Ancient Future Times

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

In This Issue:

Challenge from A.F.A.R. Fulfilled!
•Take a Moonbath from A.F.A.R.
San Francisco Soiree for Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort
•Sunday Serenades at Peña Pachamama, January 17, 2010, 7:30 pm
Valentine's Sale Programs
•Ancient Future Download of the Week at Borders.Com, Baker & Taylor Valentine's Gift Guide, Ancient-Future.Com Sale

San Francisco World Music Classes
•Improve Your Rhythmic and Melodic Skills


Challenge from A.F.A.R. Fulfilled!

30th Anniversary CD Mystery Cover

A.F.A.R. is Where YOU Join with Ancient Future in the Creation of a New Cross-Cultural Recording

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 will be available to subscribers (YOU) 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.

Take a Moonbath from A.F.A.R.

Last month the Ancient Future Times featured a challenge from A.F.A.R.: as soon as five more subscribers joined, we would post a new live version of Moonbath, the first song Ancient Future took into the studio way back in December 1978. Lo and behold, six more people have now joined A.F.A.R.! Thanks go out to Bruce Frauman, Doug Berenson, Jane Heaven, Mara Fiore, Louis Martin Rosenbaum, and Athena Katsaros.

The new live version of Moonbath is now in the archive and available exclusively to supporters. The version from the 30th anniversary concert at the Freight and Salvage is a very delicate and moving duet featuring scalloped fretboard guitar and hammered dulcimer.

New World Jazz Track Just 10 Supporters A.F.A.R. from Your iPod!

We've decided to double down with our next challenge. The first part of the A.F.A.R. process involves selecting musical directions for the final recording, as the first supporters get to provide feedback on recording themes. The initial songs in the archive will represent some of the possible directions. One of those directions could be world jazz. Mariah Parker debuted a new Indo Latin jazz piece, "Affinity Minus One," at her Yoshi's concert last August. We've got an amazing live recording of the piece. We'll mix and master that and add it to the archive as an example as soon as 10 more people become supporters.Your support can be what puts this song in the archive! Please sign up for A.F.A.R.now and join us on this creative cross-cultural journey in the new year!

There are four supporter packages available:

Recording Newsletter Package: $10. Subscribe Now. Supporters at this level receive the A.F.A.R. Email Newsletter which provides a window on the creative process, good quality 128 kbps digital downloads of legacy recordings chosen from the Ancient Future archives of live concerts, radio performances, and unreleased performances, good quality 128 kbps digital downloads of music to be recorded especially for the A.F.A.R. project, and a 30% discount on advance copies of the final commercial release.

Download Supporter Package: $25. Subscribe Now. Supporters at this level receive everything included in the Recording Newsletter Package plus high quality 320 kbps downloads of legacy recordings chosen from the Ancient Future archives of live concerts, radio performances, and unreleased performances, high quality 320 kbps digital downloads of music to be recorded especially for the A.F.A.R. project forming an exclusive preview audio recording with digital liner notes that will not otherwise be available in shops (selections from which will form a final public edition), and the chance to submit feedback to questions posed in the recording newsletter. Limited to 300 packages.

Limited Edition CD Sponsor Package: $50. Subscribe Now. Supporters at this level receive everything included in the Download Supporter Package plus an exclusive limited edition CD-R of the same recording with printed liner notes signed by Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort. Limited to 200 packages.

Honorary A & R Representative Package: $75. Subscribe Now. Supporters at this level receive everything included in the Limited Edition CD Sponsor Package plus a DVD-R including video and 24 bit audio files for hi-rez playback on computers. Limited to 100 packages.

You can also help by spreading word of A.F.A.R. afar, so please share this with your friends near and afar!
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San Francisco Soiree for Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort

Pacha Mama Concert Poster
Concert Poster (340 k pdf)

Sunday Serenades at Peña Pachamama

January 17, 2010, 7:30 pm
Peña Pachamama

1630 Powell near Union
San Francisco CA 94133
Tix: $12. Info: 415-646-0018
www.penapachamama.com
Full Press Release

Matthew Montfort on Youtube
Play YouTube Video
Live version of 'Soul Serenade' from Matthew Montfort's debut recording, Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar.

This soiree for Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar celebrates the debut solo recording by Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort. Montfort will perform on both the scalloped fretboard guitar, a special modified instrument able to produce ornaments more characteristic of the sitar, and on a Godin Glissentar, an 11 string fretless guitar based on the oud. While previously known more for his compositions for the trendsetting world music group Ancient Future, Seven Serenades features his intimate improvisational guitar work. He will be joined by guest artists Salaheddin Takesh (Arabic percussion), Mariah Parker (santur), and Rasa Vitalia (belly dance).

Seven Serenades CD Cover

Mariah Parker - Sangria

Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. (>YTmusic).Buy 1 Now.

“This album reveals a thorough knowledge of Hindustani microtonal ornaments, transferred in ways that create one of the most distinctive guitar sounds in contemporary music. However, it also reveals a lifetime of exploration in world music, which can be immediately summoned in a flash of inspiration. When this level of mastery is reached, there is no need to rewrite. The first improvisation has the depth of a reworked composition.” – Teed Rockwell, INDIA CURRENTS, March 2009

A.F.A.R. Ticket Contest

To win a pair of tickets for admission to Matthew Montfort's 1/17/2010 show at Peña Pachamama in San Francisco, simply send an email to info@ancient-future.com with your idea for the best way to gather more support for A.F.A.R. Best idea received by 1/15/2010 wins.


Valentine's Sales

Ancient Future titles have been selected for some exciting retail sales programs.

"Ocean of Love" from Planet Passion by Ancient Future will be the Weekly Music Download at Borders.Com from 1/18/2010-1/24/2010! Save this email and make a note to visit Borders.Com during that period to get your download at no charge.

Planet Passion and Matthew Montfort's Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar were selected for Baker & Taylor's Valentine's Gift Guide and will be on sale at select bookstores nationwide from 1/25/10 through 2/21/10. Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar was also selected for the Baker & Taylor Health & Wellness Guide (sale priced through 1/31/10).

In celebration, we are offering a Valentine's CD sale Ancient-Future.Com. All of the proceeds go directly to supporting the music. The sale features regular shipping at no extra charge in the USA on everything in the catalog and very special deals on our new releases!

Ancient-Future.Com Records Logo

Planet Passion CD CoverSangria CD CoverSeven Serenades CD Cover

Valentine's Sale! New Releases $14 Each Through February 14!

Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. Ancient-Future.Com AF 2008. 6-panel Digipak CD: $17.98. Valentine's Sale $14! Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic).Matthew Montfort - Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar
Sangria by Mariah Parker. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2017. 6-panel Digipak CD: $17.98. Valentine's Sale $14! Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic). Mariah Parker - Sangria
Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Ancient-Future.Com AF-2010. Digipak CD & Booklet: $17.98. Valentine's Sale $14! Buy 1 Now. (>YTmusic.) Ancient Future - Planet Passion (Remastered)


Start the New Year with a World Music Class with Matthew Montfort

Video of Workshop Testimonials
Play Video
World Music Workshop Participants Larry Stack and Mara Fiore Talk About Their Experiences at Esalen New Year's Weekend

Improve Your Rhythmic and Melodic Skills

Matthew Montfort (MatthewMontfort.Com)

Matthew Montfort holds a B.A. in World Music and Composition and an M.A. in Arts and Media Technology from Antioch University. He is the leader of the world fusion music ensemble Ancient Future. 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. He has performed concerts worldwide, including at the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra on the golden coast of Spain near Barcelona. Matthew Montfort is the author of Ancient Traditions -- Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali and India. Material from the book 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. He teaches private lessons at the Blue Bear School of Music in San Rafael and at his studio in San Rafael. He has a few openings for new students starting in January 2010.