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VidyA
explores the space between thoughts at Yoshi's

VidyA makes their debut at Yoshi's Oakland on Monday, July 6, 2009 (8PM), for an East meets West night of "Oneness."  This adventurous group merges the virtuosity of jazz with the melodic and rhythmic nuance of South Indian classical (Carnatic) music.  Led by critically-acclaimed saxophonist Prasant Radhakrishnan along with David Ewell (bass) and Sameer Gupta (drums), VidyA has emerged with a soulful, penetrating sound that pushes the labels of jazz, fusion or world music.  In Sanskrit, "vidya" means knowledge, and by exploring the space between thoughts, "VidyA" transcends knowledge to wisdom.

" -- there is a build-up of emotional energy and intellectual complexity which seems to recreate the energy that was present at the birth of bebop in 1940s New York -- mercilessly free of the standard melodic and rhythmic clichés."  ~INDIA CURRENTS

"A style that's madly percussive and sparkling -- combines jazz's sweet dreaminess with the Indian form's insistent rhythmic and tonal changes."  ~SF WEEKLY

VidyA has been bridging the gap between music and spirituality since their 2006 four-month performance residency at the Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco.  The "fusion" of two genres of music emerges in VidyA's music in a deeply organic way.  The drums and bass lock into one another, driving the music forward like a jazz rhythm section, while the tenor saxophone elaborates and improvises on Carnatic ragas.  The group weaves in and out of the two genres while all the time merging them into one.  VidyA translates the language of Carnatic music into the idiom of jazz.

Each international touring artists in their own right, they have performed all over the world, equally at home in venues such as the SFJAZZ Summerfest and the Asian American Film Festival, as well top concert halls in India and jazz clubs in Japan.  VidyA creates an almost telepathic interplay, incorporating the forward motion of both Indian Carnatic and jazz rhythms while elaborating Carnatic ragas infused with melodic richness.

At age 13, bandleader/saxophonist, Prasant Radhakrishnan - now 26 - began rigorous studies with Carnatic saxophone pioneer and maestro Kadri Gopalnath and has earned acclaim among the elite musical circles of Chennai, the mecca of Carnatic music.  He has performed hundreds of concerts across India, North America and Japan, both on his own and with Gopalnath.  While Radhakrishnan has immersed himself deeply in his Indian cultural roots, as a first-generation American, jazz is also a native art form for him.  He became intrigued with jazz in high school; later, as a student in the Jazz Studies program at the University of Southern California, Radhakrishnan began creating compositions integrating the two musical worlds, ultimately leading to the Carnatic/jazz tapestry of VidyA.  So for Radhakrishnan, jazz and Carnatic music are an entirely holistic pairing.  The sound of VidyA is one he hears in his mind's ear and seeks a way to re-create, as he continues to delve into these disparate, yet complementary elements of his Indo-American identity.

David Ewell is one of the most sought-after bass players in the jazz and contemporary music scene.  His innate sense for improvised music has made him an inseparable part of VidyA's intense sound.  David has traveled the world playing with jazz greats while performing regularly with Marc Cary, Howard Wiley, Lavay Smith and many others.

Sameer Gupta has established himself as a powerful voice in percussion and improvised music.  His background in Indian classical percussion combined with his powerful drumming create a dynamic soundscape for VidyA.  Also a composer, Gupta has worked in several successful ensembles, including the Supplicants, which he founded.  David and Sameer have performed together in various ensembles for several years.

VidyA will perform tracks from their self-titled debut (released May 2008) as well as their unique twist on jazz standards for one night at Yoshi's Oakland on Monday, July 6, 2009 (8PM).  An innovative mélange of South Indian classical music and jazz, VidyA's sound redefines both traditions for an experience that has been thrilling the San Francisco jazz scene for the past three years.  Prasant Radhakrishnan (saxophone), David Ewell (bass) and Sameer Gupta (drums).  www.vidyamusic.com

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