DEBASHISH BHATTACHARYA & GEORGE BROOKS
WITH EMAN HASHIMI, ROHAN KRISHNAMURTHY AND SURYADIPTA BHATTACHARYA
Debashish Bhattacharya and George Brooks have been close friends and mutual admirers for many years. Though they have spent time together in Kolkata and California, recording, writing and rehearsing, this performance at The Freight marks their highly anticipated debut as a duo. Brooks and Bhattacharya are both featured soloists on John McLaughlin's Floating Point, nominated in 2008 for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Bhattacharya also appears on the Grammy nominated albums Saturday Night in Bombay -Remember Shakti and Calcutta Chronicles: Indian Slide Guitar Odyssey. Featuring Eman Hashimi, tabla; Rohan Krishnamurthy, Carnatic percussion and Debashish's son and protégé, Suryadipta Bhattacharya, in his US debut.
~~~
Debashish Bhattacharya
https://www.debashishbhattacharya.com
Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya is arguably the greatest slide guitarist in the world. He is an undisputed master of the demanding technique and discipline of both Hindustani classical music and modern world fusion. A "virtuoso's virtuoso," he has revolutionized a number of technical aspects of performance on the instrument. He also has designed and patented four types of guitar for performing raga music, which he has named Chaturangui, Ghandharvi, Anandi, and Pushpa Veena. These guitars are played lap style, with a small steel bar and finger picks.
Debashish has played extensively around the globe, logging in over 3000 live performances and 27 albums. He has performed both live and on recordings with musical icons such as Ustad Zakir Hussain, John McLaughlin, Jerry Douglas, Derek Trucks, and many other world renowned musicians. In India, he has performed for Pandit Ravi Shankar and also appeared in countless Indian music festivals.
His large body of work has garnered extensive recognition, including two Grammy nominations, the Billboard top 10, Songlines Magazine top 10, Central Asia and Asia pacific world music top 10, Amazon top 100 albums, 2016 Songlines Music Award, 2007 BBC Planet Award, 2005 Asiatic society Gold medal, the 1984 President of India Gold Medal, 2022 World Music Hall of Fame, and is an Empanelled Artist of the Indian government's Indian Council of Cultural Relations.
His latest recording Legacy marks his 29th album, featuring Debashish and family in a tribute to the pioneering artists of Hindustani classical music.
~~~
George Brooks
https://georgebrooks.com
George Brooks is a prolific and diverse saxophonist and composer, acclaimed for successfully bridging the worlds of jazz and Indian classical music. He is the founder of Indian fusion groups Summit with Zakir Hussain, Steve Smith, Kai Eckhardt and Fareed Haque; Bombay Jazz with Larry Coryell and Ronu Majumdar; the Raga Bop Trio with Steve Smith and Carnatic guitarist Prasanna and Elements with Indian violinist Kala Ramnath and Dutch harpist Gwyneth Wentink.
Brooks began his study of jazz with Count Basie saxophonist, Frank Foster and continued at the New England Conservatory of Music, with George Russell, Joe Allard and Jaki Byard. While attending the Conservatory, Brooks was introduced to Indian classical music and became entranced by its melodic beauty, rhythmic complexity and deep spiritual core. After graduating, Brooks traveled to India where he met master vocalist Pandit Pran Nath, the giant of north Indian music who deeply influenced pioneering composers LaMonte Young and Terry Riley. Brooks immersed himself in study with Pran Nath, cooking and caring for his "Guruji," in exchange for knowledge. This is the traditional Indian style of learning known as "guru-shishya parampara."
Returning from India, Brooks settled in California and began his long association with pianist Terry Riley. For the past thirty years they have performed throughout Europe, the US and Asia as a duo, in trio settings with sitarist Krishna Bhatt and with a variety of larger ensembles. While touring with Riley and developing his unique voice as an artist, Brooks also became a mainstay of the Bay Area blues scene, arranging and leading horn sections for Sonny Rhodes, Frankie Lee, Albert Collins and Johnny Taylor and touring internationally with R+B icon Etta James.
In 1996, Brooks recorded Lasting Impression and two years later Night Spinner, for Zakir Hussain's Moment Records. These recordings received wide acclaim as landmarks at the intersection of jazz and Indian classical music. Brooks was hailed as the "leading voice in Indian jazz fusion." He was soon performing and recording with India's most prominent artists including Hussain, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Sultan Khan, Aashish Khan, Shankar Mahadevan and L. Subramaniam. In 2000 Brooks recorded Summit, another grounding breaking work of Indian/jazz fusion featuring Zakir Hussain and Journey drummer Steve Smith. Summit performed throughout the US, Europe and Asia, incorporating guest performers Niladri Kumar, Vikku Vinayakram, Fazal Qureshi and Hariprasad Chaurasia. Catch Summit's reunion at The Freight on July 17, 2026.
show less
WITH EMAN HASHIMI, ROHAN KRISHNAMURTHY AND SURYADIPTA BHATTACHARYA
Debashish Bhattacharya and George Brooks have been close friends and mutual admirers for many years. Though they have spent time together in Kolkata and California, recording, writing and rehearsing, this performance at The Freight marks their highly anticipated debut as a duo. Brooks and Bhattacharya are both featured soloists on John McLaughlin's Floating Point, nominated in 2008 for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Bhattacharya also appears on the Grammy nominated albums Saturday Night in Bombay -Remember Shakti and Calcutta Chronicles: Indian Slide Guitar Odyssey. Featuring Eman Hashimi, tabla; Rohan Krishnamurthy, Carnatic percussion and Debashish's son and protégé, Suryadipta Bhattacharya, in his US debut.
~~~
Debashish Bhattacharya
https://www.debashishbhattacharya.com
Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya is arguably the greatest slide guitarist in the world. He is an undisputed master of the demanding technique and discipline of both Hindustani classical music and modern world fusion. A "virtuoso's virtuoso," he has revolutionized a number of technical aspects of performance on the instrument. He also has designed and patented four types of guitar for performing raga music, which he has named Chaturangui, Ghandharvi, Anandi, and Pushpa Veena. These guitars are played lap style, with a small steel bar and finger picks.
Debashish has played extensively around the globe, logging in over 3000 live performances and 27 albums. He has performed both live and on recordings with musical icons such as Ustad Zakir Hussain, John McLaughlin, Jerry Douglas, Derek Trucks, and many other world renowned musicians. In India, he has performed for Pandit Ravi Shankar and also appeared in countless Indian music festivals.
His large body of work has garnered extensive recognition, including two Grammy nominations, the Billboard top 10, Songlines Magazine top 10, Central Asia and Asia pacific world music top 10, Amazon top 100 albums, 2016 Songlines Music Award, 2007 BBC Planet Award, 2005 Asiatic society Gold medal, the 1984 President of India Gold Medal, 2022 World Music Hall of Fame, and is an Empanelled Artist of the Indian government's Indian Council of Cultural Relations.
His latest recording Legacy marks his 29th album, featuring Debashish and family in a tribute to the pioneering artists of Hindustani classical music.
~~~
George Brooks
https://georgebrooks.com
George Brooks is a prolific and diverse saxophonist and composer, acclaimed for successfully bridging the worlds of jazz and Indian classical music. He is the founder of Indian fusion groups Summit with Zakir Hussain, Steve Smith, Kai Eckhardt and Fareed Haque; Bombay Jazz with Larry Coryell and Ronu Majumdar; the Raga Bop Trio with Steve Smith and Carnatic guitarist Prasanna and Elements with Indian violinist Kala Ramnath and Dutch harpist Gwyneth Wentink.
Brooks began his study of jazz with Count Basie saxophonist, Frank Foster and continued at the New England Conservatory of Music, with George Russell, Joe Allard and Jaki Byard. While attending the Conservatory, Brooks was introduced to Indian classical music and became entranced by its melodic beauty, rhythmic complexity and deep spiritual core. After graduating, Brooks traveled to India where he met master vocalist Pandit Pran Nath, the giant of north Indian music who deeply influenced pioneering composers LaMonte Young and Terry Riley. Brooks immersed himself in study with Pran Nath, cooking and caring for his "Guruji," in exchange for knowledge. This is the traditional Indian style of learning known as "guru-shishya parampara."
Returning from India, Brooks settled in California and began his long association with pianist Terry Riley. For the past thirty years they have performed throughout Europe, the US and Asia as a duo, in trio settings with sitarist Krishna Bhatt and with a variety of larger ensembles. While touring with Riley and developing his unique voice as an artist, Brooks also became a mainstay of the Bay Area blues scene, arranging and leading horn sections for Sonny Rhodes, Frankie Lee, Albert Collins and Johnny Taylor and touring internationally with R+B icon Etta James.
In 1996, Brooks recorded Lasting Impression and two years later Night Spinner, for Zakir Hussain's Moment Records. These recordings received wide acclaim as landmarks at the intersection of jazz and Indian classical music. Brooks was hailed as the "leading voice in Indian jazz fusion." He was soon performing and recording with India's most prominent artists including Hussain, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Sultan Khan, Aashish Khan, Shankar Mahadevan and L. Subramaniam. In 2000 Brooks recorded Summit, another grounding breaking work of Indian/jazz fusion featuring Zakir Hussain and Journey drummer Steve Smith. Summit performed throughout the US, Europe and Asia, incorporating guest performers Niladri Kumar, Vikku Vinayakram, Fazal Qureshi and Hariprasad Chaurasia. Catch Summit's reunion at The Freight on July 17, 2026.
DEBASHISH BHATTACHARYA & GEORGE BROOKS
WITH EMAN HASHIMI, ROHAN KRISHNAMURTHY AND SURYADIPTA BHATTACHARYA
Debashish Bhattacharya and George Brooks have been close friends and mutual admirers for many years. Though they have spent time together in Kolkata and California, recording, writing and rehearsing, this performance at The Freight marks their highly anticipated debut as a duo. Brooks and Bhattacharya are both featured soloists on John McLaughlin's Floating Point, nominated in 2008 for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Bhattacharya also appears on the Grammy nominated albums Saturday Night in Bombay -Remember Shakti and Calcutta Chronicles: Indian Slide Guitar Odyssey. Featuring Eman Hashimi, tabla; Rohan Krishnamurthy, Carnatic percussion and Debashish's son and protégé, Suryadipta Bhattacharya, in his US debut.
~~~
Debashish Bhattacharya
https://www.debashishbhattacharya.com
Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya is arguably the greatest slide guitarist in the world. He is an undisputed master of the demanding technique and discipline of both Hindustani classical music and modern world fusion. A "virtuoso's virtuoso," he has revolutionized a number of technical aspects of performance on the instrument. He also has designed and patented four types of guitar for performing raga music, which he has named Chaturangui, Ghandharvi, Anandi, and Pushpa Veena. These guitars are played lap style, with a small steel bar and finger picks.
Debashish has played extensively around the globe, logging in over 3000 live performances and 27 albums. He has performed both live and on recordings with musical icons such as Ustad Zakir Hussain, John McLaughlin, Jerry Douglas, Derek Trucks, and many other world renowned musicians. In India, he has performed for Pandit Ravi Shankar and also appeared in countless Indian music festivals.
His large body of work has garnered extensive recognition, including two Grammy nominations, the Billboard top 10, Songlines Magazine top 10, Central Asia and Asia pacific world music top 10, Amazon top 100 albums, 2016 Songlines Music Award, 2007 BBC Planet Award, 2005 Asiatic society Gold medal, the 1984 President of India Gold Medal, 2022 World Music Hall of Fame, and is an Empanelled Artist of the Indian government's Indian Council of Cultural Relations.
His latest recording Legacy marks his 29th album, featuring Debashish and family in a tribute to the pioneering artists of Hindustani classical music.
~~~
George Brooks
https://georgebrooks.com
George Brooks is a prolific and diverse saxophonist and composer, acclaimed for successfully bridging the worlds of jazz and Indian classical music. He is the founder of Indian fusion groups Summit with Zakir Hussain, Steve Smith, Kai Eckhardt and Fareed Haque; Bombay Jazz with Larry Coryell and Ronu Majumdar; the Raga Bop Trio with Steve Smith and Carnatic guitarist Prasanna and Elements with Indian violinist Kala Ramnath and Dutch harpist Gwyneth Wentink.
Brooks began his study of jazz with Count Basie saxophonist, Frank Foster and continued at the New England Conservatory of Music, with George Russell, Joe Allard and Jaki Byard. While attending the Conservatory, Brooks was introduced to Indian classical music and became entranced by its melodic beauty, rhythmic complexity and deep spiritual core. After graduating, Brooks traveled to India where he met master vocalist Pandit Pran Nath, the giant of north Indian music who deeply influenced pioneering composers LaMonte Young and Terry Riley. Brooks immersed himself in study with Pran Nath, cooking and caring for his "Guruji," in exchange for knowledge. This is the traditional Indian style of learning known as "guru-shishya parampara."
Returning from India, Brooks settled in California and began his long association with pianist Terry Riley. For the past thirty years they have performed throughout Europe, the US and Asia as a duo, in trio settings with sitarist Krishna Bhatt and with a variety of larger ensembles. While touring with Riley and developing his unique voice as an artist, Brooks also became a mainstay of the Bay Area blues scene, arranging and leading horn sections for Sonny Rhodes, Frankie Lee, Albert Collins and Johnny Taylor and touring internationally with R+B icon Etta James.
In 1996, Brooks recorded Lasting Impression and two years later Night Spinner, for Zakir Hussain's Moment Records. These recordings received wide acclaim as landmarks at the intersection of jazz and Indian classical music. Brooks was hailed as the "leading voice in Indian jazz fusion." He was soon performing and recording with India's most prominent artists including Hussain, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Sultan Khan, Aashish Khan, Shankar Mahadevan and L. Subramaniam. In 2000 Brooks recorded Summit, another grounding breaking work of Indian/jazz fusion featuring Zakir Hussain and Journey drummer Steve Smith. Summit performed throughout the US, Europe and Asia, incorporating guest performers Niladri Kumar, Vikku Vinayakram, Fazal Qureshi and Hariprasad Chaurasia. Catch Summit's reunion at The Freight on July 17, 2026.
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WITH EMAN HASHIMI, ROHAN KRISHNAMURTHY AND SURYADIPTA BHATTACHARYA
Debashish Bhattacharya and George Brooks have been close friends and mutual admirers for many years. Though they have spent time together in Kolkata and California, recording, writing and rehearsing, this performance at The Freight marks their highly anticipated debut as a duo. Brooks and Bhattacharya are both featured soloists on John McLaughlin's Floating Point, nominated in 2008 for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Bhattacharya also appears on the Grammy nominated albums Saturday Night in Bombay -Remember Shakti and Calcutta Chronicles: Indian Slide Guitar Odyssey. Featuring Eman Hashimi, tabla; Rohan Krishnamurthy, Carnatic percussion and Debashish's son and protégé, Suryadipta Bhattacharya, in his US debut.
~~~
Debashish Bhattacharya
https://www.debashishbhattacharya.com
Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya is arguably the greatest slide guitarist in the world. He is an undisputed master of the demanding technique and discipline of both Hindustani classical music and modern world fusion. A "virtuoso's virtuoso," he has revolutionized a number of technical aspects of performance on the instrument. He also has designed and patented four types of guitar for performing raga music, which he has named Chaturangui, Ghandharvi, Anandi, and Pushpa Veena. These guitars are played lap style, with a small steel bar and finger picks.
Debashish has played extensively around the globe, logging in over 3000 live performances and 27 albums. He has performed both live and on recordings with musical icons such as Ustad Zakir Hussain, John McLaughlin, Jerry Douglas, Derek Trucks, and many other world renowned musicians. In India, he has performed for Pandit Ravi Shankar and also appeared in countless Indian music festivals.
His large body of work has garnered extensive recognition, including two Grammy nominations, the Billboard top 10, Songlines Magazine top 10, Central Asia and Asia pacific world music top 10, Amazon top 100 albums, 2016 Songlines Music Award, 2007 BBC Planet Award, 2005 Asiatic society Gold medal, the 1984 President of India Gold Medal, 2022 World Music Hall of Fame, and is an Empanelled Artist of the Indian government's Indian Council of Cultural Relations.
His latest recording Legacy marks his 29th album, featuring Debashish and family in a tribute to the pioneering artists of Hindustani classical music.
~~~
George Brooks
https://georgebrooks.com
George Brooks is a prolific and diverse saxophonist and composer, acclaimed for successfully bridging the worlds of jazz and Indian classical music. He is the founder of Indian fusion groups Summit with Zakir Hussain, Steve Smith, Kai Eckhardt and Fareed Haque; Bombay Jazz with Larry Coryell and Ronu Majumdar; the Raga Bop Trio with Steve Smith and Carnatic guitarist Prasanna and Elements with Indian violinist Kala Ramnath and Dutch harpist Gwyneth Wentink.
Brooks began his study of jazz with Count Basie saxophonist, Frank Foster and continued at the New England Conservatory of Music, with George Russell, Joe Allard and Jaki Byard. While attending the Conservatory, Brooks was introduced to Indian classical music and became entranced by its melodic beauty, rhythmic complexity and deep spiritual core. After graduating, Brooks traveled to India where he met master vocalist Pandit Pran Nath, the giant of north Indian music who deeply influenced pioneering composers LaMonte Young and Terry Riley. Brooks immersed himself in study with Pran Nath, cooking and caring for his "Guruji," in exchange for knowledge. This is the traditional Indian style of learning known as "guru-shishya parampara."
Returning from India, Brooks settled in California and began his long association with pianist Terry Riley. For the past thirty years they have performed throughout Europe, the US and Asia as a duo, in trio settings with sitarist Krishna Bhatt and with a variety of larger ensembles. While touring with Riley and developing his unique voice as an artist, Brooks also became a mainstay of the Bay Area blues scene, arranging and leading horn sections for Sonny Rhodes, Frankie Lee, Albert Collins and Johnny Taylor and touring internationally with R+B icon Etta James.
In 1996, Brooks recorded Lasting Impression and two years later Night Spinner, for Zakir Hussain's Moment Records. These recordings received wide acclaim as landmarks at the intersection of jazz and Indian classical music. Brooks was hailed as the "leading voice in Indian jazz fusion." He was soon performing and recording with India's most prominent artists including Hussain, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Sultan Khan, Aashish Khan, Shankar Mahadevan and L. Subramaniam. In 2000 Brooks recorded Summit, another grounding breaking work of Indian/jazz fusion featuring Zakir Hussain and Journey drummer Steve Smith. Summit performed throughout the US, Europe and Asia, incorporating guest performers Niladri Kumar, Vikku Vinayakram, Fazal Qureshi and Hariprasad Chaurasia. Catch Summit's reunion at The Freight on July 17, 2026.
show less
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