Sama' Trio

The new version of the trio welcomes Jefferson Voorhees on Pakawaj and drums, and puts a different take on the group - a bit more subtle, intense. This new lineup premiered at the High Mayhem festival sat oct 9, and had some successful follow up gigs on oct 23 and 24; - see below for samples.

The direction evolves a bit: the Sama' Trio's spiritually -oriented take on transcultural music foregoes the conventional 'world-music' status quo: instead of apeing scales and notes, the group reaches into the deeper architectures of form, process and method used in musical traditions from India and the Middle East. from this , the Trio forges a common heart of sound via both ancient and cutting-edge improvisational techniques: Middle Eastern maqams may develop as ragas; Arabic modes with a Turkish melodic aesthetic float through on rhythms from India, d'n'b , funk and bhangra; new ragas blossom with the modern touch of quarter tone composition; and its all nestled within forms based on Persian ensemble or Indian classical work. ideally we aim for a heart-bending improvisational experience of unity in diversity!...

Jefferson Voorhees resides in Albuquerque and is one of the regions most versatile and sought after percussionists. His resume includes such projects as the Tom Guralnick Trio, Bayou Seco, Stove, and Out of Context, among many others. His time spent in India studying music and percussion (as well as his performances with Iraqi oudist Rahim Alhaj) adds some particularly unique qualifcations for the project, allowing this group to be a perfect vehicle for Jefferson's unerring, distinct musicality and and intense focus.

mp3 samples:

GOD'S MIRRORS
A lively Turkish-inspired piece in 7, from the High Mayhem performance.
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FALL IN BLOOM
A slower piece, with moments of abrupt drama. Based loosely on the Marwa that, but closer to the Sohini approach.
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TAOS OPENING IMPROV
A nice range of paces and textures.
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LAST HEART
with sarod, with a theme in a 15 beat cycle (pancham sawari), In rag Jaunpuri.
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For those new to this project - or for those who've been following its development - what follows is a description of the music, and a bit of the philosophy and approach behind it:

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Sama' is a new music project , just launched: a very contemporary extension of Sufi music traditions, in a spiritually -driven, rhythmically-focused world-music improvising group.

Think of it as Sind-to-Sahara Sufi world free groove improv.

The group draws on a diverse range of subtly absorbed sensibilities to carry forth the interplay. Integrated into an organic coherent presentation may be rhythms from India (one of my main music loves and an area of study now resumed); Arabic modes, yet phrased with a more Turkish melodic aesthetic; performance structures from Persian ensemble or Indian classical work; d'n'b dance and funk rhythms, hinting at a full circle return to the Indian rhythmic concept with a few modern Punjabi bhangra dance grooves. Its the most rhythmic, accessible project Ive ever led.

It also feels extremely comfortable and relaxed, but not complacent: a culmination of everything Ive ever done on which to rest some excursions into new territory, such as vocals and electronica as the core trio occasionally expands into larger incarnations.

My main instrument in this group will be the oud, though i plan to add sarod as well. The music will have elements of freeimprov - weaving back and forth from structure and openness - some structured pieces, and - in its extended incarnations - elements of electronica, particulalrly with d-n-b grooves. The concept is to have the drummer replicate those grooves and adding/multiplying to them in real-time, freeing up a dnb programmer/electronicist to add something different to the mix underneath. Even in the trio, a lot of dnb energy and sensibility bubbles to the fore via Dave.

Taking for its name a nuanced Arabic term that describes relationships between intense listening, sprituality, and music-making itself, the Sama' Trio also advocates a strong positive spiritual component. Music is such a gift from God,and that in turn gives us an obligation to treat that gift responsibly, and thank the Creator for it by putting it to good use.