MY CURRENT GROUPS
Khi DaragHindustani (North Indian) Classical Music
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The Hindustani santur
MY PAST AND PART-TIME GROUPS
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Ali Akbar Khan is one of the greatest musicians to grace the Bay Area with his enduring presence of 30 + years teaching and performing here. One can find me playing Hindustani Classical music here and there and sometimes at the maestro's Ali Akbar College of Music: www.aacm.org. Check out the winter series March 12th: Craig Demel - violin with Aharon Wheels Bolsta- tabla plus an oud and sarode duet by Derek Wright and Annette Bauer with tabla accompaniment by the extraordinary Jivad!
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(Back To Top)Solo (Opine, Porcupine!)
The parentheses remain open. Herein are my original composed and improvised dreamscapes: I play tabla, calabash, darbukka and other sundry percussion; then I add Hindustani santur, bansuri and silver flute, vocals and poetry, and pre-recorded samples of everything from ravens to experimental mixed sound media. Good with fresh spring green tea or fine oolong.
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The
group Kugelplex can be heard at this new URL: www.kugelplex.com
Our new CD, Ceçi N’Est Pas Klezmer, is available at shows
or online. We like it, we hope you will, too.
A trio or quartet version of the band can be found playing at Saul’s
Deli in Berkeley every 1st and 3rd Sunday evenings.
Cabaret meets old-world Shtetl! Odd Shaped Case recording Klezmer artists Kugelplex are an all-star band comprised of musicians from the Rococo Risque Cabaret, Lord Loves a Working Man, pickPocket Ensemble, Za'atar, Va Va Voom Room, Nanos Operetta and more. They’ve been alternately sending audiences into pensive romps and ecstatic frenzies for over two years with their unique brand of raucous, dance-til-you-drop virtuosity and depth-plumbing emotion.
Inthe
words of the great Sol Crawford, or was it Rob? "Marguerite's Virtuosic
Violin Spins Mystical Melodies!
Jason’s Crazed Clarinet Summons the Ancient Patriarchs!
Rob's Aching Accordion Squeezes Notes you've Never Heard Before! Aharon's
Pulsing Rhythms Pounds through your Heart and Soul! Eugene’s Contrabass
Soundwaves be so Fat you can Sit on Them! David’s Magical Mystic
Mandolin Tickles your toes!"
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Balinese Balungong gamelan and Ramayana Ketcak (Monkey Chant)
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The
group Aleph Null can be heard at this URL: http://www.macidol.com/jamroom/bands/1390/music.php
A San Jose House concert in early March with some guest Persian musicians
is scheduled. CD is set for release this summer.
ALEPH
NULL is a very trance-inducing original music
offering pieces with the intense Kurdish and Persian vocals of Hossein
Massoudi, oud and violin feats by Gari
Hegedus, and guitar and saz delights by David Hauer.
Sheldon Brown now contributes calrinets and sax to some of the songs.
Upright bass (Mark Wieder) and my usual acoustic auditory arsenal of percussion
(I especially like the tabla in this group) complete the line-up.
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The
group Za’atar can be heard at this URL: www.zaatar.web.com
Za’atar presents the Jewish music of Arab and Muslim lands, from
Turkey to Iraq, Yemen to Morocco. We sing a lot and it’s fun to dance
to! Ashkenaz: Feb. 6th.
Marin JCC, opening for the legendary Emil Zrihan, March 25th. Check out
the new CD!
Za’atar is:
Rachel
Valfer – Lead Vocals
Daniel Eshoo – Kanoun
Lila Sklar – Violin
John Erlich – Oud
Eliyahu Sills – Ney
Daniel Ratner – Bass & Lead Vocals
Aharon Bolsta – Doumbek
Juliet Lee – Bendir & Riqq
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The
group of musicians who play for the services at Chochmat Halev
are some of the finest around. I can be found playing music for the Shabbat
service there on the first Friday of each month. There may also be some
events (ie. Hillula ritual chanting) and concerts coming up there that
will focus on the Hindustani and Sufi influences on our trance-inducing
spiritual Jewish music. Please periodically check the website for details
www.chochmat.org.
There may also be a CD on the way soon!
Musicians include Eliyahu Sills, Brian Schacter, Nina Perlman, Bon Singer,
Sam Markewich, Cyrise Beatty, Naomi Robinson, Dave Cohen, Artyom Ash and
Aharon Wheels Bolsta.