Double bassist Dr. Paul Erhard is pioneering the use of the double bass in Indian music to bring the soulful sound of this Western instrument to wider audiences.  Inspired by the beauty, purity and expressive quality of Indian music, Paul combines the rich singing tone of classical bowed bass and the rhythmic energy of jazz bass to create a new sound in Indian music. He has studied with leading Indian musicians in India and USA.  Paul has made numerous research trips to India, including a Senior Fellowship from the American Institute of Indian Studies in 2002.  Paul is the professor of double bass at the University of Colorado, College of Music in Boulder.

Paul performs as a soloist and teaches extensively throughout USA and Europe, and is well known in classical music circles. He has been a masterclass clinician at Double Bass Festivals in Europe and USA, as well as teaching master classes at the annual American String Teachers Association Conferences.  He is a frequent judge at international double bass solo competitions in Eruope. Paul also has extensive jazz experience. Paul holds Doctoral and Masters degrees from Juilliard School as a student of Homer Mensch, the Bachelors degree from Eastman School of Music as a student of James VanDemark, and is the winner of the 1984 Juilliard Double Bass Solo Competition.  More about Paul at www.amazingbass.net.

Flutist Annada (Butto) Prasanna Pattanaik is one of India’s foremost classical bansuri  (bamboo flute) artists.  Butto performs as a soloist throughout India and Asia, has toured Europe many times, and performs in many world music festivals.  He is the most highly sought after flutist in the film recording industry in Southern India.  His enchanting flute playing is

featured on over 1000 film songs.  In addition, Butto has made numerous solo recordings, including Inner Vision, Deep Sky, Igneous, and India Songs. Butto studied with renowned flutist Professor M.M. Patnaik, and graduated with a Sangeet Visharada Purna degree from Pracheen Kala Kendra School, Chandigarth, India.  He then began two years of intensive studies with the India’s leading bansuri maestro, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia.  Butto now lives in Bangalore. More about Butto at talkingbamboo.blogspot.com.

Tabla drum player Muthu Kumar has been playing tabla since age five.   Muthu performs and records extensively in India and abroad.  His eagerness to explore has enabled him to perform in a wide variety of musical settings.  He has performed on over 70 Bhajan, Ghazal, Indian Classical and Contemporary music recordings, and is heard on numerous Indian film recordings (Kannada and Tamil).  During his 12-month tour of the USA in 2002-03, he performed and recorded such diverse music as Indian, Jazz, Gospel, and Hip-Hop.  Influences from this tour inspired him to compose the music for his solo CD, Tabla Rap.

Muthu studied in Bombay with the tabla legend Ustad Alla Rakha.  He received his advanced tabla training from the great tabla virtuoso Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Yogesh Samsi. Muthu founded Singing Drums a school for tabla in Bangalore, India. Visit Muthu at www.singingdrums.com.