Folk Bands and Artists
Max ZT
Brooklyn
Lauded as the “Jimi Hendrix of Hammered Dulcimer” by
NPR, and “A Force of nature” Max ZT is an innovator of the
instrument. Taking his roots from Irish and American folk
music, Max has transplanted his compositional techniques to
both Senegal, where he studied the Mandinko technique with
the Cissoko griot family, and to India, where he received the
prestigious American Institute of Indian Studies Fellowship
grant to study under the world-renowned santoor master Pandit
Shivkumar Sharma. His fresh perspective and bold
experimentalism have been the backbone to beautiful,
complex, and genuine compositions, while his unorthodox
playing style has been a pioneering force in revolutionizing
dulcimer techniques.
Max ZT and his band House of Waters have been called “One
of the most original bands on the planet,” by NY Music Daily,
and have shared the stage with some of the most influential
international musical leaders of the century including Pt. Ravi
Shankar, Tinariwen, Jon Bon Jovi, Jimmy Cliff, Bela Fleck, Karsh Kale, Snarky Puppy, and
more. With their most recent album
Rising
hitting #2 on the iTunes Jazz charts, critics are raving.
All About Jazz calls the album, “...truly mesmerizing....is a defining moment in twenty-first
century fusion.” Timeout NY states House of Waters is “A sight to behold,” while Paste
Magazine says, “Grasping for definitions is useless with this band. Their genre can only be
described by other words like fresh, calm, serene, and bliss. Hearing something this new to me
feels like I´m hearing music for the first time all over again.”
Max ZT is based out of Brooklyn, New York. He has put out more than ten albums, and in 2005,
won the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship.
This past year Max was nominated for Best New Age
Album at the 63rd annual GRAMMY awards for his
work with his wife Priya Darshini’s album -
Periphery
.
