Via Quick Online Tips

“A group of Indian Bloggers living in different parts of the world. USA, UK and India got “United in Music” for a venture called BlogSwara to produce some music.”

The songs are here. The group's blog is here.

I am listening to the “album” now – a mix of Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi songs. It's clearly a very successful experiment. Looking forward to seeing future versions of it.

The Princeton Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk) with special guests Zakir Hussain, Pauline Oliveros, and So Percussion will perform on Tuesday April 4, at Princeton University's Richardson Auditorium.

PLOrk is a new ensemble of 15 laptop'ers, each seated on a pillow with a 6-channel hemispherical speaker and a variety of control devices. This premiere performance at 8 p.m. will include works by Paul Lansky, Brad Garton, Curtis Bahn and Tomie Hahn, Dan Trueman, Scott Smallwood, Seth Cluett, Perry Cook and Ge Wang, with special guest performances by renowned tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, accordian legend Pauline Oliveros, and the hot percussion quartet So Percussion [who will be processing Hussain in real-time].

More information is available here. On a tangent, notice the students are all using Apple Macintosh computers.

“A positive mix of experimental, electronic, modern classical and blunted hip hop breaks to uplift and invigorate you.”

I have got absolutely nothing to do with this, but it sounds like a lot of fun. It's Siddhartha‘s new baby.

Via Kiran Ahluwalia

Guitarist Rez Abbasi will be appearing at Joe's Pub in celebration of his fourth CD as a leader, “SnakeCharmer.” This recording, to be released on February 1st, 2005, is the follow up recording to the critically acclaimed “Out Of Body,” of which DownBeat Magazine said, “Out Of Body should reaffirm Abbasi's increasing stature within the modern jazz community, 4 Stars.” Abbasi will be joined at Joe's Pub by Gary Versace on organ, Dan Weiss on drums, Kiran Ahluwalia on Indian vocals, Marc Mommaas on saxophone and Naren Budhakar on tabla and percussion. “Snake Charmer” will be available for the first time at the Joe's Pub performance on January 15!

Making New York his home for the past fifteen years, Rez Abbasi is considered to be one of the foremost modern jazz guitar players in the world. With influences from the Indian sub-continent, Abbasi has developed a unique sound both as a composer and an instrumentalist. Abbasi has honed his skills with performances throughout the world including multiple tours in Europe, Canada, the U.S. and India/Pakistan. He has also performed and/or recorded with many jazz greats including, Grammy winner Ruth Brown, Peter Erskine (Weather Report), as well as Victor Lewis, Kenny Werner, Rick Margitza, Barre Phillips, DD Jackson, Tim Hagans, Marc Johnson, Billy Hart, Michael Formanek, Gary Thomas, Kiran Ahluwalia, Sandip Burman, Tony Malaby and a host of others. “Snake Charmer” is a vivid representation of Rez Abbasi's eclectic influences and experiences.

Abbasi was born in South Asia and at age four relocated with his family to Southern California. Abbasi attended The University of Southern California and the prestigious Manhattan School of Music and further studied in India under master percussionist, Ustad Alla Rakha.