GEOFFREY GORDON

Musical Events, Recording, Production, Percussion, Chanting, Education

Geoffrey Gordon was born in New York City in 1952. He began playing drum set and singing in rock bands in 1965. He played bass fiddle at the age of ten continuing in orchestra throughout College at New Paltz University. From 1970-1972 he attended Ulster College and was introduced to Joseph Campbell, Buckminster Fuller and Stanislav Grof as well as the teachings of Carl Jung by his Psychology Professor Stephen Larsen. Geoffrey started practicing hatha yoga, meditation and singing kirtan in 1971 after meeting Ram Dass. Geoffrey became a full time student of yoga and meditation at Ananda Marga's training center in Palo Alto, CA in 1972. He then taught hatha yoga in London, Ontario. In 1974, he attended the fist sessions at Naropa University and studied Buddhism with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. In 1975 Geoffrey joined Ram Dass, Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, and Hilda Charlton for a whirlwind of spiritual teachings in NYC. At that time he also became a tabla student of Ravi Shankar's tabla player the great Ustad Allarakha. He later studied tabla with Allarakha's son Zakir Hussain. He studied North Indian Classical Music with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. In 1977 he began a full time career in music in New York City. Since then he has performed on major motion picture soundtracks, on many popular recordings, at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Hollywood Bowl, on the Broadway stage in Tony Award winning shows, and in clubs and festivals throughout the world. Geoffrey taught on the faculties Sarah Lawrence College, City College of NY, Omega, Esalen, and Hollyhock. Geoffrey also leads devotional chanting known as kirtan and accompanies many devotional singers. Geoffrey has produced CDs for Rita Coolidge and Walela, Shiva Rea, Swami Vishwananda, Diana Rogers, The Hanuman Foundation, and Marie Elizabeth. Geoffrey was the percussionist for The Pagan Love Orchestra both live and on all of their recordings. He's recorded with Robbie Robertson, Walela, David Torn, Kenny Loggins, Ram Dass, Jai Uttal, Krishna Das, R. Carlos Nakai & Nawang Khechog, Peter Kater, Steven Halpern, Gabrielle Roth, Tulku, Little Wolf, Stephen Kent, Coleman Barks and many others. Geoffrey's percussion is heard on movie soundtracks with composers Carter Burwell (composer- No Country for Old Men) and Academy Award winner Elliot Goldenthal (composer- Frida, Batman Forever) including: "The Big Lewbowski", "Raising Arizona", "Storyville", "Airheads", "Bad Company", "The Corruptor", "Kalifornia", "The Locusts", "Titus", "Final Fantasy:The Spirits Within", and "Demolition Man". Geoffrey's original music for "Inanna" with Diane Wolkstein was performed at The United Nations, Avery Fisher Hall and in 2007 at the British Museum in London. Geoffrey's compositions for Diane include versions of the ancient sacred stories of Sumeria, Mayan, Chinese, Biblical, Native American and Inuit traditions. They also performed at the Asia Society, the Jung Foundation, the American Museum of Natural History, and The Jewish Theological Seminary. Geoffrey worked on and off Broadway and at Lincoln Center with director Julie Taymor ("Across the Universe", "Frida", "The Lion King") and composer Elliot Goldenthal in "Juan Darien". Geoffrey also performed on Broadway in the Tony Award winning play "M. Butterfly" with the original cast starring John Lithgow and BD Wong. He performed with Robbie Robertson and with Rita Coolidge and Walela at the First Native American Music Awards. He was featured in "Rumi: Poet of the Heart" on PBS with Coleman Barks. Geoffrey performed with Walela at The New Orleans Jazz Festival and the Great American Music Hall. He was a featured soloist with the Tibetan Singing Bowl Ensemble at the Atomic Bomb Commemoration Ceremonies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Geoffrey performed in the Knitting Factory Soundtrack Festival with movie composer Carter Burwell performing Carter's compositions from FARGO, ROB ROY, GODS AND MONSTERS, KALIFORNIA, and RAISING ARIZONA. He played for Gabrielle Roth for many years at Esalen Institute and at retreats and conferences. Geoffrey has also performed with Jason Hwang, Simone Shahene, Jaya Lakshmi, Lucia Hwong, Lex Hixon, The Ali Akbar Khan Orchestra and many others. Geoffrey played tabla and percussion with Jai Uttal and the Pagan Love Orchestra on all of their tours and CDs including the Grammy nominated "Mondo Rama". Geoffrey worked with Jai Uttal taught workshops and accompanied kirtans with Jai at venues around the world including: The Prophet's Conferences in Maui, Victoria Island and Monterey, Joseph Papp's Public Theater, Jiva Mukti, Omega Institute, Esalen, Spirit Rock, CIIS, Breitenbush, Figi, Kalani Hawaii, Yoga Journal Conferences, Southwest Yoga Conference, Holotropic Breathwork/Chanting Retreats, Transpersonal Psychology Conferences in Manous Brazil, Palm Springs and Santa Clara, LA's Sacred Music Festivals, The Shantipi Festival in Israel, Santa Fe Jazz Festival, San Diego Jazz Festival, Yoga Works, Monterey World Music Festival, Seattle's Bumbershoot Festivals, The House of Blues, The Montreux Jazz Festival, Health and Harmony Festival, Earth Dance, Trinity Tribal Stomp, The Hog Farm's Annual Pignick, ABC Television's LIVE IN CONCERT, BET Jazz Cable TV, with Goldie Hawn and Robbin Williams for Operation Smile, and opening for Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan at the Universal Ampitheater in LA and the Greek Theater in Berkeley. Geoffrey taught music composition, improvisation, and accompaniment for dance on the dance faculty of Sarah Lawrence College 1985-90. Geoffrey was Composer in Residence and musical director for the Dance Dept at City College of New York in Harlem composing and performing with dancers and teachers from Alvin Ailey, Dance Theater of Harlem, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham, Tamar Rogoff, Lavinia Williams and choreographers from Kenya, Spain, Haiti, China, India, Mexico and Brazil.