Sangam Paul Livingstone & Peter Jacobson

• 1 Jaisalmer (Improvisation on Chandra Kauns) 04:35
• 2 Duality (Raga Yaman) 19:29
• 3 Zila Kafi 11:26
• 4 Playas 06:52
• 5 Jungli Storms (Raga Megh) 11:03
• 6 River to the Ocean (Raga Desh) 16:23
• 7 Bhairavi 03:34
• 8 Surrender 03:16
• Total Runtime 01:16:38

Info for Sangam

Sangam is the chamber music duo of sitarist Paul Livingstone and cellist Peter Jacobson. Sangam performs innovative compositions and improvisations straddling the worlds of Indian classical music and European polyphony which arc between deep musical meditations to dynamic polyrhythmic counterpoint. Their unique sound is imbibed with the free spirit of a jazz improvisation and incorporates touches of Latin and popular music styles.

Sangam means 'a confluence of rivers', it is a meeting place of disparate streams flowing into one. Paul & Pete have been recording and touring together for over 15 years performing with Arohi Ensemble, Build an Ark and Quartetto Fantastico among many other projects born of the globalized Los Angeles creative music community. They have been featured on three Grammy Award-winning records artists such as with Ozomatli, Quetzal & Ricky Kej.

Paul and Pete focus on the Hindustani tradition in this recording. Hindustani music centered in Northern India after diverging from Carnatic music in the 12th Century. The most basic elements in South Asian classical music are the raga and tala. A raga is traditionally a monophonic melody, though Paul and Peter take liberties, incorporating occasional counterpoint and harmony (often in thirds). Each raga adheres to a strict musical structure, which can be executed vocally or on instruments in their individual styles. The tala is the cyclic rhythmic framework which outlines a beat cycle and provides the glue to bring the instruments together in polyrhythmic play. I love what Pete and Paul do within this classical tradition, blended from time to time on this album with their inspired incorporations of new music and jazz. This is not as far-fetched or radical as it may at first seem; both Indian classical musicians and modern jazz cats focus on improvisation on the main melody or idea, just as European players did in the Renaissance.”

Paul Livingstone, sitar
Pete Jacobson, cello

Paul Livingstone
International performing artist Paul Livingstone is one of the few American disciples of the legendary Pt. Ravi Shankar and also learned from Pt. Rajeev Taranath and Amiya Dasgupta. He has performed around the US, Mexico, Europe and South Asia with leading tabla artists form India, Pakistan & Nepal including Pt. Swapan Chaudhuri. A dedicated sitarist for 32 years, a multi-instrumentalist and composer of 'ragajazz chamber music' in the realm of world music synthesis Paul leads his own Arohi Ensemble as well as performing regularly as a classical sitar soloist.

Paul has composed and recorded for film & television, as well as creating music for live theater & dance productions. He has been featured on two Grammy Award-winning records and performed & recorded with popular artists such as Alanis Morrisette, Ozomatli, Ricky Kej, Emmanuel and as well collaborating with traditional & jazz crossover artists from Tibet, Guinea, Indonesia, Mexico, Vietnam, Venezuela, Spain, Syria and South Asia, Canada as well as artists from around the US.

Paul has performed around India, Nepal and Pakistan and is currently is on the music faculty at Glendale Community College teaching Indian and world music ensembles. He is the creator of the Soul Force Project, an evolving multimedia performance promoting the history & relevance of nonviolent revolution. Paul upifts a vision for cross-cultural collaboration that reflects his innermost social, political & spiritual values through the transcendent joy of music.

Peter Jacobson
is a cellist, producer, songwriter-singer, chamber musician, teacher, and father. In 2013 he won a Grammy for Best Latin Rock Alternative or Urban Album as a member of the group Quetzal. He releases original music under his birth name, and under the moniker Hellacello. Mr. Jacobson has recorded cello for Dr. Dre and frequently plays in the San Diego Symphony. He has been a soloist with Kamasi Washington and the West Coast Get Down, and has toured the world with Rhye. His solo cello can be heard in film and television, including The Walking Dead, Motherland, The Twighlight Zone. Pete has performed in the US, Mexico, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and Europe. He studied with Eleonore Schoenfeld at USC as well as at Cal Arts and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Pete plays regularly with Rhye, the Arohi Ensemble, Sangam Sitar + Cello, Talking Strings, Quartetto Fantastico, the Hutchins Consort and as a freelance cellist.

Booklet for Sangam