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About Seven Serenades For Scalloped Fretboard Guitar
Product Description This debut recording by Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort showcases his pioneering work on the scalloped fretboard guitar, a special modified instrument able to produce ornaments more characteristic of the sitar. While previously known more for his compositions for the trendsetting world music group Ancient Future, this first solo effort features his improvisational music. The recording debuted at #8 on Zone Music Reporter's Top 100 February 2009 World Radio Chart, and held the #34 spot on the Top 100 of 2009. Matthew Montfort has devoted himself to the scalloped fretboard guitar since 1978. In late 1978, luthier Ervin Somogyi carved out the wood between the frets so that the pads of Montfort's fingers touch only the strings, reducing friction while he bends them to produce ornaments more characteristic of the sitar. While visually subtle, the difference in sound is striking. After studying with North Indian sarod master Ali Akbar Khan at the Ali Akbar College of Music, Montfort immersed himself in an intensive study with vina master K.S. Subramanian in order to fully apply the South Indian gamaka (note-bending) techniques to the guitar He has performed concerts worldwide, from the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra on the golden coast of Spain to the Festival of India in Mumbai. He has worked with many world music legends, including tabla phenomenon Zakir Hussain and Chinese zither master Zhao Hui. Review Mathew Montfort, founder of the band Ancient Future, is a note bender, a musician of the finest ilk and a composer second to none. His Seven Serenades album is his solo debut album. Occasionally, you will see a guitarist shake her or his guitar making a resonant echo or vibe. The deeply carved frets on Montfort's guitar allow him to do this and more without a whole lotta shaking going on. The sound is hauntingly beautiful and unique to his brand of music. His album is deeply influenced by Eastern ragas with the repetitive structure that is uncommon to Western music. I took some time to get used to it, but once I did, the music was warm as well as somewhat spiritually uplifting in an unexpected fashion. Soul Serenade is exotic and deeply mesmerizing. It is an intimate exploration of places unknown and untouched by the physical. The music is sinuous like the growth of a passionflower. It sends out its exploring tendrils into the deep places looking for the soulful energies that dwell in all of us. Can beauty be far behind? Michelle's Star is a favorite on the recording that encompasses the modern version of adult contemporary music. It has a great flow and a sparkling light all its own. The longest and most intricate tune on the album is called Lilalit. Montfort truly finds the 'rasa' or aesthetic delight on the fourteen-minute tune. Although the structure is complex, it has a warm melody deep within its roots. Great chill out music if ever there was. Montfort is indeed, one with his guitar. Rating: Very Good - --RJ Lannan, ZoneMusicReporter.com The mind-bending playing abilities of guitar virtuoso, Matthew Montfort, stems from the note-bending capabilities of the scalloped fretboard guitar. This produces a di!erent sound than the more familiar guitar, because the fretboard is carved out, so the fingers only touch the strings. Musically, the songs verge on a flamenco-Indian-jazz continuum. This is partly due to Matthew's playing technique and the sitar-like sounds of his guitar. The crystal-clear picking on guitar and accompaniment on didjeridoo (with Alan Tower), violin (with Patti Weiss) and santoor (with Mariah Parker) provides a rich musical texture. Vocals are absent on this recording. For everyone interested in the sounds of guitar, especially fans of Bob Brozman or Ben Bowen King, then this is definitely for you. --Matthew Forss, Inside World Music It isn't every day that acoustic guitarists make their instrument sound a lot like an Indian sitar, but that is exactly what Matthew Montfort
