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Geoffrey Gordon is a pioneer of world
music working as a professional musician since 1968. His warm and generous spirit have illuminated recordings, theater, dance,
film and concert stages around the world. He has taught on the faculties of several universities, and at numerous conferences,
retreats and teacher trainings. He's recorded and performed with Robbie Robertson, Rita Coolidge and Walela, Coleman Barks,
Gabrielle Roth, Ram Dass, Shiva Rea, Julie
Taymor, Elliot Goldenthal, Carter Burwell, David Torn, Krishna Das, Jai Uttal and many
others. Geoffrey began working on drum set in 1968 with guitar wizard
and film composer David Torn (Jeff Beck, David Bowie, Tori Amos). From 1970-74 Geoffrey studied
music, psychology and philosophy at Ulster College and New Paltz University.
In 1971 he studied Shamanism and Jungian Psychology with author and scholar Stephen Larsen (The
Shaman's Doorway). In 1971 he took initiation into Tantric meditation and Ashtanga Yoga practices.
He studied comparative religion with Amiya Chakravarty (literary secretary to Rabindranath Tagore and close associate
of Mahatma Gandhi). Geoffrey completed yoga teacher training in 1972
and began teaching Hatha Yoga. From 1971-73 he played drums in several
well known rock and roll bands in Woodstock and Ithaca NY. He attended the first sessions of
Naropa University in 1974 and was introduced to Buddhist meditation and Buddhist studies with several renowned teachers.
In 1975 he began playing music with Jai Uttal, Krishna Das, Bhagavan Das,
Badal Roy, and Steve Gorn. Beginning in 1975 he studied Kabbalah with Rabbie Joseph H Gelberman. Also in 1975 Geoffrey became
a tabla student of Ustad Allarakha and in 1977 a student of North Indian Classical Music with
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. In late 1977 Geoffrey moved to New York City and joined the faculty of City
College of New York's dance department in Harlem, NY where he collaborated with professional
dancers from Martha Graham Co, Merce Cunningham Co, Eric Hawkins Co,
Pilobolus Dance Co, Alvin Ailey, Dance Theater of Harlem as well as teachers from Kenya, Haiti, India, China, Bali, Brazil,
Mexico, and more. In 1977 he toured with John Cooper and The East West Chamber Ensemble
and performed with violinist L. Subrananiam. In 1978 he began performing with Visant Rai in
various venues including The Bottom Line and The New School in NYC. Visant Rai was a student
of the great master Ustad Allauddin Khan who was the father and guru of sarodist Ustad
Ali Akbar Khan and the guru of of sitarist Ravi Shankar. Also in 1978 Geoffrey began playing
regularly with violinist Steven Kindler who had been touring and recording with Jeff Beck, John McLaughlen
and Jan Hammer. They played and practiced Indian Classical music together and developed an east
west fusion group that toured to various islands in Hawaii eventually becoming the house band
at Longi's in Lahaina, Maui in 1979. He also began working with Gabrielle Roth in 1979 and played
for many events and retreats with her including several as master drummer for her teacher training
at Esalen Institute. In 1981 he studied Indian classical vocal music with Pandit Pran
Nath. In 1982 he began a close collaboration with writer/scholar Diane Wolkstein composing music for performances
of her book 'Inanna: Queen of Heaven and Earth' at Lincoln Center and The United Nations in NYC. In 1985 he met film composer
Carter Burwell ('Rob Roy', 'The Last Samuri', 'No Country for Old Men') and worked on his film scores in both Hollywood
and New York. In 1985 Geoffrey recorded his first major worldwide release on ECM Records, a
duo improvisation with David Torn titled 'Best Laid Plans'. From 1986
- 1990 Geoffrey taught music for dance on the dance faculty of Sarah Lawrence College and eventually
became musical director working with Viola Farber, Bill T Jones, Kei Takei and many others. Geoffrey opened for Miles Davis
in 1986 at the Hollywood Bowl playing drums in a Jazz trio with violinist
Charles Burnham (Cassandra Wilson, James Blood Ulmer). In 1988 he joined the cast of 'M. Butterfly'
and performed on stage in this Tony Award winning show on Broadway with John Lithgow, Tony Randall, B.D. Wong (Law and Order)
and Alec Mapa (Ugly Betty) in over two hundred performances. In 1988 Geoffrey performed and toured
for two years with Julie Taymor (director of 'Across the Universe', 'Frida' and 'The Lion King' on Brdwy) touring to Festival
De Lille in France, The Israel Festival in Jerusalem, The Edinburg Theater Festival Mainstage in Scotland, the Montreal
Theater Festival in Canada, The Marines Memorial Theater in San Francisco and at Lincoln Center
Theater. Geoffrey produced cds for many artists including Shiva Rea- 'Yoga
Trance Dance'; Rita Coolidge & Walela- 'Unbearable Love'; Diana Rogers- 'Unveiled'; Jai Uttal,
Geoffrey Gordon and Jai Lakshman- 'The Hanuman Chaleesa: Songs in Praise of Hanuman'; Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, and Geoffrey
Gordon for Ali Akbar Khan's 'Garden of Dreams'; Geoffrey Gordon and Stephen Kent- 'Baraka Moon' with Sukhawat Ali Khan; Swami Vishwananda- 'Love Beyond Word's'
and Love Beyond Words II'; Yuan Miao and Lama Norbu 'Crossing the
Himalayas'; and Geoffrey's own CD 'Breath of Rama'. Since 1992 Geoffrey has resided in the San Francisco
Bay. He has recently been living and working part of the year in Ubud, Bali. Geoffrey continues to work constistantly performing,
teaching, composing, producing, and sharing his musical skills, vitality, wisdom and understanding around the world.
Please visit the calendar page for recent activities. Geoffrey's compositions with scholar, writer and storyteller Diane
Wolkstein include versions of the ancient sacred stories of Sumeria, Mayan, Chinese, Biblical, Native American and Inuit traditions.
They have performed in New York City at The United Nations, Avery Fisher Hall, The Asia Society, The Jung Foundation, The
American Museum of Natural History, The Jewish Theological Seminary, The National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee, in Austria
and in England at The British Museum. Geoffrey plays on many classic movie soundtracks including 'Raising Arizona' with Nicholas
Cage, 'The Big Lewbowsky' with Jeff Bridges, 'The Locusts' with Vince Vaughn, 'The Corruptor' with Mark Wahlberg, 'Storyville'
with James Spader, 'A Dangerous Woman' with Deborah Winger, Kalifornia' with Brad Pitt, 'Airheads' with Adam Sandler, 'Titus'
with Jessica Lang, 'Demolition Man' with Sylvester Stallone, and more. Geoffrey performed on the Broadway stage in the Tony
award winning Best Play 'M.Butterfly' at the Eugene O'Neil Theater and in the national touring company. Geoffrey performed
with Robbie Robertson and Rita Coolidge at the First Native American Music Awards. He worked with Rita Coolidge and Walela
at Symphony Space in NYC, The New Orleans Jazz Festival, and The Great American Music Hall in S.F. Geoffrey appears with Rumi
poet Coleman Barks in the PBS documentary 'Rumi: Poet of the Heart'. He's also performed with Coleman Barks at the State of
the World Forum, Omega Institute, CIIS in San Fracisco, Puerto Villarta Mexico, Santa Fe NM, Dominican College in San Rafael
CA, The New Age Journal Conference in NYC, and KPFA Concert in Berkeley, CA. Geoffrey toured in the Knitting Factory Soundtrack
Festival with Carter Burwell performing his soundtrack music live from 'Fargo', 'Rob Roy', 'Gods and Monsters', 'Raising Arizona',
'Kalifornia' and more. Geoffrey
worked with Jai Uttal at The Prophet's Conferences in Victoria BC and Monterey CA, Joseph Papp's Public Theater in NYC, Omega
Institute in NY, Lama Foundation in Taos NM, Esalen Institute in Big Sur CA, Spirit Rock in Woodacre CA, Breitenbush in Detroit
OR, Hollyhock on Cortez Island in Canada, with Shiva Rea at Samasati in Costa Rica and Kalani in Hawaii, at Yoga Journal Conferences
in LA and NYC, Holotropic Breathwork/Chanting Retreats in Palm Desert and Marin CA, International Transpersonal Psychology
Conferences in Manous Brazil, Palm Springs and Sant Clara CA, The Shantipi Festival outside Tel Aviv in Israel, The Santa
Fe Jazz Festival, The San Diego Jazz Festival, The Sacred World Music Festival in San Francisco CA, Monterey World Music Festival,
Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival, The House of Blues in LA, Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, ABC Television's LIVE IN
CONCERT, BET Jazz Cable TV, with Goldie Hawn and Robbin Williams for Operation Smile in LA, and opening for Nusrat Fateh Ali
Khan at the Universal Ampitheater in LA and the Greek Theater in Berkeley CA. Geoffrey has played on albums with Robbie Robertson 'Contact from
the Underworld of Redboy'; Krishna Das 'One Track Heart'; Elliot Goldenthal 'Juan Dairen'; R. Carlos Nakai & Nawang Khechog
'Winds of Devotion'; David Torn 'Best Laid Plans'; Carter Burwell 'Storyville'; Gabrielle Roth 'Trance'; Coleman Barks 'Rumi:
Poet of the Heart'; Bhagavan Das 'Now'; Tulku 'Trancendance', Little Wolf 'Wolf Moon', MC Yogi 'Elephant Power', and Stephen
Kent 'Family Tree'. Geoffrey has performed and recorded alongside many great musicians including David Liebman, Don Cherry,
Reggie Workman, Rashied Ali, Eddie Gomez, Don Byron, Mickey Hart, Simone Shahine, Peter Apfelbaum, Trilok Gurtu, Richard Teitelbaum,
Skip LaPlante and Music for Homemade Instruments Ensemble, Lucia Hwong, The Tibetan Singing Bowl Ensemble with Raphael Mostel,
and The Ali Akbar Khan Orchestra. Geoffrey met Ram Dass in 1972 and became a devotee of Neem Karoli Baba also know as Maharaji
who was written about in Ram Dass's book 'Be Here Now'. Geoffrey worked on faculties with Ram Dass at Pura Vida in Costa
Rica, Omega Institute, Breitenbush, and Hollyhock; in Austin Texas, Durham North Carolina, Santa Fe New Mexico, New York
City, Los Angeles and San Francisco; at The Prophets Conferences in Carmel Ca and Maui Hawaii and much more. He played the
tabla and drum parts on Ram Dass's CD 'Chord of Love' and is also heard on the soundtrack of the film 'Fierce Grace'. He attended
the fist sessions at Naropa University in 1974 and studied Vajrayana Buddhism with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
He's taken refuge and Bodhisattva vows with Kalu Rinpoche, The 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, Dudjum Rimpoche, and The 14th Dalai Lama.
He studied Vipassana meditation with S.N. Goenka. Geoffrey is honored to have spent time with several great masters including
J. Krishnamurti, Aido Roshi, Swami Muktananda,
Swami Chitananda, Murshid Hassan, Sheik Musafere, and Guru Bawa Muhaiyaddeen.
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