Longing - Ustad Habib Khan

Longing - Ustad Habib Khan

A World/Indian fusion CD project with tabla master Swapan Chaudhuri, saxophonist extraordinair George Brooks, famous jazz drummer Danny Gottlieb, Persian santur master Alan Kushan, scalloped fretboard guitar master Matthew Montfort of Ancient Future, Windham Hill/Narada pianist Ira Stein, Drumer Danny Gottlib of Pat Metheny Group, Hans Christian of Rasa on cello & Bass, Saxophonist George Brooks who has accompanied Zakir Hossain and others. "Longing" shows its roots in the music of India with strong compositions by Habib Khan.

ALBUM INSERTS:

1. Rose 7:43
2. Midnight Dream 7:20
3. Merge 4:21
4. Longing 6:39
5. Butterfly 4:37
7. Sunrise 6:13
8. High Life 4:51
9. Heavenly 7:43
10. Secret Spring 5:31
11. Dodge City 3:20
Total Time 65:41

Item # CD 1011-2

Executive Producers X DOT 25

Produced by Habib Khan for X DOT 25 Music

Mix Produced by Aldoush Alpanian & David Hannibal at Victor Owen's Digisonic Studios - Berkeley, CA
Mixing Engineer David Hannibal
Recorded at: Bell Boy Studios
Mastered by Albert Benichou at CD Premastering Studio - Emeryville, CA
Photo of Habib Khan Shobha Khan
Group Photo Toni Haster Cover
Photo, Cover and Graphic Design: Jasper Johal ©2000 (323) 871-0670

Ustad Habib Khan

Ustad Habib Khan is regarded as one of the best sitar players in the world today. He was born into a family of musicians and can trace his lineage back several generations. He began his training at the tender age of five under the strict eye of his accomplished father, Ustad Hameed Jaffar Khan.

Habib Khan has carved out a distinct style of his own which is a blend of his father's traditional techniques and his own imaginative innovations. Habib Khan lives and teaches in the San Francisco Bay Area and performs all over the world.

Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri

At the age of five, his parents initiated his formal musical training and inspired him in the field of tabla. Swapan bases his style on the intensive training he received from his guru, Pandit Santosh Krishna Biswas of Calcutta, the eminent exponent of the Lucknow Gharana.

Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri is an eminent tabla player whose musical accomplishments have earned him world renown. In 1981, Ali Akbar Khan invited him to come to the U.S. from Calcutta and teach at the College.

Swapan holds a Master's degree in Music and has received honors and awards from the Government of India and other institutions. He developed his skill as an accompanist through years of accompanying Ali Akbar Khan. As a soloist and accompanist, he has also traveled throughout the world, accompanying many of the leading musicians of India. Swapan is associated with various American Universities as a visiting professor. He is also a faculty member at the California Institute of the Arts.

Friends

Alan Kushan is arguably one of the most accomplished santur players in the world. He stands out not only because of his brilliant realizations of traditional Persian compositions, but also for his innovative avant-guard soundscapes. His style, however, is not limited to the traditional approaches but it extends itself beyond any such boundaries.

Danny Gottlieb is the original drummer for the Pat Metheny Group. He is the co-founder of Elements group with Mark Egan. He has performed or recorded for Sting, Al Dimeola, Ahmad Jamal, Eddi Goez, The Blues Brothers, Stan Getz, The Manhattan Jazz Quintet and Gil Davis. He has won the Modern Drummer poll for the best electronic jazz drummer.

George Brooks met composer Terry Riley and sitarist Krishna Bhatt in 1979. Improvising with these musicians ignited an interest in Indian music. In 1996, Zakir Hussain's label released Brooks' debut CD and he toured in concerts with Zakir Hossain worldwide. He also performed with many of India's top classical artists including Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Sultan Khan, Aashish Khan and Swapan Chaudhuri.

Hans Christian has played the cello for 30 years and developed a legacy of collaborating with many artists. His own music can be heard on several solo releases, among them Surrender and Phantoms, and on his newest project with singer Kim Waters, called Rasa.

Ira Stein signed his first recording contract and released his first album on Windham Hill Records before age of 20 in 1982. In 1991, Ira formed a new group and released two albums on Narada Records. Currently Ira has done his new album independently on his own Lost Time Records label.

Mary Ellen Donald is a nationally acclaimed author, instructor and performer in middle eastern percussion. Matthew Montfort is a pioneer of the scalloped fretboard guitar and the leader of Ancient Future. Founded in 1978, Ancient Future is the first and longest running ensemble dedicated to creating world fusion music.