Ancient Future Times

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Summer Tour 2010 Issue:
Welcome to the Ancient Future Times
Email newsletter of the World Fusion Music Ensemble Ancient Future

In This Issue:

Rare Ancient Future Southern California Concert Tour
•July 28, The Waterfront Theater, Marina del Rey; July 31, The Fret House, Covina; August 1, Friends of Swanirvar Los Angeles Benefit, Altadena; August 2, Yoga Soup, Santa Barbara

Summer Sale Celebrating New Rave Reviews and Media Placements
•Celebrating new rave reviews and feature articles with a summer sale of world music books and CDs at Ancient-Future.Com!

Indian Independence Day Dinner Duet and Dinner Percussion Playshop Party
•August 15, Junnoon, Palo Alto; August 18, Peña Pachamama, San Francisco

Free Private Music Lessons and Consultations
•This August, Matthew Montfort is Offering a Free Introductory Private Music Lesson or Music Production Consultation

New Challenge A.F.A.R. Nearly Met
•In June, the A.F.A.R. challenge was for ten new subscribers to add a seventh track to the archive. We've added seven new subscribers since then, so we only need 3 more to add the seventh track!


Rare Ancient Future Southern California Tour

Photo of Mariah Parker and Matthew Montfort
Mariah Parker and Matthew Montfort Photo by Jialiang Len Gao

This is Ancient Future's first concert tour of Southern California since 1998. A duet version Ancient Future featuring scalloped fretboard guitarist Matthew Montfort and santurist Mariah Parker will perform music from Ancient Future's broad repertoire.

Matthew Montfort and Mariah Parker on Youtube
Ancient Future performing duet version of 'Moonbath' at 30th Anniversary Concert
(Subscribe to A.F.A.R. to download this song now!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGIliJuyfvs

Southern California Tour Itinerary: Public Concerts


Summer Sale Celebrating New Rave Reviews and Media Placements

On Sale Celebrating Media Coverage of World Rhythm Training Manual

Book Cover

Ancient Traditions Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali and India. By Matthew Montfort. ISBN 0-937879-00-2. Comb bound book, $46.95 (summer sale: $33.95): Buy Link. Companion 2 volume audio CD set plus CD-ROM with MIDI soundfiles: $39.95. (summer sale: $27.95): Buy Link. Book and audio CD set with MIDI soundfiles: $74.95 (summer sale: $53.95): Buy Link.

Book Review: Ancient Traditions — Future Possibilities

“This is one of the finest, well planned, easy to understand instructional texts I have ever read. Matthew, founder of the trendsetting world music ensemble, Ancient Future, has written an excellent book on mastering rhythmic techniques of India, Bali and Africa. Not only is the music of each culture well explained, but also there are chapters on combining these elements to create new rhythmic possibilities. He presents the rhythmic structures from three cultures in graduated exercises that all musicians can utilize to expand their musical horizons. If you're bored with playing the same old 4/4 rhythms then this book is for you. Highly recommended.” — Ben Kettlewell, AlternateMusicPress.Com, July, 2010. Read full review.

On Sale Celebrating Media Coverage of Ancient Future

Planet Passion CD Cover
Planet Passion

Planet Passion by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2010) $17.98 list (summer sale: $14): Buy Link. (>YTmusic.)

CD Review: Ancient Future: Planet Passion – 30th Anniversary Edition

“Described as 'world fusion music' by guitarist Matthew Montfort who founded the group in 1978, Ancient Future broke new ground in combining musical styles from around the world before such a concept was popular, as it is today. Yet, even now, few groups cross as many borders to create such a United Nations of music as Ancient Future. By integrating music from Indian, Nepali, African, Cuban, Celtic, Arabic, Palestinian, Jewish, Indonesian, Chinese, Eastern European, and American traditions, the album provides a shining example of the unity and harmony that can be achieved by different cultures sharing and learning from each other.” — Michael Diamond, AWARENESS MAGAZINE, May/June 2010. Read full review (page 47).

Critics Pick: Ancient Future in concert July 31 in Covina

“Ancient Future celebrates 30 years of world fusion music and will be in concert at the Fret House in Covina on July 31 at 8:00 pm. It is the group's first tour of Southern California since 1998. This group is a pioneer in fusion music and they continue to play this music today as strongly as ever. If you like fusion, go see Ancient Future. I think you'll enjoy them.” — Oscar Brooks, LA JAZZ MUSIC EXAMINER, July 16, 2010. Read full article.

On Sale Celebrating Media Coverage of Matthew Montfort

Seven Serenades CD Cover
Matthew Montfort

Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2008). $17.98 (summer sale: $14): Buy Link. (>YTmusic)

CD Review: Matthew Montfort: Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar

“This unusual guitar album brings together world instruments to complement the scalloped fretboard guitar. Starting with ‘Gauri the Golden’, an improvisational piece drawing heavily on Indian raga, this is an intriguing collection of the resulting compositions. I must admit that sometimes ragas played by guitar players seem to wander on forever, changing a note here and there and weaving a kind of slow, hypnotic journey. However, this guitar work is stunning, intricate and wonderfully melodic. If you are looking for good listening and something different for your CD shelf, this is it.” — J.W. McClure, VICTORY REVIEW ACOUSTIC MUSIC MAGAZINE, April, 2010. Read full review.

Article: Great Acoustics: 1974 Gibson SJ Deluxe (From Full Page Feature on Montfort's Guitar)

“Matthew Montfort, who leads the world-fusion group Ancient Future, has not only had the same guitar for almost four decades, but has significantly modified the instrument to suit his evolving playing style. Purchased around 1974 for Montfort by his father ... the Gibson SJ Deluxe ... has helped him develop a unique playing style that merges the sounds of the South Indian vina with that of a flatpicked steel-string guitar. In 1978, Montfort met Ervin Somogyi, who was still early in his career as a luthier, and together they began experimenting—first lightly scalloping the guitar’s existing rosewood fingerboard, then installing a scalloped replacement fingerboard made out of ebony. — Teja Gerken, ACOUSTIC GUITAR MAGAZINE, August 2010.

Concert Review: San Francisco Guitar Summit

Playing both a scalloped fretboard and fretless guitar, he wowed the audience with soulful renditions of his own compositions and arrangements. Montfort was by turns informative and virtuostic, explaining the Indian raga (or musical mode) and then demonstrating with his Hendrix-drenched 'Purple Raga' and Hibernian 'Celtic Raga.' His highly animated playing style threw into stark contrast Gerken’s quieter, more focused performance. When both were on stage, however, Montfort’s energy was infectious; soon both performers were bobbing and swaying to the beat as only musicians having a good time can — James Keith, CaliforniaBeat.Org, June 7, 2010. Read full review.

On Sale Celebrating Media Coverage of Mariah Parker

Sangria CD Cover
Mariah Parker - Sangria

Sangria by Mariah Parker (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2017). $17.98 (summer sale: $14): Buy Link. (>YTmusic).

CD Review: Sangria Makes O’s Place Jazz Favorites July 14-21

“The blending of musical cultures here works extremely well! 'Debajo De La Lluvia' had a light bossa move feel. We also enjoyed 'Pente' in a sort of 5/4 time signature and the heavily syncopated 'Milo's Moment'. Sangria has a cool karma and very pleasant feel.” — D. Oscar Groomes, OsPlaceJazz.Com Favorites, July 14-21, 2010


Indian Independence Day Dinner Duet and Dinner Percussion Playshop Party


Ancient Future Duet (Arshad Syed and Mathew Montfort)

Summer is a terrific time to enjoy these delightful dinner events: creative cuisine matched with magical music! And August 18 is a chance to experience the first 'Dinner Percussion Playshop Party:' learning world rhythms at a festive dinner party with dinner utensil and body percussion, no previous musical training required!


Free Private Music Lessons and Music Production Consultations

This August, Matthew Montfort is offering a free introductory 1/2 hour private session or phone consultation to potential students and music production clients. The free introductory sessions are available on Mondays and Wednesdays, first come first serve, schedule permitting.

Matthew Montfort teaches all styles of guitar and many other plucked instruments along with music theory, reading skills, improvisation, rhythm skills, and repertoire for all instruments. He offers custom video and audio lessons by mail and the internet, and is now accepting a limited number of students in San Rafael and San Francisco, California. For more information on his teaching practice, visit matthewmontfort.com.

Matthew Montfort is also offering a free 1/2 hour record production project consultation via phone or in person in San Rafael. As a record producer, mastering engineer, and audio restoration expert, he accepts a limited number of projects at his studio in San Rafael, California, that he feels could benefit the most from his unique skills, which include a process he developed he calls 'Tuned Harmonic' mastering and mixing to tune the recording adjustments exactly to the tonalities of the music. For more information on his music production practice, visit matthewmontfort.com.

Develop a musical success of your own! Email info@ancient-future.com or call 415-459-1892 to schedule a free initial session by phone or in person.


New Challenge A.F.A.R. Nearly Met

Join with Ancient Future in the Creation of the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings

Band PhotoBand PhotoBand PhotoBand PhotoBand Photo

Your Financial Support of as Little as $10 Makes a Difference!

Recording Newsletter:$10 (receive 128 kbps downloads). Subscribe @ $10. Download Supporter:$25 (320 kbps downloads). Subscribe @ $25. Limited Edition CD Sponsor: $50 (all previous plus CD-R upon completion). Subscribe @ $50. Honorary A & R Representative: $75 (all previous plus DVD-R upon completion). Subscribe @ $75.

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 live and studio recordings that are available to subscribers as they are created. When the archive is complete, the best of the collection will be selected for release as the eighth Ancient Future release.

To date, we've raised $1445 towards our goal of $25,000 for the project. When we reach $2500, we will have the funds to record the first brand new studio track for the archive.

In the meantime, we are mixing and mastering multitrack recordings of live concerts for the archive. In June, the A.F.A.R. challenge was for ten new subscribers to add a seventh track to the archive. We've added seven new subscribers since then. Now only three more subscribers are needed to support mixing and mastering the high resolution audio of the next track for the archive. Your support at $10 or more can be what puts 'Dawn of Love' by Matthew Montfort in the archive! A video of this piece has been watched over 128,000 times on youtube. Please sign up for A.F.A.R. now and join us on this creative cross-cultural journey!

Video of Next Song for the Archive

Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi on Youtube
Ancient Future performing Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi version of 'Dawn of Love'
(Subscribe to A.F.A.R. to put this song in the archive!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDJet-KlQLU