NM ENSEMBLE

info@neelmurgai.com — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:10:45 -0500

Neel Murgai Ensemble

Neel Murgai: sitar, vocals, daf
Mat Maneri: viola
Sameer Gupta: tabla
Greg Heffernan: cello

“Music is a reflection of the times. This is our stimulus of vibrations into the global dialogue, a cross-cultural mélange only possible at this time: the Ancient Future Traditional.”

NME announces the release of their self titled debut CD, on Innova Records, January 26, 2010

Sitarist, overtone singer, frame drummer and composer Neel Murgai creates music that defies categorization. His unique global sound is rooted in his sitar studies with Pundit Krishna Bhatt, combined with modern and avant-guard western music and other sounds from around the world. The Neel Murgai Ensemble is the realization of Neel’s many years of experimentation in Indian classical music, free improvisation, modern compositional techniques, mathematical rhythmic structures and droning overtone minimalism. This group of stellar musicians, features downtown improv wizard, Mat Maneri on viola, along with Sameer Gupta (Marc Cary’s Focus Trio) on tabla and Greg Heffernan (Paradox Trio) on cello. Together they create a raga-chamber jazz with Indian melody and rhythm, orchestral textures and ecstatic flights of improvisational fancy.

Mat Maneri is an American composer, improviser and jazz violin and viola player, specifically derivatives such as the five-string viola, the electric six-string violin, and the baritone violin. He is the son of the saxophonist Joe Maneri. Mat has recorded with Cecil Taylor, Matthew Shipp, Joe Morris, Joe Maneri, Gerald Cleaver, Tim Berne, Borah Bergman, Mark Dresser, William Parker, Michael Formanek, John Lockwood, as well as with his own trio, quartet, and quintet. He has also played on various band releases: Club d'Elf, Decoupage, Brewed by Noon, Paul Motian's Electric Bebop Band, Buffalo Collision. Maneri has worked with Ed Schuller, John Medeski, Roy Campbell, Paul Motian, Tomasz Stanko, Robin Williamson, Drew Gress, Tony Malaby, Ben Monder, Barre Phillips, Joëlle Léandre, Marilyn Crispell, Craig Taborn, Ethan Iverson, David King and many others.

Founder of the critically acclaimed SF based Improvisational Ensemble The Supplicants, Sameer Gupta is an original musical voice in jazz, world, and fusion music. He has studied percussion for most of his life, beginning in Tokyo, Japan 1985, and since then has performed on drumset at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Birla auditorium in Kolkata. He has played tabla at Asagiri Jam in Japan and various Jazz and World music festivals across the nation and abroad playing both simultaneously. Sameer began his studies of North Indian Classical Tabla in 2002, and has the honor of studying with tabla master and prime accompanist to the late Pt. Nikhil Banerjee, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee. Sameer brings a thoughtful and intense quality to his improvisations, while maintaining a mature perspective. You can hear Sameer's work with Marc Cary, The Supplicants, Pt. Chitresh Das, VidyA, Parijat Desai, Richard Howell, Prasant Radhkrishnan, Marcus Shelby, Stephen Kent, Sekou Sundiata and numerous other fine artists.

Greg Heffernan is a versatile cellist whose musical passions have led him to work in improvisation, jazz and electronic music. Greg is currently based out of New York City and works as a freelancer, bandleader and touring musician. Musicians Greg has shared the stage with include Lee Konitz, Fred Hersch, Alice Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane, Jack DeJohnnette, Natalie Merchant, Bill Frisell, Brad Shepik, Doc Severinson, Burt Bacharach, the Spring Awakening pit, vocalists Kurt Elling and Kate McGarry, violinist Jenny Scheinman and many others

BIO

info@neelmurgai.com — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:39:38 -0500

Neel Murgai is a multi-instrumental performer, composer and teacher from New York City. He is a graduate of Goddard College's MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program. His life long journey into the depth and beauty of sitar and Indian classical music began with Ravindra Goswami in Banaras, 14 years ago. For the past 8 years Neel has studied with his guru and mentor, Pundit Krishna Bhatt. His interest in music began at a young age with trombone and guitar. While obtaining a degree in Civil Engineering, Neel worked as a radio DJ, hosting an international music program. This fostered in him an abiding interest in music from around the world. He went on to live in India, immersing himself in the music and culture of his parent’s homeland. Upon returning to the U.S. Neel began a career in music. In addition to sitar, he has since learned to play daf (Persian frame drum) with Soheil Zolfonun and kanjira with V. Nagarajan in Chennai. He has studied overtone singing with the Buriyat performance group Uragsha and Harmonic Choir member, Timothy Hill. Neel has also learned Western composition with Edgar Grana.

While dedicated to Indian classical music, Neel is also interested in creating an original music that is rooted in his many influences and studies. The Neel Murgai Ensemble is a product of many years of thought about the ideal instrumentation to advance his compositions.

Neel has toured around the world with the Bill T. Jones Dance Company, performing and collaborating in their multi-media show, “Blind Date”. Other artists Neel has worked with include Wyclef Jean, Cyndi Lauper, Samir Chatterjee, Daniel Bernard Romain, Ellen Stewart, Laraaji, Yuerba Buena, Baba Israel, Raz Mesinai, Mission on Mars, Akim Funk Buddha, Loren Conners, Louis Bellogenis and Cosmo Vinyl. He has performed at venues ranging from the Lincoln Center and Kennedy Center to the David Letterman Show to jazz clubs such as the Blue Note and at festivals around the U.S including Art Wallah, Arts Plosure, Masala! Mehndi! Masti! and many others.

Neel has composed music for numerous film, TV, video, theater and dance projects including the recent feature length documentary, “The Yes Men Fix the World”, which premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. His music has been featured in the BBC series, “Holiday’s in the Danger Zone”, and TBS programs, “Women of the Ink”, and “Spotlights”.