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The BandMiles. Peter. Beebe. DaveSurinder in soundcheckAt Birmingham Town Hall 2009India Shoot 2007India Shoot 2007India Shoot 2007Miles Levin and Surinder in Leeds 09Scoring session for SauRang OrchestraMore soundchecksSurinder and Kousic setting up...surinderthe band...float mouse over photo for titles click photo to enlargethe road...Dennis RollinsRecording the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic OrchestraRLPOJonathan Williams. Rich Aitken. Richard Gordon SmithRecording Black VoicesAngela from Black VoicesRLPO sessionDave Lowe on The FictionistRajeeb ChakrabortyLevi Frenchrecording...Kousic Sen Dave ClarkeKousic and SurinderRN Prakash and SurinderKousic Surinder BeebeDave ClarkePhoto by Patrick WalkerChris Beebe AldridgePhoto by Patrick WalkerPeter BrownPhoto by Patrick WalkerMiles LevinPhoto by Patrick WalkerGlyn PhillipsPhoto by Patrick WalkerDave ClarkePhoto by Patrick Walker

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ABOUT

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SURINDERSurinder Sandhu has established himself as one of the most inventive, exciting and talented composer/soloists both in the West and East. So much so, that for his debut album SauRang Orchestra, he had an outstanding array of A list maestros falling over themselves to work with him!On that first record, which was recorded over a 12 month period in three continents, Surinder enrolled among others; The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Guitar Legend Steve Vai, British Saxophone hero Andy Sheppard and many eminent Indian soloists.SauRang Orchestra won critical acclaim the world over, catapulting Surinder Sandhu into major league music circles, where he was publicised even through mainstream media, along with credible pop acts.In 2004 (after recruiting a team of undiscovered talent) less than a year after releasing SauRang, Surinder returned with Cycles and Stories. This incredibly fresh sounding record featured his current line up focusing on capturing the energy from the live shows.Aside from touring internationally, Surinder is in constant demand as a recording artist, composer and lecturer in contemporary music.Following his highly successful collaborations over the past 10 years, Surinder was composer and producer of choice to create a special piece to celebrate Liverpool City Of Culture 2008.His third outing The Fictionist, described as an epic symphonic collage, featured the Liverpool 08 Commission.The project developed such a strong passionate following from fans and industry peers respectively, allowing Surinder to rope in high profile collaboraters, such as the music producution team behind the US TV hit 24, Sonic Distribution (providing tens of thousands of pounds of high tech recording equipment, BBC Choir of the Year Sense of Sound, BBC Jazz artist of the year Dennis Rollins, African Kora maestro Tunde Jegede, Black Voices Choir and other special guests. The live shows had also been gaining a glowing reputation for its incredible musicianship, dynamics, visuals and of course music.‘ Surinder is one of the most creative musicians I’ve ever worked with'.Richard Gordon Smith, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

RECORDS‘Electrifying! If a composers grasp isn’t beyond his reach, whats heaven for?’. Andy Robson - JAZZWISE Magazine‘A fantastic CD bursting with all corners of creative music, a must listen! ….. Surinder has produced a single CD that unites a nation through the power of his music’Courtney Pine OBE on The Fictionist

SARANGISarangi BellySarangi backTuning PegsResonating ChamberRear HeadstockNote the elephant design bridge unique for Sarangi's.Elephant Bridge used to be made from ivoryAngled ViewAngled View3 Gut Strings plus 37 steel stringsSide ViewFull ViewTop BridgeAriel ViewHeadstock and Pegs..:: the Sarangi ::..Indian Cultural heritage encompasses such aspects as vocal, instrumental and dance as its three wings graded in that order. In the instrumental department, Sarangi the age old stringed instrument assumed the top position by the sheer virtue of its being able to emulate the human voice to perfection.The Sarangi is the main bowed instrument of North Indian Music. It is carved from a single piece of hardwood, has a face of stretched goat skin and has no less than thirty six sympathetic strings, (which provide the haunting echo in its sound) and three main strings. The three main strings are made from gut which are played by the bow.The Sarangi is revered in India both for its uncanny ability to imitate the timbre and inflections of the human voice and for the intensity and emotional expressions to which it lends itself. It is widely considered the most difficult of all Indian instruments. The most difficult problem being the tuning of so many strings as well as the playing technique which involves stopping the gut strings with the cuticles on the left hand, which can be very painful. Hence its difficulty, there are now only a few Sarangi players in India today as the learning technique takes much patience and devotion as well as skill.As it is the majo accompanying instrument and there are very few Sarangi players, it is much in demand, so much so that it is due to the lack of Sarangi players that the harmonium evolved and came into popularization as it is much easier to play and does not need continues tuning. But even so does not even begin to come close to the depth and beauty of the old aged string instrument known as Sarangi.The music of India is basically vocal music. Over the centuries the instruments of India have been nothing if not in fact, human voices by proxy. And for the sheer verisimilitude the most expressive voice in all of India is that of the colourful Sarangi. That's why it is called 'Sarangi, the voice of a hundred colours'.We acknowledge with thanks for excerpts on Sarangi by Nicolas Magriel www.sarangi.netSome recommended Sarangi listening:Ustad Sabri Khan Raag Darbari (47 minutes)- Alap, Jor and Raag Multani-Khyal Slow Ektal, Drut TeentaalAuvidis Ethnic B6754This really is my Guruji at his best. Recorded in France in 1990, the recording has managed to capture a side to Sarangi that is so rare. Played in complete meditation, a truly evocative insight into the Darbars of the Moghuls....Ustad Sultan Khan Sur TaalRaag Nat Bhairav, Dhun in Maand, Raag Hemant, Raag Basant and Raag Des.T Series Classical Instrumental SICCD 022Sultan Khansahib has such a sweet sound, and an amazing gamak!!! This recording is a great initiation into Sarangi. The Des alap is especially good....Pandit Ram NarayanRaag Marwa, Raag Des and Mishra BhairviMusic Today (Delhi) or anything on Nimbus its all good!The undisputed master of instrumental Sarangi. Panditji has developed his own unique style, concentrating on Sapat (scale runs) rather than gamak (fast glissando between two notes).‘The sarangi remains not only the authentic and original Indian bowed stringed instrument but the one which expresses the very soul of Indian feeling and thought’. Sir Yehudi Menuhin

BANDdave clarkeMiles Levinpeter brownchris beebe aldridge'Going to a concert like this is a truly unique experience. The Surinder Sandhu Band collectively performed the most spectacularly mind blowing East meets West compositions I have ever heard'. Dawinder Bansal - BBC.co.uktim taplin

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FICTIONIST

musiciansThe Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Clark RundellDave Lowe - GuitarsMiles Levin - DrumsChris 'Beebe' Aldridge - Saxophones, Clarinet and voiceDennis Rollins - TromboneBryan Corbett - Trumpet and Flugel HornLevi French - PianoPeter Brown - Acoustic Guitars, Keys and VocalsChoirs: Black Voices & Sense of SoundKousic Sen - TablaHuntu - FluteLoz Raybone - Vocals and GuitarArjit Datta - VocalsTunde Jegede - KoraDave Clarke - BassesBen Markland - Upright BassTrish - AccordianSimon Scardanelli - Guitars on tr 10Surinder Sandhu - Sarangi, vocals, djembe and everything else.Composed, arranged and produced by Surinder SandhuOrchestrated by Richard Gordon Smith (except*)Conducted by Clark Rundell*Orchestrated by Surinder Sandhu and Jonathan WilliamsRLPO recorded on location at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall by Rich Aitken and Dave PiggotRLPO session produced by Jonathan Williams and Rich AitkenRecorded and Mixed by Surinder Sandhutracks1) Avi's Theme2) Inside The Circle3) Until Then4) Movement One - Intro5) Movement Two - Stillness And Creation6) Movement Three - With New Eyes7) Movement Four - No Ordinary Moments8) Prelude To You9) The River (Life Has Now Changed)10) To You (A Mothers Love)The Fictionist is a CD of genuine intelligence with a rare breadth of vision. A stunning collection of ten tracks, East meets West and so much more inbetween, as rock guitar sits alongside Dennis Rollins’ Jazz trombone, luscious strings and tabla in a melange of invention and creativity…Keith Ames 'Musician Magazine'The Musicians Union Magazine

SauRang Orchestra

musiciansSteve Vai - electric & acoustic guitarsAndy Sheppard - tenor & soprano saxophonesGeorge Brooks - soprano saxophone Shabhaz Hussain - tabla & syllables S.V. Balakrishna - mridangam & syllables Kousic Sen - tablaRajeeb Chakraborty - sarodeChandra Chakraborty - voiceRoland Chadwick - acoustic guitar tr 2 and 5Dudley Phillips - bassMark Anderson - drums Haldin Wright - acoustic guitar tr 2 Fred Wisdom - acoustic guitar tr 3players from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Richard Gordon-SmithSurinder Sandhu - sarangi and everything else tracks1. Amirah 2. Children of the Sand 3. Such Karma 4. The Little Hindu 5. Elephant Strings - Our Beginnings 6. The Sand Divers Movement One - Twice Born 7. Movement Two - Sunday Morning in Calcutta 8. Movement Three - Piya More : 9. The Glass Palace Movement One - Opening 10. The Glass Palace Movement Two - Autumn Rhythm 11. The Glass Palace Movement Three - Tradition of the New all tracks composed, arranged and produced by surinder sandhuexecutive producer - simon scardanellimixed by simon scardanelli and surinder sandhumastered bt dick beetham _360 mastering'Groundbreaking...a stunning collage of Indian influenced jazz with symphonic power...This album puts Sandhu at the forefront of one of the most exciting jazz experiments now underway'. Walter Kolosky - allaboutjazz.com

CYCLES STORIESmusiciansSurinder Sandhu - sarangi and everything elsePeter Brown - guitars, pianoMiles Levin, - drumsDave Clarke - bassesChris 'Beebe' Aldridge - saxes, clarinet, fluteR.N. Prakash - ghatam, konnokolKousic Sen - tablaShabhaz Hussain - tablaSharam Gill - guitar and vocals tr 3plus: Beppa, Jas Tora, Katie Wilkinson, . tracks1. Re-Visited 2. Never Forget 3. Paths Up Paths Down *4. Yesterday Living 5. Indian Time...Imagine That 6. Kismet Ki Khel, Fates Game 7. Cycles and Stories 8. Thoughts of Together 9. Escape to Twighlight 10. Re-union all tracks composed, arranged, recorded and produced by surinder sandhu, except ** composed and arranged by sharam gill and surinder sandhu