We’re super excited about our debut performance in the Denver area, as we’re being presented by the amazing Creative Music Works!
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Trio Tarana Residency @ Denver University
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Photograph by Sarah Morelli
Trio Tarana were the recipient of a grant from the Marsico Fund at Denver University which enabled the Lamont School of Music to invite us for a week-long residency. Since I had Aakash Mittal and Trina Basu on board, we were uniquely able to cover ground on South Indian Classical Music, Jazz Improvisation, and the use of music-technology/software/hardware in a live-performance. Furthermore, we were asked to conduct workshops on Music Therapy and the use of Social-Media/DIY touring for up-n-coming musicians.
At the end of the week, we performed with the Lamont School of Music Student Ensembles, during which each of us led an ensemble in a performance of an original piece. This collaborative performance was part of a new initiative at DU called Expanding Horizons. We had a great time with the students, and were inspired by their enthusiasm and creative/technical abilities as well. The faculty were also immensely supportive of our endeavors, and all those factors made this residency an amazingly creative (no holds barred!) and satisfying experience. We hope to come back in the future!
Panic Jazz Club Photos, Italy
These were taken by the amazing Paola Negro @ The Panic Jazz Club in Marostica, Italy in 2010… but I’ve only recently received these files.
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Creative Sound Radio (France) Interview
The music of Ravish Momin & the Trio Tarana
“From the Art Ensemble of Chicago to John Coltrane, from Sun Ra to William Parker, from the world music experiments of Don Cherry to the sound of the Ravish Momin Trio Tarana, from the best british jazz to the Swedish folk jazz, we take your ears on a trip around a Creative Planet. An around-the-clock journey through Great Black Music, European or asian jazz and global sounds.” Read More…
New Beats for February 2012
This video is a ‘work-in-progress’ showcasing the development of my solo-electro-beats performances (since 2010.) I’m sampling myself in real-time, and creating an ‘on-the-spot’ mix/arrangement of live beats, samples, melodies, etc (I’ve generated all the musical sounds)… and am using an iPAD, Korg NANO-controllers and a Logidy USB Foot-controller to create/control/change effects to continuously alter the sound in an improvisatory manner.
After The Disquiet (EP) to be released Oct. 4th
Super-excited to announce that (after 4 years!) I’m finally releasing a new TARANA recording!! It’s only a 4-song EP, but it represents the new direction the music has taken! I’ve placed a link for a FREE DOWNLOAD below, to give you a taste of what’s to come!!
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The EP will be available through various digital distributors, including BANDCAMP… so please check it out!!
Solo Tarana in the Mid-West (US) in May
Having worked on a SOLO hybrid drums-meets-electronics concept for over a year now, I finally decided to take the plunge and embarked on a SOLO tour. While it was frightening at first, to be all alone on stage, with no one to ‘fall back’ on, I embraced it, and went for it !!!
It was definitely difficult to categorize, musically 🙂 I wasn’t billing it as a hour-long ‘drumistic’ drum-solo, suitable only for other drummers, but as a TOTAL musical experience, a live improvised DJ set, if you will. Resistance from all sides followed, naturally. In hind-sight, this music would have been better served at venues featuring deep-bass sound-systems. Well, it was a deep learning experience, and I’m inspired to keep it developing, not afraid to take chances with it.
April Workshops in Colorado
I was invited by the terrific up-n-coming saxophonist Aakash Mittal to conduct various workshops in a few cities/towns in Colorado. In Colorado the eastern half, where a lot of the cities/towns seem concentrated (Greeley, Boulder, Loveland, Denver, Colodaro Springs, Pueblo, etc), goes by the name of the “Front Range.” While college-level workshops can be very technical, focussing on the traditional and mainstream very often, I was fortunate to have been given a chance to present my unique blend of integrating live-electronics, composition, Jazz-improvisation, and exploration of odd-time-signatures.
The clip presented below is excerpted from a workshop conducted at the University of North Colorado (on 4/15/11) , which focussed on the creative use of Ableton Live in an improvisational setting, which was constrained by a 7/4 time-signature, and a compositional form/arrangement that also relied on live interaction with the saxophonist.
Tarana in Rochester
A nice summary of what the ‘new’ Tarana sounds like, was just published in the Rochester CityNewspaper.
Here’s an excerpt from the concert preview:
“You’ve never heard (or seen) a drummer like Ravish Momin. Whether he’s playing the drum set with his hands, seamlessly fusing his drums with a laptop full of electronic sounds, or creating vocal percussion, Momin is reinventing his instrument. His group, Tarana, has changed personnel over the years, but all of his band-mates are kindred spirits when it comes to finding new routes through the music. At the core of Tarana’s music is free improvisation; along the way it passes through strains of Indian and Middle Eastern music and, of course, jazz.”- Ron Netsky (March 2, 2011)
The concert takes place Tuesday, March 8, 8 p.m. at Bop Shop Atrium, 274 N. Goodman St. $15 donation requested. 271-3354, bopshop.com.
Residency at The Erie Art Museum
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I am pleased to report that my band, Tarana, was recently awarded a grant from “Meet The Composers” (METLIFE CREATIVE CONNECTIONS PROGRAM ), in conjunction with the Erie Art Museum, to engage in a week-long residency, from March 1-4, 2011.
The residency will include workshops (for students of varying levels), and concerts. The scope of the workshops will range from discussing the role of technology in modern music, to globalization in music, to simply sharing the basics of music-making!
I’ve never undertaken a residency of such a vast scope before, and am excited by the challenge it poses!
After completing the residency, we return to Pittsburgh, PA (my home-town!) for a concert at The Spot, on March 5th, followed by a return to The Bop Shop in Rochester, NY on March 8th. I’ve performed in both those cities on several occasions, and have always believed in returning to the same places to strengthen musical and community ties.