

Bios

Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar)

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

Pandit Habib Khan (sitar)

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

Ferhan Qureshi (tabla)

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

Mariah Parker (composition, piano, santur)

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

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

Paul McCandless (woodwinds)

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

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

Jim Hurley (violin)

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

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

Sascha Jacobsen (acoustic bass)

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

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

Ian Dogole (global percussion)

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

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

Giacomo Fiore (guitar)

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

Teja Gerken (guitar)

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

Ancient-Future.Com Records Featuring Artists Performing at SFIAF

The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings

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

Yearning for the Wind

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

Planet Passion

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

Indo Latin Jazz Live in Concert

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

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

Sangria

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

Sympathetic Serenade

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

Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar

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

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

188 Word Radio Announcement

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