2013 Issues: March • May • June • September • October • December
December 2013 Issue
Ancient Future Times:
Dickens of an Ancient Future Present Starring Eitherseizer Scrooogle
Dickens of an Ancient Future Present
•By Ancient Future Past, Present, and Future Leader Matthew Montfort with Apologies to Charles Dickens
Pirate and Scrooogle
•Scrooogle is What the Politically Astute Would Call a Person of Corporate Heritage, As was Pirate
Musician's Fund
•The Gentleman Asked Scroogle for Some Slight Provision for the Musicians
Ghost of the Ancient Future Past
•Scrooogle Spoke of an Ancient Future Reunion
Ghost of the Ancient Future Present
•The Gift
Ghost of the Ancient Future Yet to Come
•Future Tour
The End of the Beginning
•I will live in the Ancient Future Past, the Ancient Future Present, and the Ancient Future Yet to Come!
Dickens of an Ancient Future Present
by Ancient Future Past, Present, and Future Leader Matthew Montfort with Apologies to Charles Dickens
I HAVE endeavoured in this Spooky little spoof, to raise the Spirit of a solution to Silicon Skulduggery, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, with their religions, or with me. The Culprits' names are but metaphors for what Man must improve upon, and have been changed to protect the Guilty in hopes they may change their ways. Though it be lengthy for a dispatch of the Digital Age, may it haunt the Interwebs pleasantly.
Pirate and Scrooogle
Torrent Pirate was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. Etherseizer Scrooogle and he were partners for who knows how many years. Scrooogle was his search partner, his ad agency, his friend, and his mourner.
Scrooogle is what the politically astute would call a person of corporate heritage. As was Pirate. Nobody ever stopped them in the street to say, with gladsome looks, "My dear Pirate and Scrooogle, how are you?" Read the full story.
Musician's Fund
"At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooogle," said the gentleman, "it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Musicians. Many are in want of common necessaries to practice their craft. A few of us are endeavouring to raise a fund to buy them some means of production. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?"
"Nothing!" Scrooogle replied. Read on.
While Scrooogle and the other tech titans are not currently interested in supporting the creation of the content they exploit, you, the dear reader may certainly do so. The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings is a collection of new recordings that are available to supporters as they are created.
Recording Newsletter. $15 (receive 128 kbps downloads): Subscribe @ $15. Download Supporter. $25 (320 kbps downloads): Subscribe @ $25. Limited Edition CD Sponsor. $50 (all previous plus CD quality audio): Subscribe @ $50. Honorary A & R Representative. $75 (all previous plus video and 24 bit audio): Subscribe @ $75. Donor VIP. Make Additional Donation.
Ghost of the Ancient Future Past
Scrooogle Spoke of an Ancient Future Reunion Concert
"I am the Ghost of the Ancient Future Past. Rise, and walk with me!" When they entered, preparations for a concert were under way. In came a fiddler with a music-book, and went up to the stage and warmed up, his fingers moving like fifty buzzing bees. In came all the other young musicians with their instruments, bounding to the stage and readying to perform. Read on.
Ghost of the Ancient Future Present
"I am the Ghost of the Ancient Future Present," said the Spirit. "Listen upon me!" Scrooogle reverently did so. "You have never heard the likes of this before!" exclaimed the Spirit. Read on.
The Gift of an Ancient Future Present
- Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2010. List $17.98. Sale: $10. Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic.)
- Sangria by Mariah Parker. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2017. List $17.98. Sale: $10. Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic).
- Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2008. List $17.98. Sale: $10. Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic).
- Sympathetic Serenade by Matthew Montfort. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2012. Signed EP CD-R. List $12.98. Sale: $10. Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic).
- Ancient Traditions–Future Possibilities by Matthew Montfort. Book/Enhanced CD set with MIDI Soundfiles. List $69.95. Sale: $52.95. Add optional Skype lesson for $50 ($60 List). Buy 1 Now.
Ghost of the Ancient Future Yet to Come
"Ghost of the Ancient Future Yet to Come!" Scrooogle exclaimed, "Will you not speak to me?" Read the full story.
Northern California Tour with World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort and Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar
- Friday, January 10, 2014, 8 pm, The Sunflower Center at Lydia's Organics, 1435 N. McDowell Blvd., Suite 100, Petaluma, California 94954. Tix: $12 advance, $15 door. In Your Facebook Event. Tour Press Release.
- Saturday, January 11, 2014, 8 pm, Trinity Chamber Concerts, Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana Street between Bancroft Way & Durant Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94704. Tix: $15 general, $10 senior/disabled/student. In Your Facebook Event. Tour Press Release.
- Sunday, January 12, 2014, 7 pm, Don Quixote's International Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton, CA 95018. Tix: $12 advance, $15 door. In Your Facebook Event. Tour Press Release.
The End of the Beginning
"I will live in the Ancient Future Past, the Ancient Future Present, and the Ancient Future Yet to Come!" Scrooogle repeated, as he scrambled out of bed." Read on.
October 2013 Issue
Ancient Future Times: Ancient Future in Real Time Worldwide Oct. 16
Ancient Future Concert to Stream on ConcertWindow.com
•'World Without Walls' Reunion at Freight and Salvage Streams Live October 16
Fall into the Future Continues
• Four Acclaimed Releases Just $10 Each, 25% off Books, and New Tracks A.F.A.R.
Ancient Future Concert to Stream on ConcertWindow.com
'World Without Walls' Reunion at Freight and Salvage Streams Live October 16
In a first for Ancient Future, their upcoming 'World Without Walls' reunion concert at the Freight & Salvage will be available for viewing anywhere in the world as a live stream! This is a very rare chance for Ancient Future fans worldwide to view a live concert of the exact lineup of the pioneering world music group that performed on Ancient Future's influential World Without Walls and Asian Fusion recordings. They will perform their fourth reunion concert after a 15 year hiatus on Wednesday, October 16, at 8 PM at the Freight and Salvage, located at 2020 Addison Street in Berkeley.
Online tickets are available now for $5 at concertwindow.com. The webshow will not be archived – it's offered only in real time starting at 8 PM Pacific Daylight Time on October 16. It is recommended to purchase a ticket in advance to sign up for an email reminder to tune in for the show at the correct time. For example, for music fans in Mumbai, India, the concert stream will begin at 8:30 AM on October 17.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013, 8 PM PDT
Streaming Live at ConcertWindow.com
Freight and Salvage
2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
Tix: $18.50 advance, $20.50 door, or $5 for live stream
Info: Call 510-644-2020 or email info@freightandsalvage.org
This lineup of Ancient Future played over a hundred concerts together from 1988 to 1995. In 2011, they reunited for the first time in 15 years to perform concerts at Todos Santos Plaza in Concord and Yoshi's in San Francisco. In honor of the reunion concerts, World Without Walls was released digitally by Capitol Records for the first time ever at major digital retailers. Twenty two years after its initial release in 1990, broadcasters worldwide voted the record as one of the top 5 world music releases of 2012. This show features the original lineup of Matthew Montfort on scalloped fretboard guitar, Jim Hurley on violin, Doug McKeehan on keyboards, and Ian Dogole on percussion, plus Kash Killion on bass. Don't miss this very rare event!
'World Without Walls' Reunion Video of 'Indra's Net' Released in Celebration
Live Medley of 'Alap' and 'Indra's Net' Recorded at Yoshi's SF 6/7/11
To celebrate Ancient Future's first worldwide live streaming video concert, this live video recording of a medley of Matthew Montfort's 'Alap' and Jim Hurley's 'Indra's Net' composition has just been released. Inspired by Hindu mythology, 'Indra's Net' was used as a soundtrack for a United Nations documentary film, Closing the Curtains of Death, about drift net fishing. This version was recorded at Yoshi's San Francisco on June 7, 2011, the day of their first performance together in 15 years. The video features Doug McKeehan on piano, Kash Killion on bass, Ian Dogole on percussion, Matthew Montfort on scalloped fretboard guitar, Mariah Parker on santur, Jim Hurley on violin, and Patti Weiss on violin.
Fall into the Future Continues
Four Acclaimed Releases Just $10 Each, 25% off Books, and New Tracks A.F.A.R.
The "Fall into the Future" sale continues through fall with rollbacks to the lowest prices we have ever offered on the following releases. Plus, the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings is close to a fundraising milestone that will propel the project to fall into the future with two new studio tracks!
CDs
Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2010. List $17.98. Sale: $10. Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic.)
Sangria by Mariah Parker. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2017. List $17.98. Sale: $10. Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic).
Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2008. List $17.98. Sale: $10. Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic).
Sympathetic Serenade by Matthew Montfort. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2012. Signed EP CD-R. List $12.98. Sale: $10. Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic).
Books
Ancient Traditions–Future Possibilities by Matthew Montfort. Book/Enhanced CD set with MIDI Soundfiles. List $69.95. Sale: $52.95. Add optional Skype lesson for $50 ($60 List). Buy 1 Now.
The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings Ready to Fall into the Future
The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings concept is to involve fans of world fusion music in supporting the creation of a collection of new recordings that are available to subscribers as they are created, including beautiful digital liner notes of the recording in progress, downloads of all available files in MP3, CD, or hi-res audiophile quality, and files to print an A.F.A.R. So Far CD label, cover, and tray card for CD and hi-res subscribers. You can subscribe for as little as $15 (a real bargain for so much music), or as much as you care to donate. So far, we've raised $2865 of our total project goal of $25,000, and there are already eight tracks in the archive totaling 52 minutes and 31 seconds. Two more studio tracks were completed and mixed over the summer, and will be added when we reach the fundraising milestone of $3000. Please help Ancient Future "fall into the future" by supporting the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings now!
Recording Newsletter. $15 (receive 128 kbps downloads): Subscribe @ $15. Download Supporter. $25 (320 kbps downloads): Subscribe @ $25. Limited Edition CD Sponsor. $50 (all previous plus CD quality audio): Subscribe @ $50. Honorary A & R Representative. $75 (all previous plus video and 24 bit audio): Subscribe @ $75. Donor VIP. Make Additional Donation.
September 2013 Issue
Ancient Future Times: Fall into the Future
Ancient Future 'World Without Walls' Reunion
•Freight and Salvage, Oct. 16: Fourth Reunion Concert After 15 Year Hiatus
Fall into the Future Sale
• Four Acclaimed Releases Just $10 Each, 25% off Books, and New Tracks A.F.A.R.
Musical Awakening of Indian Jazz Concert
• Harris Center, Folsom, Sept. 14, Featuring Binay Pathak, George Brooks, Matthew Montfort, Abbos Kosimov, and Vishal Nagar
Ancient Future 'World Without Walls' Reunion
Freight and Salvage, Oct. 16: Fourth Reunion Concert After 15 Year Hiatus
Ancient Future Performs 'Turkish Taffy' at "World Without Walls" Reunion
Wednesday, October 16, 8 PM
Freight and Salvage
2020 Addison Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Tix: $18.50 in advance, $20.50 at the door.
Info: Call 510-644-2020 or email info@freightandsalvage.org
Press Release.
Poster (703k pdf)
This exact lineup of Ancient Future appeared on the band's influential World Without Walls and Asian Fusion recordings and played over a hundred concerts together from 1988 to 1995. In 2011, they reunited for the first time in 15 years to perform concerts at Todos Santos Plaza in Concord and Yoshi's in San Francisco. In honor of the reunion concerts, World Without Walls was released digitally by Capitol Records for the first time ever at major digital retailers such as iTunes. Twenty two years after its initial release in 1990, broadcasters worldwide voted the record as one of the top 5 world music releases of 2012. In September 2012, the band performed at the Frick Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This show featuring the original lineup of Matthew Montfort on scalloped fretboard guitar, Jim Hurley on violin, Doug McKeehan on keyboards, and Ian Dogole on percussion, plus Kash Killion on bass will be their fourth reunion concert. Don't miss this very rare event!
Fall into the Future Sale
Four Acclaimed Releases Just $10 Each, 25% off Books, and New Tracks A.F.A.R.
For a limited time, Ancient-Future.com is hosting a "Fall into the Future" sale with rollbacks to the lowest prices we have ever offered on the following releases, so now is the time to pick them up! They also make great gifts. Plus, the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings is close to a fundraising milestone that will propel the project to fall into the future with two new studio tracks!
CDs
Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2010. List $17.98. Sale: $10. Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic.)
Sangria by Mariah Parker. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2017. List $17.98. Sale: $10. Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic).
Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2008. List $17.98. Sale: $10. Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic).
Sympathetic Serenade by Matthew Montfort. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2012. Signed EP CD-R. List $12.98. Sale: $10. Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic).
Books
Ancient Traditions–Future Possibilities by Matthew Montfort. Book/Enhanced CD set with MIDI Soundfiles. List $69.95. Sale: $52.95. Buy 1 Now.
"You've heard Afro-Pop, sitar, gamelan and world music for years. But do you know what they are and how they work? Better yet, would you like to play those twisted cross-rhythms and melodies? In Ancient Traditions--Future Possibilities, Matthew Montfort, a founding member of the world music band Ancient Future, has put together the book for people who want to dig into world music with both hands." – Richard Kadrey, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings Ready to Fall into the Future
The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings concept is to involve fans of world fusion music in supporting the creation of a collection of new recordings that are available to subscribers as they are created, including beautiful digital liner notes of the recording in progress, downloads of all available files in MP3, CD, or hi-res audiophile quality, and files to print an A.F.A.R. So Far CD label, cover, and tray card for CD and hi-res subscribers. You can subscribe for as little as $15 (a real bargain for so much music), or as much as you care to donate. So far, we've raised $2850 of our total project goal of $25,000, and there are already eight tracks in the archive totaling 52 minutes and 31 seconds. Two more studio tracks were completed and mixed over the summer, and will be added when we reach the fundraising milestone of $3000. Please help Ancient Future "fall into the future" by supporting the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings now!
Recording Newsletter. $15 (receive 128 kbps downloads): Subscribe @ $15. Download Supporter. $25 (320 kbps downloads): Subscribe @ $25. Limited Edition CD Sponsor. $50 (all previous plus CD quality audio): Subscribe @ $50. Honorary A & R Representative. $75 (all previous plus video and 24 bit audio): Subscribe @ $75. Donor VIP. Make Additional Donation.
Musical Awakening of Indian Jazz Concert
Shown: Matthew Montfort, Binay Pathak, George Brooks, and Vishal Nagar
Harris Center, Folsom, Sept. 14, Featuring Binay Pathak, George Brooks, Matthew Montfort, Abbos Kosimov, and Vishal Nagar
Saturday, September 14th, 2013, 7 PM
Harris Center
Stage 2: City Studio Theater
10 College Parkway
Folsom, CA 95630
Tix: $25. Students with ID & seniors 65 and older, $20.
Info: 916-608-6888
Pandit Binay Pathak (renowned Indian vocalist, harmonium player and composer), George Brooks (jazz saxophonist and composer who's considered a "leading American voice in Indian jazz fusion"), Matthew Montfort (leader of Ancient Future and guitar innovator who's considered one of the world's "Top 100 Acoustic Guitarists"), Abbos Kosimov (Uzbekistan's legendary percussionist) and Vishal Nagar (one of the finest Indian tabla masters of his generation) will perform original compositions that lace ancient elegant melodies with the rhythms of North India and a taste of modal jazz.
June 2013 Issue
Ancient Future Times: Auctioning the Past for the Music of the Future;
Summer Schedule
Auctioning the Past to Pay for the Future
•Rare Items from the Ancient Future Historical Archives Auctioned to Fund the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings
Summer CD Sale
•Four Acclaimed Releases Priced at Just $10 Each for a Limited Time!
Matthew Montfort to be Interviewed on KCSM
•Streams Live
June 20 at 11 PM PST
Summer Solstice Serenades at Garden Gate, Berkeley
•Ancient Future Duet Featuring World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort and Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar
World Rhythms Workshop at Gryphon Strings, Palo Alto
•Got Rhythm? Get the Beats of Africa, Bali, and India
A Meeting of Acoustic Minds at The Old Princeton Landing, El Granada
•Featuring Matthew Montfort, Steve Baughman and Mark Kostrzewa
Auctioning the Past to Pay for the Future
Rare Items from the Ancient Future Historical Archives
Auctioned to Fund the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings
To raise money to fund the next Ancient Future recording, the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, we are debuting a program to auction off rare items from the historical archives of the band Ancient Future. Below are just a few of the items that will be available through Ancient Future's eBay store (ancientfuturemusic) starting now. Check back frequently for more offerings!
Rare Visions of a Peaceful Planet Original Collector's LP
Visions of a Peaceful Planet (Beauty AF-79. >YTmusic) by Ancient Future is the band's debut recording, recorded between December 1978 and May of 1979, when all of the members were studying at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California, under the late sarod master, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
Ancient-Future.Com Records has a very limited number of original vinyl LP copies of this release left. Used Ancient Future LPs have been sold on eBay for $44 by third parties. This copy is an original printing, still unopened! Bidding through Ancient Future's eBay store (ancientfuturemusic) starts at only $35, and the auction winner will also receive a signed certificate of authenticity, a 128 kbps download subscription to the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, and downloads of every track on the record so that the LP itself can remain a pristine collector's item.
Complete Set of Rare Cassettes by Ancient Future
This is a complete set of original virgin unopened cassette copies of Ancient Future's four major label releases: Quiet Fire, Dreamchaser, World Without Walls, and Asian Fusion. Rare copies of these out of print recordings are fetching high prices, as evidenced by this July 2011 review of World Without Walls by Chris Spector at MIDWEST RECORD: "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? More bloody hell, new copies of this are going for over $200 on Amazon! How did I miss this? Fun stuff throughout that still sounds fresh and in the moment today."
Included with the cassettes are a 128 kbps download subscription to the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, a signed certificate of authenticity, and associated downloads. We only have two complete sets, and one is reserved for the Ancient Future archive, so this collector's set of four cassettes and one download subscription is truly a one of a kind! Bidding through Ancient Future's eBay store (ancientfuturemusic) starts at just $75, which is only $15 per recording, and unlike the $200 copies of rare out of print Ancient Future recordings being sold on Amazon.com, the money goes to support the creation of new music!
About The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings
The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings concept is to involve you, fans of world fusion music, in supporting the creation of a collection of new recordings that are available to subscribers as they are created, including beautiful digital liner notes of the recording in progress, downloads of all available files in MP3, CD, or hi-res audiophile quality, and files to print a cover, tray card, and label for an A.F.A.R. So Far CD for CD and hi-res subscribers. You can subscribe for as little as $15 (a real bargain for so much music), or as much as you care to donate. Your help and participation is essential and very much appreciated.
Recording Newsletter. $15 (receive 128 kbps downloads): Subscribe @ $15. Download Supporter. $25 (320 kbps downloads): Subscribe @ $25. Limited Edition CD Sponsor. $50 (all previous plus CD quality audio): Subscribe @ $50. Honorary A & R Representative. $75 (all previous plus video and 24 bit audio): Subscribe @ $75. Donor VIP. Make Additional Donation.
Summer CD Sale
Four Acclaimed Releases Priced at Just $10 Each for a Limited Time
In addition to the A.F.A.R. auction program, we are also having a summer CD sale at Ancient-Future.Com. This is the best pricing we have ever offered on the following releases, so now is the time to pick them up! They also make great gifts for loved ones.
Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2010. List $17.98. Sale: $10. Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic.)
Sangria by Mariah Parker. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2017. List $17.98. Sale: $10. Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic).
Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2008. List $17.98. Sale: $10. Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic).
Sympathetic Serenade by Matthew Montfort. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2012. Signed EP CD-R. List $12.98. Sale: $10. Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic).
Matthew Montfort to be Interviewed on KCSM
Streams Live June 20 at 11 PM PST
Guitarist Matthew Montfort will be interviewed on KCSM on Thursday, June 20th, at 11 PM PST on "All Out" with Greg Bridges, a show focusing on improvisational jazz that pushes the envelope. The interview will stream live at kcsm.org, and Comcast Digital Cable also carries KCSM FM Jazz 91 on Channel 962, so if you have Comcast you can tune in on your TV!
Summer Solstice Serenades at Garden Gate
Ancient Future Duet Featuring
World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort and Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar
Friday, June 21, 8 PM
Garden Gate Creativity Center
2911 Claremont Ave. @ Ashby Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705
Tix: $25
Press Release
Poster.pdf
Experience Summer Solstice Serenades with strains of flamenco and Indian raga in this concert featuring world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort accompanied by renowned Indian tabla virtuoso Vishal Nagar. The program will feature music from the ground breaking world music recordings of Ancient Future along with serenades from Matthew Montfort's solo guitar releases: Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar and Sympathetic Serenade, for which he was lauded as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists.
World Rhythm Workshop at Gryphon Strings
Got Rhythm? Get the Beats of Africa, Bali, and India
Saturday, June 22, 2013, 1 PM to 4 PM
Gryphon Strings
211 Lambert Avenue
Palo Alto, California 94306
Cost: $50.
Info: 650-493-2131. Press Release.
This workshop the weekend of the equinox is a wonderful way to welcome summer with improved timing skills. Matthew Montfort is the author of Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali and India. The book, which is the basis for this world music workshop, has been used by many teachers and musicians around the world, including Reinhard Flatischler, founder of the TaKeTiNa rhythm training process, and Steve Smith, famed jazz and rock drummer.
The workshop is presented in an easy to follow, entertaining yet educational format for all music lovers. African polyrhythms, Balinese kotèkan and Indian classical music were chosen as the source material for the training because these three traditions in combination cover the major types of rhythmic organization used in most of the world's music. Not just for musicians and percussionists, this training can help anyone with a desire to improve their rhythm skills. The workshop is open to all levels, and no musical background is required. Very simple to play percussion instruments will be provided, and participants are free to bring any percussive instrument they enjoy playing.
Rhythm Training Materials
Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities
Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali and India by Matthew Montfort. Book/Enhanced Audio CD Set with MIDI Soundfiles: $52.95 (SALE! Normally $69.95): Buy Link.
"You've heard Afro-Pop, sitar, gamelan and world music for years. But do you know what they are and how they work? Better yet, would you like to play those twisted cross-rhythms and melodies? In Ancient Traditions--Future Possibilities, Matthew Montfort, a founding member of the world music band Ancient Future, has put together the book for people who want to dig into world music with both hands. The first section of the book covers traditional music of West Africa, Bali and India with theories and exercises. Wherever possible, Montfort has provided beat counts alongside the standard musical notation so even if you can't read music, you can still learn the rhythms. The last section of the book mixes patterns from different cultures, demonstrating the powerful music these simple exercises can generate." – Richard Kadrey, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
A Meeting of Acoustic Minds at The Old Princeton Landing
Featuring Matthew Montfort, Steve Baughman and Mark Kostrzewa
Saturday, July 13th, 2013, 3:30 PM to 6 PM
The Old Princeton Landing
460 Capistrano Rd.
El Granada CA 94018
Tix: $10 advance/$12 door. 12 and under free.
Info: 650-728-7096
Three amazing acoustic guitarists will hold a "Meeting of Acoustic Minds" at the Old Princeton Landing in El Granada. World music guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort is known as leader of the seminal world fusion music band Ancient Future and as been recognized as one of the world's 100 greatest acoustic guitarists. Mark Kostrzewa is well known in the Northern California acoustic guitar scene for his coastal-inspired progressive finger-picking originals. Steve Baughman is well known from several CD's for his melodic fingerstyle guitar, drawing upon Celtic, Appalachian, and various ethnic and folks traditions and has five books to his credit with Mel Bay Publications.
May 2013 Issue
Ancient Future Times: Auctioning the Past for the Music of the Future;
Spring into Summer Concerts and Classes
Halanda Studio Presents Ancient Future In Concert May 11
•Featuring Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard and fretless guitars) and Ferhan Qureshi (tabla)
Auctioning the Past to Pay for the Future
•Rare Items from the Ancient Future Historical Archives Auctioned to Fund the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings
Summer Solstice Serenades at Garden Gate
•Ancient Future Duet Featuring World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort and Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar
Spring into Summer Lessons Sale
•Summer is a Great Time to Expand Your Horizons with Fun and Effective Music Lessons
Halanda Studio Presents Ancient Future In Concert May 11
Featuring Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard and fretless guitars) and Ferhan Qureshi (tabla)
Saturday, May 11, 7 PM
Halanda Studio for Dance and Fitness
1062 Lincoln Avenue
San Jose, CA 95125
Registration: $20 in advance, $25 at the door
Press Release
Celtic Raga Program
Celtic (kel'tik), adj. of the Celts, their Indo-European languages, culture, etc.
raga (räg'a), n. [Hind.] a melodic recipe for a mood including ascending and descending note patterns and a hierarchy of note importance
This Mother's Day weekend, strains of ancient Celtic music, Spanish serenades, and Indian raga will emanate from this high energy improvisatory duet featuring world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort accompanied by Ferhan Qureshi on tabla.
Matthew Montfort
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. He is recognized as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists by DigitalDreamDoor.com, a curated "best of" site, and has been featured in the important guitar magazines including GUITAR PLAYER, ACOUSTIC GUITAR, and VINTAGE GUITAR, 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 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.
Ferhan Najeeb Qureshi (tabla)
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.
Auctioning the Past to Pay for the Future
Rare Items from the Ancient Future Historical Archives
Auctioned to Fund the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings
Complete Set of Rare Cassettes by Ancient Future
To raise money to fund the next Ancient Future recording, the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, we are debuting a program to auction off rare items from the historical archives of the band Ancient Future. First up on the auction block is a complete set of new old stock original virgin unopened cassette copies of Ancient Future's four major label releases.
Quiet Fire (Narada/MCA 1012. >YTmusic) established Ancient Future as a strong force in the record stores by selling over 55,000 copies upon release. It features Windham Hill recording artists Alex De Grassi and Darol Anger. Dreamchaser (Sona Gaia/MCA 154. >YTmusic) thrust Ancient Future to #2 on the May 1989 JAZZIZ National Airplay Chart and received a 10 out of 10 rating in CD REVIEW. World Without Walls (Sona Gaia/MCA 163. >YTmusic) features the renowned North Indian tabla master, Zakir Hussain, performing with Ancient Future. Upon its reissue on iTunes in 2011, it was voted by broadcasters worldwide as one of the top 100 world music records of the year. Asian Fusion (Narada Equinox ND-63023. >YTmusic) put Ancient Future in the TOWER PULSE! Top Ten Best Contemporary Instrumental Releases of 1993 List (#4) and was GUITAR PLAYER magazine's "Pick" for April 1994.
Rare copies of these out of print recordings are fetching high prices online, as evidenced by this July 2011 review of World Without Walls by Chris Spector at MIDWEST RECORD: "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? 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."
The auction takes place through Ancient Future's eBay store (ancientfuturemusic), and unlike the $200 copies on Amazon, the money goes to support the creation of new music. Included with the four original cassettes is a certificate of authenticity signed by Ancient Future band leader Matthew Montfort, and a 128 kbps download subscription to the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings. Happy bidding!
The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings
The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings concept is to involve you, fans of world fusion music, in supporting the creation of a collection of new recordings that are available to subscribers as they are created. This year, there have been a number of upgrades to the project:
- Beautiful digital liner notes available now.
- Immediately download files in MP3, CD, or hi-res audiophile quality.
- Eight expertly mixed and mastered live and studio tracks totaling over 52 minutes in the archive available to subscribers right now.
- Files to print a cover, tray card, and label for an A.F.A.R. So Far CD are included for CD and hi-res subscribers.
- To insure the audio is captured at the highest quality possible, investments were made in the monitoring and audio conversion systems.
- Michael Braden, a great videographer working with top quality high resolution digital cameras, has been involved for select sessions.
Enjoy the new additions and improvements to the archive! Please sign up for A.F.A.R. now and help support the creation of this music. You can participate for as little as $15 (a real bargain for so much music), or as much as you care to donate. Your help and participation is essential and very much appreciated.
Recording Newsletter. $15 (receive 128 kbps downloads): Subscribe @ $15. Download Supporter. $25 (320 kbps downloads): Subscribe @ $25. Limited Edition CD Sponsor. $50 (all previous plus CD quality audio): Subscribe @ $50. Honorary A & R Representative. $75 (all previous plus video and 24 bit audio): Subscribe @ $75. Donor VIP. Make Additional Donation.
Summer Solstice Serenades at Garden Gate
Ancient Future Duet Featuring
World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort and Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar
Friday, June 21, 8 PM
Garden Gate Creativity Center
2911 Claremont Ave. @ Ashby Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705
Tix: $25
Press Release
Experience Summer Solstice Serenades with strains of flamenco and Indian raga in this concert featuring world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort accompanied by renowned Indian tabla virtuoso Vishal Nagar. The program will feature music from the ground breaking world music recordings of Ancient Future along with serenades from Matthew Montfort's solo guitar releases: Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar and Sympathetic Serenade, for which he was lauded as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists.
Vishal Nagar (tabla)
"He has magic in his hands" - Hindustan Times
Born into a family of musicians, Vishal has been surrounded by music in an extremely musically creative and artistic environment. 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). Vishal has had the privilege of performing with many renowned Indian artists, and has performed with masters of other world music traditions such as the Ghanaian guitarist Koo Nimo with whom he appeared at 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.
Spring into Summer Lessons Sale
Summer is a Great Time to Expand Your Horizons with
Fun and Effective Music Lessons
60 Minute Skype Lesson: Sale -$60. Buy Link. Four 30 Minute Private Lessons (San Rafael, California): Sale - $150. Buy Link.
Recently recognized as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists, Matthew Montfort teaches all styles of guitar (and other fretted instruments including ukulele, bass, and mandolin) along with world rhythms, music theory, and repertoire for all instruments. 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. Private lessons and online Skype tutorials covering this material are available as well. And for a limited time, an additional discount is automatically offered on a Skype tutorial with a book purchase through Ancient-Future.Com!
He is also accepting a limited number of students at his studio in Marin County, California, and will travel to student's homes in the San Francisco Bay Area. Gift certificates for private lessons in Marin are available, and for online lessons worldwide via Skype.
To contact Matthew Montfort about lessons, e-mail him at info@ancient-future.com or call 415-459-1892.
March 2013 Issue
Ancient Future Times: Spring 2013
A.F.A.R. So Far
•Major Upgrade to the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings!
Ancient Future Performs at Willits Community Theatre, 3/23/2013
•Ancient Future Duet Featuring Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard and fretless guitars) and Mariah Parker (santur)
East West Guitar Summit
•Featuring Matthew Montfort, Matthew Grasso, and Parteek Bansal, Village Homes Community Center, Davis, 3/30/2013
Skype Session Sale
•Fun Learning for All Styles/Ages/Levels with One of the World's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists
A.F.A.R. So Far
Major Upgrade to the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings!
The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings concept is to involve you, fans of world fusion music, in supporting the creation of a collection of new recordings that are available to subscribers as they are created. There are eight expertly mixed and mastered live and studio tracks totaling over 52 minutes in the archive available to subscribers right now! This year, there have been a number of upgrades to the project:
- Beautiful digital liner notes available now.
- Immediately download files in MP3, CD, or hi-res audiophile quality.
- Files to print a cover, tray card, and label for an A.F.A.R. So Far CD are included for CD and hi-res subscribers.
- To insure the audio is captured at the highest quality possible, investments were made in the monitoring and audio conversion systems.
- Michael Braden, a great videographer working with top quality high resolution digital cameras, has been involved for the first series of sessions.
First Studio Recording Session
The first studio track was just added to the archive on February 11, the exact 34th anniversary of the first Ancient Future concert. 'East of the Sun' is a very poignant piece by Matthew Montfort with an Afro 5/8 groove and a haunting melody. The trio version features original Ancient Future tabla player Benjy Wertheimer, Mariah Parker on santur, and Matthew Montfort on scalloped fretboard guitar. The audio from the very first A.F.A.R. recording session is pure magic, and the video provides a fascinating window into the recording process. All of this is available exclusively to A.F.A.R. supporters, so subscribe to Archive of Future Ancient Recordings now!
Overdub Session in Upgraded Studio
The basic tracks for an alternate version of 'East of the Sun' and two other tunes have also been recorded, including one featuring Vietnamese dan bau (a one string instrument with an indigenous version of a whammy bar) master Bui Huu Nhut. These have now been edited and the overdub process has started. Upon his return from a concert tour of India with Zakir Hussain, Uzbeki master percussionist Abbos Kosimov absolutely rocked his March 7 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. In January, Paul McCandless added a haunting oboe overdub on the alternate version of 'East of the Sun.' The next steps are to add Kash Killion on upright bass and bolong (a West African three string instrument with a calabash base), edit the overdubs, and mix and master the three next additions to the archive.
The Future A.F.A.R.
To date, $2730 has been raised towards the $25,000 project goal. There has been vastly more work and investment in the project than funds have been raised to pay for, so your help is needed NOW to finish the work. Money is needed to pay musicians for their services on the recording, to upgrade more of the studio equipment to a higher standard, and to help cover the audio/video editing, mixing, and mastering. The current goal is to raise just four thousand dollars in the next two months to help to complete the basic tracks already recorded and finish the upgrade process to ensure state of the art sound and a faster pace for the rest of the project.
Enjoy the new additions and improvements to the archive! Please sign up for A.F.A.R. now and help support the creation of this music. You can participate for as little as $15 (a real bargain for so much music), or as much as you care to donate. Your help and participation is essential and very much appreciated.
Recording Newsletter. $15 (receive 128 kbps downloads): Subscribe @ $15. Download Supporter. $25 (320 kbps downloads): Subscribe @ $25. Limited Edition CD Sponsor. $50 (all previous plus CD quality audio): Subscribe @ $50. Honorary A & R Representative. $75 (all previous plus video and 24 bit audio): Subscribe @ $75. Donor VIP. Make Additional Donation.
Ancient Future Performs at the Willits Community Theatre, 3/23/2013
Ancient Future Duet Featuring
Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard, fretless guitars) and Mariah Parker (santur)
Saturday March 23, 2013, 8 PM
Willits Community Theatre
37 West Van Lane
Willits, CA 95490
Tix: $15
Doors Open: 7:30 PM
WCT Box Office: 707-459-0895
Press Release
This rare concert at the Willits Community Theatre is the first Ancient Future performance in Mendocino County since July 2006, when they performed their Arabic Dance program as a quartet at Friday Night Live in Cloverdale. This Ancient Future duet program features scalloped fretboard guitarist Matthew Montfort and santurist Mariah Parker, who have performed in Spain at festivals in Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Botarell, Torredembarra, and Salou. They will perform music from Ancient Future's broad repertoire, including current releases on Ancient-Future.Com Records: The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings and Planet Passion (30th Anniversary Remastered Edition) by Ancient Future, Sympathetic Serenade and Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort, and Sangria by Mariah Parker.
East-West Guitar Summit
Featuring Matthew Montfort, Matthew Grasso, and Parteek Bansal
Village Homes Community Center, Davis, 3/30/2013
Matthew Montfort and Matthew Grasso
Two Unique Master Guitar Players with Unusual Approaches to Combining Indian and Western Traditions
Saturday, March 30, 7 PM
TimnaTal Music Presents at Village Homes Community Center
2661 Portage Bay East
Davis, CA 95616
Tix: $13 in advance, $15 at the door. Info: 530-867-1032 or email info@timnatalmusic.com.
"This upcoming concert is the first collaboration between two outstanding musicians which I suggested based on my personal experience and knowledge with the repertoire of both guitar players. I'm quite certain it will lead to more collaborations in the future!" - Gil Medovoy, KDVS
Montfort and Grasso are both extremely versatile musicians and composers, who bring years of experimentation and unusual modifications to their unique instruments. This concert will be their first collaboration. Matthew Montfort, a world guitar innovator and founder of Ancient Future, will be playing scalloped fretboard guitar. Matthew Grasso is a classical and Indian style guitarist who is a founding member of Trio Seven and Nada Brahma Music Ensemble will be playing a 25-stringed raga guitar. They will be joined by Parteek Bansal on tabla.
Skype Session Sale
Fun Learning for All Styles/Ages/Levels with
One of the World's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists
60 Minute Skype Lesson: Sale -$60. Buy Link. Gift Certificate for Four 30 Minute Private Lessons (San Rafael, California): Sale - $150. Buy Link.
Recently recognized as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists, Matthew Montfort teaches all styles of guitar (and other fretted instruments including ukulele, bass, and mandolin) along with world rhythms, music theory, and repertoire for all instruments. 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. Private lessons and online Skype tutorials covering this material are available as well. And for a limited time, an additional discount is automatically offered on a Skype tutorial with a book purchase through Ancient-Future.Com!
He is also accepting a limited number of students at his studio in Marin County, California, and will travel to student's homes in the San Francisco Bay Area. Gift certificates for private lessons in Marin are available, and for online lessons worldwide via Skype.
To contact Matthew Montfort about lessons, e-mail him at info@ancient-future.com or call 415-459-1892.