VAS

VAS, the Latin word for vessel, describes how Persian born vocalist Azam Ali and American born percussionist Greg Ellis approach, or more precisely, receive their music. It is indeed accurate to say their music completes them. Their musical style is best described as ‘alternative world,’ a term the duo defines as music that transcends cultural and geographic boundaries.



Greg Ellis and Azam Ali met at a Master Musicians of Jajouka concert at UCLA in 1995, and at an impromptu gathering afterward, they heard each other perform for the first time. There was instant recognition of a shared vision, and they began creating music together the very next day. Vas had been born. Within a year they signed to the Narada label and went on to release five critically-acclaimed albums – three as Vas, and two solo projects.



Vas has finished production on their fourth upcoming album entitled FEAST OF SILENCE, which is set for release May 18, 2004. This should put to rest any concerns from fans as to whether or not Vas would record another album due to solo releases by both members.



The duo spent much of 2001 and 2002 recording and releasing solo projects, and doing extensive touring with Mickey Hart's band Bembe Orisha. The time off has proved to be highly rejuvenating, resulting in the new recording which although maintaining the same sensibilities Vas is so well known for, is truly an ambitious body of work. The exact release date will be posted as we approach the new year.



In the meantime Azam Ali and Greg Ellis can be heard as featured performers along with Laxmi Shankar (vocals), and Deepak Ram (bansuri flute), on the end title track by Juno Reactor's Ben Watkins on the upcoming major motion picture release, "The Matrix, Revolutions", set for release on November 4th worldwide.



Biographies



Azam Ali



Azam was born in Iran but grew up in India from the age of four, absorbing its rich music and culture throughout her formative years. She moved to Los Angeles in 1985, and shortly thereafter began playing the dulcimer-like santour, studying under the guidance of Persian master Manoocher Sadeghi. Her musical endeavors eventually led to the exploration of her voice, and in singing she found a creative liberation, connecting her to her purest form of expression. While pursuing formal training in many vocal traditions – western classical, Eastern European, and traditional Indian – her passion has been to explore as many technical styles as possible, in order to fully express the potentials of the human voice.



Her writing style continues to draw upon such eclectic vocal influences as Indian, Middle Eastern, Bulgarian, and western European, and was naturally influenced by the Persian folk songs, Indian ghazals, and bhajans she had heard growing up. At first composing songs around her own poetry, she began singing phonetically, using her voice more and more as an instrument to capture a universal human emotion that defies ethnic specificities.



Greg Ellis



Greg grew up in Los Gatos, California. As early as he can remember, he was immersed in the sounds of the Bay Area – from the Monterey Jazz Festival to the ethnic sounds in Santa Cruz, to the consistently eclectic San Francisco music scene, he absorbed the diverse blend of musical styles. His musical journey began with trumpet at age 9. Drums became his sole passion after receiving his first set of drums at age 12, teaching himself by playing along to records. He moved to Los Angeles in 1984 and began ten years of touring and recording as a sideman. During his travels, he also began collecting percussion instruments from around the world. As he became familiar with these instruments, he was particularly interested in their melodic and tonal capabilities. He could finally use drums to compose his own music, and continue his deepening interest in exploring the true power of rhythm.



Greg eventually set up his own studio and began composing and producing not only his own material, but also music for film and television. He discovered how important it is to record in real time, without the artifice of looping or sequencing – a rare approach in today’s musical landscape. He realized this was the only way to truly tap into the devotional spirit of music in which so many of his influences were deeply rooted. This approach laid the foundation for his work with Vas.



Feast of Silence



In this new release, the band have expanded their compositional range significantly, as well as exploring a broader instrumental palette. A wider range of vocal stylings is in evidence than in any of their previous releases, incorporating Indian, Middle Eastern, Eastern European and, for the first time, songs with English lyrics. They have also broadened their instrumentation, incorporating guitar and bass to their signature blend of multi-ethnic percussion, cello, and bansuri flute.



Azam says, “My approach vocally for this album was to explore the interplay of choral and solo performances, hence a layering I have never employed before on any Vas record. I wanted to explore, within each composition, the textural and emotional contrasts of a solo voice emerging from a choir, as in the great Bulgarian choral tradition. For instance, on a track like Amrita I wanted to capture the sonic experience and the sacred depth of many voices singing together in a temple.”



Greg adds, “I wanted to use a blend of sounds on this album that I haven’t before, especially since I had acquired many new instruments in the last few years. Drums from Senegal, Turkey, and Pakistan, along with Indonesian cymbals and bells, created the foundation of the music. I also took a more compositional approach with the percussion arrangements, being very aware of the balance between the sounds and tonalities and giving each song its own sonic texture.”



FEAST OF SILENCE is Vas’ first album in three years, after spending much of 2001-2002 recording and touring together with Mickey Hart, Japan’s legendary Kodo taiko drummers, and Zakir Hussain. Both individually and collectively they continue to be tapped for their unique talents by artists as diverse as Beck, Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Juno Reactor, Billy Idol, and Dredg, as well as film composers Tyler Bates and Graeme Revell. They have been musically featured in such major motion pictures as the last two installments of the Matrix trilogy, as well as



Tomb Raider, The Children of Dune, and Fight Club, and Azam’s voice has also been featured in national television series’, including Alias and The Agency.



Discography



SUNYATA (1997)

OFFERINGS (1998)

IN THE GARDEN OF SOULS (2000)

KALA RUPA (Greg Ellis solo, 2001)

PORTALS OF GRACE (Azam Ali solo, 2002)

FEAST OF SILENCE (2004)