Power Trios
Power Trio Hi-Res Photo (300 dpi, 6 x 3). Shown: Matthew Montfort (guitar)
Aditya Kalyanpur (tabla), Doug McKeehan (keys).
Ancient Future Power Trios
These acoustic/electric power trio programs are perfect for outdoor festivals, clubs, and concert halls where an uptempo and engaging presentation is a must.
Venues: Outdoor Festivals, Concert Series, Concert Halls, Clubs, Universities, Raves, Events
Traditions: World Music,World Fusion, Indian Jazz, Indian Fusion, Flamenco Fusion, Prog, Jam Band
Moods: Ecstatic, Energetic, Euphoric, Ethereal, Exciting, Exotic, Festive, Fiery, Mystical, Passionate, Powerful, Thrilling, Uplifting, Yearning
Hashtags: #Uptempo, #Festival, #WorldMusic, #WorldFusion, #IndianFusion, #FlamencoFusion, #Prog, #DeadHeadsCanDance
Guitar/Tabla/Keys Power Trio
This uptempo program features world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort, virtuoso keyboardist Doug McKeehan, and Indian tabla phenomenon Aditya Kalyanpur.
Montfort and McKeehan have played hundreds of concerts together with master musicians from many different traditions, and Montfort and Kalyanpur are known for their duet program that fires up crowds at outdoor festivals. This virtuoso trio's uptempo program is an exhilarating and improvisatory take on Ancient Future's broad repertoire mixing strains of passionate flamenco, ethereal Indian raga, progressive rock, and jazz virtuosity.
Featured Musicians
Aditya Kalyanpur (Indian tabla)
Hi-Res Photo of Aditya Kalyanpur
Beginning his studies at the age of five under the vigilance of tabla maestro late Ustad Allarakha and tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, Aditya is considered as one of the most promising torchbearers of the Punjab Gharana style of tabla performance. Aditya was first seen with his guru Ustad Zakir Hussain for the famous "Wah Taj!" television commercial at the age of 11. Having the honor of being recognized as an "A" Grade Artist of All India Radio, he has given public performances along with his guru. Since then he has lent the enchanting music of his tabla to numerous commercials. We hear his tabla ringing in the background of the film "Everybody Says I am Fine" where Zakir Hussain composed the background score. To quote the acknowledging words of tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain for his young, talented disciple; "Even a young player like, say, Aditya Kalyanpur has the ability to approach the instrument with much more expertise than someone of his age would do 30 years ago." Honored with the title of 'Taal – Mani', Aditya Kalyanpur is the recipient of I.T.C's prestigious "Vidyasagar Award" as well as the "Sangeet Visharad." He has performed with many famous groups in a variety of genres, including the Rolling Stones.
Doug McKeehan (keys)
Doug McKeehan started his piano studies at age five, and began his first professional work at the age of twelve. He studied music at the Oberlin Conservatory, Kent State University, and the University of Otago (New Zealand). He has toured Europe twice and spent considerable time in India studying with notable Indian music teachers such as Pandit Ram Narayan, Ustad Kursheed Khan and Pandit A.G. Bhattacharya. He has composed original music for stage and T.V. productions in San Francisco and Los Angeles and has been musical director of two original musical comedy productions. He cofounded Air Craft with violinist Bruce Bowers, which released a highly acclaimed progressive jazz album, So Near, So Far (Crafted Air CA 30100). Since joining Ancient Future in 1985, he has performed hundreds of concerts with the band.
Matthew Montfort (band leader, scalloped fretboard guitar)
Hi-Res Photo of Matthew Montfort
Matthew Montfort is the leader of the world fusion music ensemble Ancient Future. He is a pioneer of the scalloped fretboard guitar (an instrument combining qualities of the South Indian vina and the steel string guitar). Montfort spent three months in intensive study with vina master K.S. Subramanian in order to fully apply the South Indian gamaka (note-bending) techniques to the guitar. In 2009, he released his first solo guitar recording, Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar, which debuted at #8 on Zone Music Reporter's Top 100 February 2009 World Radio Chart, and held the #34 spot on the Top 100 of 2009. He has performed concerts worldwide, including at the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra on the golden coast of Spain near Barcelona and the Mumbai Festival at the Gateway of India in Bombay. He has performed live on national radio and TV shows such as the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Montfort wrote the book Ancient Traditions - Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali, and India, which has been used by many musicians to improve their rhythm skills.
Guitar/Tabla/Bass Power Trio
Ancient Future at Moscow Renaissance Fair, Moscow, Idaho, May 2015.
Shown: Matthew Montfort, Vishal Nagar, and Jason Everett
Passionate Yet Ethereal Uptempo Music
Strains of passionate flamenco and ethereal Indian raga soar over powerful bass in this program featuring world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort, renowned Indian tabla virtuoso Vishal Nagar, and seven-string fretless bassist Jason Everett. A live recording from the power trio's first Pacific Northwest tour was released in 2016 exclusively to supporters of Ancient Future's fan funded Archive of Future Ancient Recordings.
Featured Videos
Ancient Future Power Trio with Matthew Montfort, Aditya Kalyanpur, and Frank Martin
This YouTube preview video features excerpts from a live recordings of this exact program!
Ancient Future Power Trio with Matthew Montfort, Vishal Nagar, and Jason Everett
This YouTube sampler video features excerpts from live recordings of this exact program!
Featured Tracks
>YTmusic (Power Trio repertoire). Studio recordings of the repertoire that is played by this ensemble variation in concert.
Gamarock (Matthew Montfort. 6:25). Inspired on a study trip to Bali by the gamelan (percussion orchestra) music that fills the night air, and the Balinese love affair with a form of music known as Rock and Roll . What to you get when you cross gamelan with rock? You guessed it...Gamarock. The song includes a kotèkan (Balinese interlocking rhythm) from the Gamelan Anklung repertoire. >YTmusic.
Yearning for the Wind (Matthew Montfort) 9:37. >YTmusic. >soundcloud. >ethnocloud. Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitars) and Vishal Nagar (tabla).
Featured Musicians
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, 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 has released two solo guitar recordings: Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar and Sympathetic Serenade, for which he was lauded 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, Tommy Emmanuel, Doc Watson, and Alex De Grassi. 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.
Vishal Nagar (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, as a child he was 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 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 many renowned artists: Ustad Shujaat Khan, Guru Urmila Nagar, Vidhwan Trichur Ramachandran, Pandit Ramesh Misra, and Kala Ramnath, to name a few. 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.
Jason Everett (seven-string fretless bass)
Hi-Res Photo of Jason Everett (1 MB)
"A wonderful bassist to check out!" — BASS FRONTIERS MAGAZINE
Jason Everett (aka Mister E) is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and producer who plays a variety of stringed and percussive instruments including his custom Conklin seven-string fretless bass guitar. Jason attended Northern Arizona University on a full scholarship for music and started playing professional gigs at sixteen years old. He was originally inspired to explore world music after hearing Quiet Fire, the title track to Ancient Future's third album. This passion for world music evolved to avid listening to the works of Indian masters like Ali Akbar Khan, Ravi Shankar, and Zakir Hussain as well as fusion artists like John McLaughlin, Trilok Gurtu, Matthew Monfort, Pharaoh Sanders, and George Brooks. Jason started his own world fusion group in 1990 called Tal Maya and has since played with many well-known Indian, Arabic, jazz fusion and flamenco artists including Vishal Nagar, Andre Feriante, John Wubbenhorst, Overton Berry, Tarana, and Facing East.
Contact Info
Tel: 415-459-1892. info@ancient-future.com
Booking: Additional booking information, or use the contact information above.
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Concerts: Current list of shows online.
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