 Garaj Mahal On the 4th of July, the night before they take the stage at the Iowa City Jazz Festival to open for John Scofield, Garaj Mahal will rock Chicago's Green Mill. Featuring guitar and sitar virtuoso Fareed Haque, world-renowned bass master and educator Kai Eckhardt, gospel-inspired funky jazz keyboardist Eric Levy, and consistently in-the-pocket, natural-born drummer Alan Hertz, Garaj Mahal combines a century of musical experience to create a sound that's always new, freshly infused with a wide spectrum of musical expression. The Green Mill Jazz Club is located at 4802 N. Broadway. Touring extensively since their formation in 2000, Garaj Mahal continues to earn critical acclaim and a roving fanbase thanks to their ability to deliver serious "shut-up-and-listen" grooves while simultaneously bringing the dance floor alive. Their collective musical experience allows them to constantly push the envelope of composition and improvisation. Garaj Mahal's sound – a convergence of jazz-style improvisation, mystical Middle-Eastern atmospheres, and danceable American funk - attracts a diverse and enthusiastic audience. The band member's virtuosity is no surprise when you look at even a few of the amazing artists they've performed and/or recorded with over the years, including Dizzy Gillespie, John McLaughlin, Sting, Cassandra Wilson, Dave Holland, Bela Fleck, Chick Corea, Steve Smith, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer, Les Claypool, Trey Anastasio, Umphrey's McGee, MMW, Steve Kimock, and Michael Manring.
 Fareed Haque
Born in 1963 to Pakistani father and Chilean mother, extensive travels, especially long stays in Spain, France, Iran, Pakistan and Chile, exposed Haque to different musics from a very early age. This natural eclecticism has become the hallmark of Fareed's music. The 1981 Recipient of North Texas State University's Jazz Guitar Scholarship, Haque spent a year studying with renowned jazz guitarist and pedagogue Jack Peterson. Fareed's growing interest in the classical guitar led him to transfer to Northwestern University, where he completed his studies in classical guitar under David Buch, John Holmquist and Anne Waller.
In 2000 Fareed co-founded the jam super-group Garaj Mahal, joined George Brooks' group Summit, featuring Zakir Hussein and Steve Smith and continues to record and tour with the Fareed Haque Group. More recently Fareed has become a staple of the 'Jamband' scene and was voted 'Most Valuable Player' at the 2002 High Sierra Music Festival.
In 2004 Fareed composed and performed his Lahara Double Concerto for Sitar/Guitar and Tabla. The work was premiered by The Chicago Sinfonietta, under the baton of maestro Paul Freeman, at Orchestra Hall in Chicago, featuring tabla virtuoso Ustad Zakir Hussain, to whom the work is dedicated. The Green Mill Jazz Club is located at 4802 N. Broadway Ave., Chicago, IL 60640, 773.878.5552. For more information visit garajmahal.net and greenmilljazz.com. |
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Sunday, 07 September 2008
