Prodigious Portuguese acoustic guitarist Norberto Lobo playing solo plus an ensemble performance of 'raga chamber jazz' by NYC-based multi-instrumentalist Neel Murgai on sitar with Asha Emma Mccarthy on cello.

NORBERTO LOBO

Absolutely mindblowing and prodigious acoustic guitar player from Lisbon, who has just released his fourth straight classic, ‘Mel Azul’, on crucial Portuguese label Mbari Records. His 28 years of life have been completely immersed in the most joyous of relationships with music and sound. He’s done his profound reading of the most auspicious and melancholic melodies (a place where Steve Reich, Jim O’Rourke, Paulinho da Viola and Carlos Paredes all make sense together unto one existence), has been deeply enriched by the harmonic depth & richness of the samba/bossa heritage (which he knows by heart), and his composition in both short and longer-form is nothing short of remarkable – a sense of structure, narrative and storytelling complete by a total absence of any tics or theatrical antics, in which every turn is revised and remade for maximum fascination for both musician and audience. That and he has one of the best left-hands around - for a right-hand guitar player. Jack Rose and Ben Chasny said so. His fans include Gary Lucas, Naná Vasconcelos and the tragically defunct Llasa de Sela. We’re yet to meet a single human being who is less that astounded by this man’s music. Living proof that the boldest aesthetical moves are 100% compatible with complete social communion.



THE NEEL MURGAI ENSEMBLE

The Neel Murgai Ensemble performs raga chamber-jazz, combining Neel's sitar with violin, cello and tabla. The raga and tala of Indian classical music is the root of their sound, but they remain free to wander through other territories including jazz, minimalism and experimental music. Neel's original compositions and rearrangements of traditional material are brought to life in their dynamic group improvisations. Innova Records has released their self titled debut CD to critical acclaim, including a feature on NPR's Song of the day. They have performed to packed, enthusiastic audiences at Mexico's 2012 Sinaloa Cultural Festival, the Sun to Stars Festival in New York, Le Poisson Rouge, and the Museum of Natural History amongst many others.

Neel Murgai is a multi-instrumental performer, composer and teacher. He has studied sitar for over 15 years, currently with Pundit Krishna Bhatt, himself a disciple to Pundit Ravi Shankar. Neel has performed around the world at venues ranging from the Blue Note and Kennedy Center to the David Letterman Show. He is a graduate of Goddard College's MFA program in Interdisciplinary Arts. He has worked with a diverse array of artists including Bill T. Jones, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Cyndi Lauper, Wyclef Jean, Samir Chatterjee, Daniel Bernard Romain, Laraaji, Yuerba Buena, Baba Israel, Raz Mesinai, Mission on Mars, Akim Funk Buddha, Loren Conners, Suzanne Langille, Louis Bellogenis and Cosmo Vinyl. Neel has composed original music for the films "The Yes Men Fix the World", "A Decent Arrangement" and "Crossing Lines", as well as BBC and TBS televsion productions.

neelmurgai.com