Sept 2012 Issue:
Welcome to the Ancient Future Times
In this issue:
Ancient Future World Without Walls Lineup Reunion Concert
•The Frick Museum, Pittsburgh, PA, Sept 7, 7 PM
Scalloped Fretboard Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort Makes 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists List
•DigitalDreamDoor.com's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists
Randy Mead Memorial Concert
•A Benefit for the Mead Family
Ancient Future World Without Walls Lineup Reunion Concert
First Friday's at the Frick, Pittsburgh, PA, Sept 7
Ancient Future circa 1990. Photo by Irene Young.
Friday, Sept 7, 7 PM
Fridays at the Frick
Frick Art & Historical Center
The Great Lawn
7227 Reynolds Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15208
Suggested donation: $5; children free
Info: email info@TheFrickPittsburgh.org or call 412-371-0600
Video of 'World Without Walls' Reunion Concert
On Sept 7, 2012, the lineup of Ancient Future that composed the music on the band's influential World Without Walls recording will reunite to perform for the first time after the reissue of their classic 1990 record on Capital Records last year. The reunion show at the Frick features Matthew Montfort on scalloped fretboard guitar, Jim Hurley on violin, Doug McKeehan on keyboards, and Jim Santi Owen on percussion. This rare Northeast concert is Ancient Future's debut performance in Pittsburgh.
Ancient Future Receives Best World Music Album of the Year Nomination from ZoneMusicReporter
World Without Walls by Ancient Future (Capitol/Sona Gaia 163). iTunes. >YTmusic.
World Without Walls by Ancient Future with special guest Zakir Hussain was nominated by broadcasters worldwide in February 2012 as ZoneMusicReporter's 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. The 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.
Tabla master Zakir Hussain
"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)
Scalloped Fretboard Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort Makes 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists List
DigitalDreamDoor.com's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists
DigitalDreamDoor.com is a website featuring Greatest 100 Music, Movie, and Book lists. On August 12, 2012, scalloped fretboard guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort was added to their 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists list. Inclusion on this list of the world's best acoustic guitarists is based on originality, innovation, technique, and influence on other musicians. The list is intended for musicians whose primary instrument is the acoustic guitar, but not including the pioneers of jazz, classical, or flamenco, as DigitalDreamDoor.com maintains separate lists for those genres. Matthew Montfort joins luminaries such as Michael Hedges, Leo Kottke, Chet Atkins, John Fahey, Adrian Legg, Merle Travis, John Renbourn, Tommy Emmanuel, Doc Watson, Pierre Bensusan, Toni Rice, Alex De Grassi, Stefan Grossman, Artie Traum, Joni Mitchell, and Peppino D'Agostino in receiving this honor.
Biography
Video of 'Soul Serenade' from Matthew Montfort's Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar
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. 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.
Sympathetic Serenade for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort (Ancient-Future.Com Records EP AF-2012)
Sympathetic Serenade for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. Ancient-Future.Com EP AF-2012. iTunes. >YTmusic.
Matthew Montfort was added to the 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists List partly in response to the release of his new EP. When Montfort was working on his 2009 debut solo recording for scalloped fretboard guitar, 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 now available 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.
Randy Mead Memorial Concert
A Benefit for the Mead Family
Ancient Future Circa 1982. Shown: Matthew Montfort, Benjy Wertheimer, Randy Mead, and Rick Henderson
Sunday, Sept. 23, 3 PM
Randy Mead Memorial Concert
Open Secret
923 C St.
San Rafael, CA 94901
Suggested Donation: $20
Info: 415-457-4191
On August 5, Randy Mead, who was a member of Ancient Future from 1982 until 1986, passed away unexpectedly at his home in rural Canada. Rick Henderson, who was also a member of Ancient Future in the early 80's, has put together a benefit memorial concert for the Mead family. Performing will by Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Pranesh Khan (tabla), Rick Henderson (sarod, vocal, harmonium), and Yehudit (violin).
Randy Mead played wind instruments on Ancient Future's Quiet Fire record. His song, 'Hillside View,' was a favorite from the release among radio programmers and fans. Besides performing with Ancient Future, Randy was known from his musical contributions on records by multi-instrumentalist Benjy Wertheimer and harpist David Michael. He was always a major part of the musical scene wherever he lived, and will be missed by many.