Ancient Future Nominated for North Bay Bohemian 2012 NorBay World Music Award

Ancient Future Artist Photo. Pictured: Emam (tabla), Doug McKeehan (keys), Irina Mikhailova (vocals), Matthew Montfort (guitars), Pandit Habib Khan (sitar).

The world music group Ancient Future is a finalist in the NORTH BAY BOHEMIAN 2012 North Bay Music Awards in the World/Reggae category. There are five finalists in each category. Reader's votes will determine who wins the 2012 NorBay Gold Record Award. Bohemian.com readers and fans of Ancient Future can vote for the band in the World Music category at:

http://posting.bohemian.com/northbay/Survey?survey=2295166

Voting closes July 11 at 5 PM. The rules appropriately only allow for one vote per reader.

The BOHEMIAN 2012 North Bay Music Award is Ancient Future's third world music award nomination of the year. On February 12, 2012, 'World Without Walls' by Ancient Future with special guest Zakir Hussain was nominated by ZoneMusicReporter.com broadcasters worldwide for Best World Album of 2011, and then on February 21, 2012, About.com readers nominated Ancient Future for the About.com World Music Trailblazer Award.

Ancient Future Band Biography

Ancient Future Reunion Band circa 1990. Pictured: Matthew Montfort (guitars), Jim Hurley (violin), Doug McKeehan (keys), Ian Dogole (percussion).

Formed in 1978, Ancient Future is the world's first and longest-running band dedicated to the creation of world fusion music! 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. 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.

Over the years, 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.

Ancient Future has released seven full length studio albums 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 their eighth release, the fan supported 'Archive of Future Ancient Recordings.' Fans can participate in the process by subscribing at http://www.ancient-future.com/afar.html. There are already seven tracks in the archive totaling more than fifty minutes, available immediately to subscribers. More tracks will be added as additional funds are raised for recording.

Matthew Montfort Releases New Solo Scalloped Fretboard Guitar Recording

Ancient-Future.Com Records Releases Mini EP by World Music Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort on May 22, 2012

Sympathetic Serenade for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort (Ancient-Future.Com Records EP AF-2012)

Hi-Res Cover Art by Matthew Montfort (2 MB, 300 dpi 5" x 5")

Sympathetic Serenade for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. Ancient-Future.Com EP AF-2012. >audio (Excerpt)

When Matthew Montfort was working on his debut solo recording for scalloped fretboard guitar (a special guitar modified to enable ornaments characteristic of the sitar), 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 this recording 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, entitled 'Sympathetic Serenade,' is available May 22, 2012, as a download complete with nine pages of digital liner notes at digital retailers such as iTunes, and as a signed CD-R exclusively at Ancient-Future.Com.

Scalloped Fretboard Guitar

Hi-Res Instrument Photo by Teja Gerken taken for article in ACOUSTIC GUITAR (5 MB, 300 dpi 6" x 12.2")

Already well known as the leader of the trailblazing world music group Ancient Future, Matthew Montfort's solo recordings showcase his pioneering work on the scalloped fretboard guitar. In late 1978, luthier Ervin Somogyi carved out the wood between the frets of Montfort's Gibson SJ Deluxe so that the pads of his fingers touch only the strings, reducing friction while bending them to produce ornaments more characteristic of the sitar. While visually subtle, the difference in sound is striking. Montfort had his fretboard scalloped in order to play various forms of world music that require intricate note-bending ornaments while still being able to play chords. He uses the South Indian vina method of bending notes: the strings are pulled across the frets in order to raise the pitch.

Biography

Hi-Res Artist Photo by Julie Marten (2 MB, 300 dpi 4.3" x 6.5")

As leader of the world music group Ancient Future, Matthew Montfort has devoted himself to the scalloped fretboard guitar since 1978. 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 has worked with many world music legends, including tabla phenomenon Zakir Hussain and Chinese zither master Zhao Hui. He has performed hundreds of concerts worldwide since 1978, from New York City's Carnegie Recital Hall to the Atlantis nightclub in Beirut, Lebanon. His scalloped fretboard work was featured in 2003 and 2005 at the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra on the golden coast of Spain, which showcases top guitarists from all over the world. He toured India in 2006 and 2008, performing at the prestigious Festival of India in Mumbai with sitar master Pandit Habib Khan and tabla maestro Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. He has performed live on national shows such as the Echoes Living Room Concerts on PRI, and the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. He holds a B.A. in World Music and Composition and an M.A. in Arts and Media Technology from Antioch University. For his M.A. thesis, 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. Matthew Montfort teaches all styles of guitar along with music theory and repertoire for all instruments. He offers private lessons, music tutorials, and group classes in the San Francisco Bay Area and online via Skype, and is available to teach master classes and workshops worldwide.

Digital Release Specifications

Title: Sympathetic Serenade for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar
Track List: 1. Sympathetic Serenade (Montfort. 10:58)
Artist: Matthew Montfort
Label: Ancient-Future.Com Records EP AF-2012.
Mini EP Download with 9 Page Digital Liner Notes: $2.99 list at iTunes and other digital stores.
Mini EP CD-R Signed by Artist: $12.98 list exclusively at Ancient-Future.Com.
Genres: World Fusion, World Music, Acoustic Guitar.
Release Date: May 22, 2012.
Radio Add Date: June 19, 2012.
Artist Website: www.matthewmontfort.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/matthewmontfort

Quotes

"I first realized Matthew Montfort was a true guitar wizard when he called me on the phone and played me one flawless Hendrix riff after another. We were in the seventh grade. By the time we escaped high school, Matt had gone acoustic, turning coffee house basements into his own planet with fierce improvisations. Now a pioneering master of world fusion, his knowledge and depth are staggering, yet he doesn't let it get in the way of the joy and spirit and soul that we like about music in the first place." — Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedy singer turned spoken word artist
"Matthew Montfort is an American Ravi Shankar on guitar." —Pandit Habib Khan, sitarist
"Matthew Montfort's synthesis of styles and sounds isn't superficial — he plucks the essential musicality of several traditions without discounting them. Beautiful world fusion music." — Roger Carlberg, ELECTRONIC MUSICIAN
"The most beautiful, soulful guitar I have ever heard!!"— Chandi Devi, Editor-in-Chief, KARMACAFE.COM
"Master of the scalloped fretboard guitar." — J. Poet, EAST BAY EXPRESS
"Matthew Montfort plays a special, scalloped fretboard acoustic instrument that lets him get the bends of an Indian sitar. He uses it to weave seductive melodies." — John Diliberto (host of ECHOES, syndicated on PRI stations)
"Thorough knowledge of Hindustani microtonal ornaments, transferred in ways that create one of the most distinctive guitar sounds in contemporary music. 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
"This guitar work is stunning, intricate and wonderfully melodic." — J.W. McClure, VICTORY MUSIC
"The mind-bending playing abilities of guitar virtuoso, Matthew Montfort, stem from the note-bending capabilities of the scalloped fretboard guitar." — Matthew Forss, INSIDE WORLD MUSIC
"Matthew Montfort conjures lovely Asian zither-like inflections with a scalloped fretboard guitar." — GUITAR PLAYER

Hilary Rosen's Uncomfortable Truths About Politics and the Music Industry

Is Hilary Rosen an Uncomfortable Truth Vortex?

By Matthew Montfort

On April 11, CNN pundit Hilary Rosen commented that the wife of presidential candidate Mitt Romney had never worked a day in her life. This of course gave the Republicans an opening to use their patented moral outrage smokescreen to counter their low poll numbers among women voters. Democrats, they maintain, don't appreciate the hard work of stay-at-home moms such as Ann Romney.

More than a decade before Hilary Rosen stubbed her toe on the truth and ignited a Twitter firestorm that made her a household name, she helped me put my foot in my mouth so that the truth could set me free in a legal dispute. As one might expect, this is a bit of a long story. But I'm beginning to think that Hilary Rosen may be an uncomfortable truth vortex.

Before being a pundit, Ms. Rosen was the President of the Recording Industry Association of America, which was how our paths crossed. There was a major hearing in the Napster case, and I was the proposed Class Representative for Independent Musicians versus Napster. I was selected for that role because my world music band, Ancient Future, had an unusually high number of illegal downloads on Napster. I was to meet my attorney, Hannah Bentley, Esq., at the hearing, and afterwards I had a deposition to do at Napster headquarters. When I arrived at the courthouse, my attorney was not there yet, so I asked the court bailiff where I should sit. He sat me down on a front row bench. Soon thereafter, Hilary Rosen came over, introduced herself to me, and then congratulated me on how I had presented the issues facing independent musicians regarding file sharing in an interview on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle business section. I had no idea that there was a story about me in the paper that day. I had been interviewed and photographed weeks before, but nothing had come of it, and so I was suspecting that the interview had been shelved because it wasn't about a major pop star. So I was quite surprised to find out that it had been published the day of this first major hearing in the case.

I thanked Hilary Rosen for her encouraging words. Immediately after that, the man sitting next to me asked me who I was. I launched into my speech about how I was an independent musician who was suing Napster. I told him that I felt the debate was not being properly presented by the media, as they were framing it as the major labels and big rock stars against the advancement of the Internet and poor college students. If that were really the case, I would've been on the side of the Internet and poor college students. But those who were really going to be hurt were the artists who were just getting by, not the big media conglomerates and the major rock stars. The rich or famous would find other ways to make money. But great artists who were not household names, but were doing important work nonetheless, would likely find that although they might have 10 times as many people download their recordings for free, their paid sales would decrease by the same factor. As a result their records would no longer recoup their recording costs, much less produce royalties for the musicians themselves.

At this point, the man sitting next to me said, "I'm Hank Barry, the CEO of Napster. Nice to meet you." This is a very interesting way of meeting someone that you are suing. Nonetheless, recovering from my shock of having just given my whole spiel directly to the opposing side, I immediately explained that I was not against Napster existing, but that I just wanted musicians to be paid for their work. He told me that he originally wanted to charge for downloads and pay the artists, but the major labels wouldn't play ball, so he decided to force the issue by promoting the idea that file sharing was good for the advancement of the Internet and would not harm artists. Little did he know that this would become a popular myth that changed the public's attitude about paying for music permanently, causing the collapse of the entire music industry, making even Napster's business plan obsolete. I explained that I had a whole plan to create a statutory rate for downloads, just as the recording industry had a statutory rate that it could use to simplify publishing agreements. I handed him a paper that detailed my proposal. He read the proposal, and then told me that he agreed with much of it and would read some of it in his CNN interview after the hearing.

About then, my attorney showed up, catching me fraternizing with the enemy. But it was too late, as we were having an exciting conversation, and he actually confided to me how nervous he felt being at the hearing. It was then that I offered him my humorous short science fiction story about music on the Internet 30 years into the future: The Adventures of Ustad Global Loopmaster Yahoo in the 21st Century. He read my story right there, a lot of which has actually come true, and appreciated it so much that he immediately passed it around to Napster's very large legal team, which included the famous David Boies of Bush versus Gore fame. This was all very surreal.

I could write a book about everything that happened in this court case after this moment. But what is relevant to Hilary Rosen's uncomfortable truth vortex is that her introduction was the catalyst for a very interesting interaction. Hank Barry went on to lobby Congress to create a system very similar to my statutory rate proposal. Ironically, Napster not only stole my music, but also my solution to their problem. Unfortunately, that solution was opposed by the major labels. Sen. Orrin Hatch was at first intrigued by the proposal, but after the major media companies called it government price-fixing, he opposed it. Never mind the fact that the same companies love statutory rates when they benefit from them in negotiations with publishers. I made another proposal, Open Market Digital Distribution, which would have allowed copyright holders to set their own rates for statutory licenses, but the major labels opposed that as well, likely because it would have given the artists more power than they had at the time.

The major labels won their battle against Napster, but lost the war against illegal downloads, perhaps partly because they held on to their power over artists at the expense of creating a business model for downloads that would have worked for everyone. Perhaps the Republicans have just won their faux battle over the value of stay-at-home moms, but they still might lose a few elections due to their war on the reproductive rights of women. Perhaps that is how a truth vortex functions.

Ancient Future band leader and scalloped fretboard guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort has over 30 years of experience in every aspect of the music business. He received widespread media coverage for his role as a class representative for independent musicians in the Napster court case. He has recorded with legendary world music figures such as tabla master Zakir Hussain. He has performed concerts world wide, 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 shows such as the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC.

Ancient Future Nominated for World Music Awards from About.com and ZoneMusicReporter

Ancient Future Nominated for Two World Music Awards

About.com World Music Trailblazer Award and ZoneMusicReporter World Music Album of the Year

Ancient Future Receives About.com Reader's Choice Award Nomination

On February 21, 2012, About.com announced that their readers had nominated Ancient Future for an award that seems tailor-made for the pioneering world fusion music ensemble: the About.com World Music Trailblazer Award!

To quote About.com, "This award is the second of our two artist's awards, intended for a band or artist who is breaking new territory in the realm of world music. That could mean an artist combining ancient instruments with modern recording techniques, a band who fuses multiple genres of ethnic music into something completely new, a pair of artists who've made a cross-cultural CD together, or any number of other things."

Formed in 1978, Ancient Future is the world's first and longest-running band dedicated to the creation of world fusion music, and as such it has been doing all of these things for over three decades! About.com readers and fans of Ancient Future can vote for the band in the World Music Trailblazer category at:

http://worldmusic.about.com/b/2012/02/21/2012-about-com-world-music-readers-choice-awards-vote-now.htm

Readers can vote once daily in each category. Voting closes March 21.

Ancient Future Receives Best World Music Album of the Year Nomination

The About.com Reader's Choice Award was Ancient Future's second world music award nomination of the month. On February 12, 2012, ZoneMusicReporter announced that World Without Walls by Ancient Future with special guest Zakir Hussain was nominated by broadcasters worldwide for Best World Album of 2011. The record debuted at #39 on the October 2011 ZMR Airplay Chart, which covers many different radio genres, from Ambient to Folk, Jazz, and World, and at #34 on the CMJ New World Chart in November 2011. Final award winners will be announced by ZoneMusicReporter on March 11th, 2012.

On June 7, 2011, the exact lineup of Ancient Future that performed on the band's influential World Without Walls recording reunited to perform for the first time in over 15 years at Yoshi's San Francisco and other venues. To celebrate the reunion, Capitol/EMI Records released the first ever digital version of Ancient Future's classic 1990 World Without Walls recording. Downloads are now available at all major digital retailers (iTunes, etc.). For those who prefer CDs, a limited number of rare collectible original 1990 edition copies signed by Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort are on sale exclusively at Ancient-Future.Com.

Youtube Video of 'Turkish Taffy' Recorded at Yoshi's, San Francisco, 6/7/11

Ancient Future Band Biography

Ancient Future circa 1990. 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. 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.

Media Links

About.com Reader's Choice Award Voting:
http://worldmusic.about.com/b/2012/02/21/2012-about-com-world-music-readers-choice-awards-vote-now.htm

ZoneMusicReporter Best of 2011 Nominated Records:
http://www.zonemusicreporter.com/admin/nominees.asp

'World Without Walls' CD:
http://www.ancient-future.com/world.html

'World Without Walls' on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/world-without-walls/id438014498?uo=4

Video of 'Turkish Taffy' Recorded at Yoshi's, San Francisco, 6/7/11:
http://youtu.be/e0YyuM7YTIo

'World Without Walls' Hi-Res Square Cover Art (3 MB):
http://www.ancient-future.com/images/world1500sq.jpg

Ancient Future circa 1990. Hi-Res photo by Irene Young (14.7" x 9.7" sepia jpg, 7.2 MB):
http://www.ancient-future.com/images/1990ancientfuture300dpi15x10sepia.jpg

 

PRESS RELEASE: World Without Walls by Ancient Future with Zakir Hussain Nominated ZMR Best World Album of 2011

Ancient Future Receives Best World Music Album of the Year Nomination from ZoneMusicReporter

World Without Walls by Ancient Future with special guest Zakir Hussain was nominated by broadcasters worldwide as ZoneMusicReporter's Best World Album of 2011. The record debuted at #39 on the October 2011 ZoneMusicReporter Airplay Chart, which covers many different radio genres, from Ambient to Folk, Jazz, and World, and followed that up with a debut at #34 on the CMJ New World Chart in November 2011.

Radio broadcasters who report to the ZoneMusicReporter charts are eligible to vote. Final award winners will be announced on March 11th, 2012.

ZoneMusicReporter Best of 2011 Nominated Records

'World Without Walls' by Ancient Future featuring Tabla Master Zakir Hussain on Capitol Records

Youtube Video of 'Turkish Taffy' Recorded at Yoshi's, San Francisco, 6/7/11

On June 7, 2011, the exact lineup of Ancient Future that performed on the band's influential World Without Walls recording reunited to perform for the first time in over 15 years at Yoshi's San Francisco and other venues. To celebrate the reunion, Capitol/EMI Records has released the first ever digital version of Ancient Future's classic 1990 World Without Walls recording. It is available now for download purchase at all major digital retailers (iTunes, etc.). For those who prefer CDs, a limited number of rare collectible original 1990 edition copies signed by Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort are on sale exclusively at Ancient-Future.Com.

As its name suggests, World Without Walls by Ancient Future depicts a musical world without borders. This classic 1990 recording features Ancient Future members Matthew Montfort (guitars), Jim Hurley (violin), Doug McKeehan (keys), and Ian Dogole (percussion), plus special guest performances by world music legend and tabla master Zakir Hussain. The inviting melodies and ingenious use of ethnic textures make World Without Walls one of Ancient Future's most accessible and broadly appealing releases ever.

Tabla master Zakir Hussain

Ancient Future Band Biography

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

"What's an album like World Without Walls doing in the GEPR (Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progessive Rock)? 'That's not prog!' I hear you say. Well, in my view it's definitely progressive, in the true sense of the word, rather than the 'sounds like Yes, Genesis or King Crimson' sense. Ancient Future coined the phrase 'World Fusion' to describe their music. Not insipid easy-listening 'World Music', though it might make you think of that if you aren't listening closely. 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, and now offered as a digital download for the first time." – Fred Trafton, Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progessive Rock (Nov 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. It showed up when much of the music on the radio was pretty much disposable (something that, unfortunately, hasn't changed so much), when the new jazz at the time was still inspired by polyrhythms rather than melody, and the alt music scene was . . . well, kind of grungy. 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. The core lineup played acoustic and electric guitars, violin, keyboards and percussion, with guests stepping in on bass, Chinese flutes, and the genius of Zakir Hussain on tabla.​And you know what? World Without Walls sounds as fresh and invigorating today as it did all those years ago upon its intial release. There's not a single bad moment on the album." – Charles de Lint, SleepingHedgehog.com (Nov 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. Within the offerings one clearly hears the ethnic influences of China, India, Africa, South America, Indonesia and the Middle East to name a few. World-class musicians including award-winning guitarist, Matthew Montfort, composer/violinist Jim Hurley and Zakir Hussain, master of the North Indian Tabla have blended these various musical styles and phrasings into a musical fusion that honors and yet transcends the cultural and political boundaries. 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)

"San Francisco Bay Area-based Ancient Future was all about 'world fusion' before world music was even a genre. Violinist Jim Hurley came on board for this long-out-of-print 1990 outing, joining the core group of guitarist Matthew Montfort, keyboardist Doug McKeehan and percussionist Ian Dogole and remaining as a member for the rest of the group's seven studio albums. Tabla player extraordinaire Zakir Hussain was recruited for three songs. Several exotic instruments spice up this instrumental stew, including electric violin and synthesized thumb piano ('Dance of the Rain Forest'), steel drums ('April Air'), and Balinese gamelan and Chinese flute ('Nyo Nyo Gde'). Other highlights are 'Lakshmi Rocks Me,' a tribute to south Indian violinist L. Shankar; 'End of the Beginning,' a mashup of ancient Celtic and Indian influences; 'Turkish Taffy,' boasting a triple-lead attack comprising guitar, piano and acoustic violin; 'Indra's Net,' inspired by Hindu mythology and featured in the soundtrack for the drift-net fishing documentary 'Closing the Curtains of Death'; and 'Gopi Song,' a tip of the hat to Pandit Ram, master of a north Indian bowed string instrument called the sarangi." – Peter Hund, Good New Music (Sept 2011)

"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)

Sympathetic Strings & Resonant Reeds: A Benefit Concert for Matthew Montfort

Financially Supporting his Recovery from a Wrist Injury

Featuring Acoustic Guitar Icon Alex de Grassi, Reed Virtuoso Paul McCandless, Classical Guitar Virtuoso Jon Mendle, Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble, and an Acoustic Guitar Round-Robin with Teja Gerken and Ronnie Ray Padilla

Wednesday, February 29, 7:30 PM
142 Throckmorton Theatre
142 Throckmorton Avenue
Mill Valley, CA 94941
Tix: $20 general, $30 reserved seating.
Info: 415-383-9600
Venue Website: http://www.142ThrockmortonTheatre.com
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/215454935212972/
Press Release: http://www.ancient-future.com/pr_2_29_12.html
Poster (401k pdf): http://www.ancient-future.com/pdf/2_29_12benefit.pdf
Wrist Recovery Donations: http://www.ancient-future.com/donation.html#injury.

Sympathetic Strings & Resonant Reeds Benefit Concert Program

'Sympathetic Strings & Resonant Reeds' is a multi-artist bill featuring sets by acoustic guitar icon Alex de Grassi; Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble featuring Grammy-winning reed player Paul McCandless, Ancient Future percussionist Ian Dogole, and bassist Fred Randolph; classical guitarist Jon Mendle, who has performed with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble; and an acoustic guitar round-robin with Teja Gerken and Ronnie Ray Padilla. There will be some collaborations between the performers as well. For example, Paul McCandless will be adding his resonant reeds in concert with the sympathetic strings of some of the other artists, such as Alex de Grassi, with whom he has a history of performing.

Matthew Montfort

Hi-Res Photo by Julie Marten. 5" x 3" 600 dpi jpeg (2 MB)

The concert is a benefit for guitarist Matthew Montfort of the world fusion music band Ancient Future. Funds go to support his recovery from a wrist injury that resulted in the cancellation of several months of performances. Wrist injury recovery donations are also accepted online at ancient-future.com.

Montfort is a pioneer of the scalloped fretboard guitar (an instrument combining qualities of the South Indian vina and the steel string guitar). In 2009, he released his first solo guitar recording, 'Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar,' which debuted at #8 on the ZMR World Radio Chart. He has performed concerts world wide, 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. 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. He teaches music privately at his studio in San Rafael, California, and online via Skype.

Performers

Alex de Grassi (Acoustic Guitar Icon)

Hi-Res Photo. 5" x 8" 300 dpi jpg (2.4 MB)

Though born in Yokosuka, Japan, Alex de Grassi grew up in San Francisco, California, where his grandfather played violin for the San Francisco Symphony and his father was a classical pianist. At age thirteen he learned to play the trumpet but soon taught himself the guitar, the instrument for which he is now famous. He has performed at such notable venues as the Montreux Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall, Belfast International Festival, Telluride, and Wolftrap. Alex is the subject of a PBS concert/interview television show, Alex de Grassi: The Artist's Profile, and is both a Grammy Award and Indie award nominee. He performed as a guest artist on Ancient Future's 1986 release, 'Quiet Fire,' on Montfort's composition, 'Caged Lion (Escapes).'

Paul McCandless (Reed Virtuoso)

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During a distinguished career spanning three decades, Paul McCandless has brought a soaring lyricism to his playing and composing that has been integral to the ensemble sound of two seminal world music bands, the original Paul Winter Consort and the relentlessly innovative quartet, Oregon. A gifted multi-instrumentalist and composer, McCandless has specialized in an unusually broad palette of both single and double reed instruments that reflect his grounding in both classical and jazz disciplines.

Performing with Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble

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"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." — LATIN BEAT MAGAZINE

Mariah Parker (Composer, Pianist, Santurist)

While completing her degree in music at UC Santa Cruz, Mariah Parker worked with ethnomusicologist Fred Lieberman and Mickey Hart on the 'Planet Drum' project. She has performed in festivals in the US and Europe, and worked with many musicians of note including composer Pauline Oliveros, the late Dumisani Maraire (renowned composer from Zimbabwe). She has studied with jazz great Art Lande and Latin jazz pianist extraordinaire Rebeca Mauléon, and performs regularly with the innovative world music group Ancient Future. She released her first solo recording of her compositions, 'Sangria' (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2017), in February of 2009. Her CD release party and debut of her Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble drew a full house at the famous Yoshi's Jazz Club in Oakland.

Ian Dogole (Global Percussion)

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 is a member of Ancient Future, and has recorded and performed with artists such as Hamza el Din, Tito La Rosa, and Alex DeGrassi on a wide variety of percussion instruments, including udu, cajon, hang, African talking drum, kalimbas, cymbals and dumbek. Ian has received numerous grants, including a Jazz Performance Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and grants from the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music (SFFCM).

Fred Randolph (Bass)

While working on his Masters Degree in Composition at CSU Hayward, Fred Randolph fell under the spell of the bass, captivated by its endless possibilities. An accomplished performer, composer, arranger, and educator, Fred is a first-call bassist for many of the Bay Areas finest jazz ensembles, including the Contemporary Jazz Orchestra and Sandy Cressmans Homenagem Brasileira, Marcos Silva, and Frank Martin.

Jon Mendle (Classical Guitar Virtuoso)

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Since making his Carnegie Hall debut at age 19, classical guitarist Jon Mendle is rapidly building a career as a performer, teacher, arranger, and composer. He has since gone on tour with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. Jon began studying the guitar at the age of 12, and recently finished his graduate studies at the San Francisco Conservatory under the tutelage of renowned guitarist Sergio Assad, earning a Master of Music degree in Classical Guitar Performance. In 2009, he won the San Francisco Conservatory of Music's biennial Guitar Concerto Competition, playing Heitor Villa-Lobos' Concerto for Guitar and Small Orchestra. He performed this work with the San Francisco Conservatory Orchestra in May 2010.

Acoustic Guitar Round-Robin

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This format is well-known to Bay Area acoustic guitar fans. Teja Gerken, an editor of Acoustic Guitar Magazine, has hosted round-robins at venues such as San Francisco's Bazaar Cafe, the Sleeping Lady Cafe, and Freight and Salvage for over a decade now, performing over 100 shows with over 100 players!

Teja Gerken (Fingerstyle Guitar)

Born in Germany in 1970, Teja Gerken began his journey on the guitar at the age of six and became a serious student of the instrument after his family moved to California in the mid '80s. Weaving together influences of folk, jazz, classical, and world music, Teja's playing reflects his diverse musical interests. Teja has shared the stage with guitar visionaries such as John Renbourn, Alex de Grassi, Peter Finger, and Henry Kaiser, as well as with his mentors, Duck Baker and Peppino D'Agostino. He has been a featured guest at the International Guitar Night, and in 2004, he participated in a ten-city tour of Hungary.

Ronnie Ray Padilla (Guitar, Vocals)

A San Francisco Bay Area musician, Ronnie Ray Padilla is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and vocalist whose style spans pop, funk, jazz, afro and several global styles. He has recorded with Billy Young (formerly of Earth, Wind and Fire), Kenneth Nash (formerly with Herbie Hancock, Weather Report and many more), Lion of Juda (Jamaican reggae band), Rocker-T (dance-hall recording artist), and many other artists.

105 Word Radio Announcement

On Wednesday, February 29, at 7:30 PM the 'Sympathetic Strings and Resonant Reeds' concert to benefit pioneering scalloped fretboard guitarist Matthew Montfort, who is recovering from a wrist injury, will be held at 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, California. The show features sets by acoustic guitar icon Alex de Grassi, Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble featuring Grammy-winning reed player Paul McCandless and Ancient Future percussionist Ian Dogole, classical guitarist Jon Mendle who has performed with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, and an acoustic guitar round-robin with Teja Gerken and Ronnie Ray Padilla. For more information, call 415-383-9600 or visit www.142ThrockmortonTheatre.com.

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PRESS RELEASE: Online Private Lessons with Ancient Future Guitarist Matthew Montfort

Ancient Future Guitarist Matthew Montfort Offers Online Music Lessons

(Shown: Photos of recent student recital featuring students of Matthew Montfort performing on the backyard stage.)

Via Skype

Or Other Web cam Chat, Video Conferencing, and Multimedia File Exchange Services

Matthew Montfort, bandleader and pioneering scalloped fretboard guitarist with the innovative world music group Ancient Future, is now offering all styles and levels of guitar instruction as well as lessons on any of the subjects on the Ancient-Future.Com world music education web site via private Skype lessons. The lessons can also be conducted through other webcam chat and conferencing services, through audio and video correspondence, or in person at his studio in the Gerstle Park area of San Rafael in Marin County, California for those in the San Francisco Bay Area. Instruction is tailored to the individual needs of the student.

Guitar instruction is available in any style ranging from folk, jazz, blues, rock, and classical, to world music forms including flamenco, Indian, Arabic, and African music. Instruction including instrumental technique is also available for bass, fretless bass, mandolin, ukulele, sitar, charango and other unusual plucked instruments.

For those who already have technique on their instrument of choice, instruction and coaching is also available on improvisation, solo development, reading Western notation, reading Indian notation, composition, music theory, record production, rhythm training, and world music forms such as Balinese gamelan, West African polyrhythms, Indian raga and tala, Arabic maqam, and Latin rhythms such as rumba, bossa, samba, and choro.

Music lessons make an excellent gift, and the launch of this service is being celebrated with introductory sale rates on individual lessons, starting as low as $45.

For further information, visit matthewmontfort.com or send an email to info@ancient-future.com.

Lesson Links

45 Minute Lesson. $45. Buy 1 Now. 60 Minute Lesson. $60. Buy 1 Now. Lesson prices include email or phone consultation prior to first Skype session, custom .pdf of lesson plan with written music if desired in Western notation, guitar tablature, drum tablature, Indian sargam, or other appropriate system, related audio or video files if needed, private Skype session, and follow up consultation if needed.

45 Minute Lesson Buy Link: http://www.ancient-future.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=BASK&Store_Code=AWMC&Product_Code=LESSON45&Attributes=Yes&Quantity=1&Action=ADPR

60 Minute Lesson Buy Link: http://www.ancient-future.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=OINF&Store_Code=AWMC&Product_Code=LESSON60&Attributes=Yes&Quantity=1&Action=ADPR

Matthew Montfort Teaching Link: http://www.matthewmontfort.com/teaching.html

Skype Lesson Link: http://www.ancient-future.com/skype.html

World Music Education Link: http://www.ancient-future.com/education.html

World Rhythm Training Book Link: http://www.ancient-future.com/atfp.html

5 Page Guitar Player Magazine Lesson (1.4 MB pdf): http://www.ancient-future.com/pdf/MatthewMontfortGuitarPlayerMag.pdf

Matthew Montfort Bio

Hi-Res Artist Photo by Julie Marten (2 MB, 300 dpi 4.3" x 6.5"): http://www.ancient-future.com/images/matthewmontfort600.jpg

Born in Colorado, Matthew Montfort was initially attracted to the guitar due to the work of Jimi Hendrix. As a teenager, he performed in jazz and rock bands as well as solo classical guitar recitals. As leader of the world music group Ancient Future, Matthew Montfort has devoted himself to the scalloped fretboard guitar since 1978. He holds an M.A. in music from Antioch University and spent years of study with some of the world's best musicians, including North Indian sarod master Ali Akbar Khan and vina master K.S. Subramanian, with whom he did an intensive study of South Indian note-bending techniques. He has performed concerts worldwide, from the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra in Spain to the Festival of India in Mumbai. He has worked with many world music legends, including tabla phenomena Zakir Hussain and Swapan Chaudhuri, sitar master Pandit Habib Khan, Carnatic saxophone legend Dr. Kadri Gopalnath, and Chinese zither master Zhao Hui.

Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities

Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities is the "world beat bible" by Matthew Montfort. The book takes the student on a musical voyage through these great ancient rhythmic traditions with a series of exercises that require no instruments to perform. Interesting, imaginative and fun, these rhythm exercises will be of immense help to all musicians, useful for both home study and in the classroom.

Ancient Traditions -- Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali and India. By Matthew Montfort. Mill Valley: Panoramic Press, 1985. ISBN 0-937879-00-2. Spiral Bound Book/Enhanced 2 Audio CD Set with MIDI Soundfiles: $52.95 (SALE! Normally $69.95): Buy 1 Now.

Matthew Montfort's "Purple Raga"

5 Page Guitar Player Magazine Lesson (1.4 MB pdf): http://www.ancient-future.com/pdf/MatthewMontfortGuitarPlayerMag.pdf

The December 2009 collectible commemorative Les Paul issue of Guitar Player Magazine includes a full page feature with a photo of Matthew Montfort superimposed over psychedelic artwork portraying Jimi Hendrix and an interview with Montfort about the scalloped fretboard guitar, Indian raga, and his thoughts about the relationship of Indian raga to the music of Jimi Hendrix with links to related material on GuitarPlayer.com, which also hosted a video of Matthew Montfort performing his "Purple Raga" composition on a Godin Glissentar, an 11 string fretless guitar endorsed by Montfort.

Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar

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Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. (AF 2008). $17.98: Buy 1 Now.

The debut recording by Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort showcases his pioneering work on the scalloped fretboard guitar, a special modified instrument able to produce ornaments characteristic of the sitar.

 

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