OUT OF GENRE - RELEASED 11TH APRIL '11

'This début album is a breath of fresh musical air.' - Toronto Star
Out Of Genre is the debut solo album from cutting edge sitarist Jonathan Mayer. From Bach to original compositions and featuring jazz legend Kenny Wheeler, this album will eradicate the notion of the sitar as a 'pigeon holed' instrument.

MANTRA

The inspiration for this new collaborative project is the sublime Iberian and Indian music from the early 1500s. Portuguese missionaries and Goan Indians joined together in music as churches, built in the exotic land known as the 'Pearl of the Orient', resounded to the extraordinary blended sounds of Europe and Asia. Jonathan is joined by award-winning musicians Kuljit Bhamra (tabla, Indian harmonium), The Orlando Consort (voice ensemble), and Shahid Khan (voice) to re-create this historic cross-cultural encounter and apply their collective experiences to create a radical and challenging new dialogue for the 21st century.

MOJO - "Virtuoso sitar player"

Salisbury festival - "beautifully serene"

Guardian - "lightning-quick"

Biography

Training:
Son of the late Indian composer and Indo-Jazz Fusions founder John Mayer, Jonathan studied sitar from Clem Alford, Pandit Subroto Roy Chowdhury, both of Senia Gharana, and Ustad Wajahat Khan of Imdadkhani Gharana. He also studied composition from his father and later with Andrew Downes at the Birmingham Conservatoire where he gained a B.Mus (Hons).

Who he's worked with:
Jonathan is currently one of the most versatile sitarists in the world, having studied both Indian & western music. From these traditions he has created a unique creativity towards the sitar, seeing it as a instrument and not a genre. His ability to read western notation has enabled him to work on many collaborations and the wide range of artists Jonathan has worked with reflects the diversity in his playing:
Joji Hattori, Paul Weller, Kathryn Tickell, BBC Concert Orchestra
Kumar Bose, Kavita Krishnamutri, Kuljit Bhamra, Erich Gruenburg, Rohan De Saram,
Kenny Wheeler, The Orlando Consort, John Wilson, Bombay Dub Orchestra,
Future Sounds of London, Sarah Brightman, Noel Gallagher, and Sir Paul McCartney.

Jonathan is always in great demand for function performances

With 20 years experience in his field and over 800 function performances Jonathan can offer the very best in live sitar for your event.He has public liability insurance for up to £10 milliion and all his equipment is PAT tested. Click on read more for more information.