:: MANTRA ::

Chuck Underwood, Jon Ozment, Mark Merella (Photo by: Larry Melton)

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Mysterious Voyages

Live at Blues Alley

InTheOut

Mantra is an exciting new trio dedicated to forging an original voice in Jazz. Mantra draws inspiration from the vibrant and fertile early period of electric Jazz—Miles Davis, Tony Williams Lifetime, and Weather Report—and mixes this with the melodic and rhythmic freedom of the avant garde to produce a compelling and fresh sound.
  Mantra features: Chuck Underwood, guitar and loops; Jon Ozment, organ, electric piano and synth; Mark Merella, drums and percussion.
  Mantra performs original compositions and their versions of tunes by Jazz greats, employing a gamut of textures from structured to freely improvised, traditional Jazz trio to modern electronic soundscapes, resulting in a powerful and persuasive new sound.

• Mantra is proud to be a part of the Weather Report tribute CD "Mysterious Voyages" to be released by ESC on April 25th '05 in Europe and Japan. The US release date is for mid May '05 on Tone Center Records. This double disc release will feature renditions of classic Weather Report tunes as played by such worldclass artists as Mike Stern, Christian McBride, Marcus Miller, Ray Bryant, Scott Henderson, the late great Tony Williams and many others.
  We are planning a Spring/Summer tour in support of this release so please check the shows page for a date near you. For more info on "Mysterious Voyages" go to www.escrecords.de

• Mantra performed as part of the Sonic Circuits Festival, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Millenium Stage. The concert featured the expanded four-piece group including percussionist Sam Turner.
  Auto Looming opened for Mantra on the show, which can be seen and heard at www.kennedy-center.org—go to the Millenium Stage performance archives and search for Sonic Circuits, Sept. 1, 2004.