Born: July 1, 1976 Primary Instrument: Tablas
Sameer Gupta- Drums, Tabla, Composer
Founder of the critically acclaimed SF based Improvised Jazz Ensemble The Supplicants, Sameer has becoming a remarkable musical talent. His influences range from Elvin Jones and Tony Williams to Ustad Allah Rakha. He has had the pleasure to play with many great musicians including Marc Cary, Grachan Moncur III, Victor Goines, Vincent Gardner, Sekou Sundiata, Sonny Simmons, Marcus Shelby, Calvin Keys, Richard Howell, Dayna Stephens, and Julian Lage.
Sameer's artistic work today is an attempt to build bridges. In some cases, such as the Carnatic Jazz group, vidyA, the bridge is plainly between American Jazz, and South Indian Classical music. In Kosmic Renaissance, the bridge is large, covering musical genres like electronic music, hiphop, avant-jazz, and world music. Marc Cary’s Focus Trio, bridges cultures from Native American, modern day D.C. GoGo, to Asia and Africa. The Supplicants, reveals a bridge not as obvious but strongly felt in how building pure improvisations results in the consciousness of an entire audience being elevated. This is creating a bridge between separated people when they witness the beauty that can result from collective creativity built from trust and support. When people see The Supplicants create beautiful pieces as if from thin air, and when they understand the significance of its true spontaneity, their own spirit is lifted and possibly changed for the better in the process, which can be the most important work of all.
- WILLARD JENKINS' INDEPENDENT EAR THE INDEPENDENT EAR Insights, Reviews & Interviews By Willard Jenkins
”Gupta is also an accomplished tabla player, and uses his knowledge of Hindustani cross-rhythms to create astonishingly original percussive textures on his jazz trap set” - Teed Rockwell, India Currents March 2007
”Sameer Gupta’s wire brushes suggested a field of silvery light for [Dormishia Sumbry-Edwards] to dance in.” - danceviewtimes.com
The Supplicants Balance
Isotope Records
2002
David Boyce - tenor/soprano sax, bass clarinet
Richard Howell - tenor/soprano sax, talking drum
David Ewell - Acoustic Bass
Sameer Gupta - Drumset, Tabla
The Supplicants 1st Encounter
Isotope Records
1999
David Boyce - tenor/soprano sax, bass clarinet
David Ewell - Acoustic Bass
Sameer Gupta - Drumset, Tabla As A Side Musician
Focus
Marc Cary
Motema
2006
Marc Cary - Acoustic Piano
David Ewell - Acoustic Bass
Sameer Gupta - Drumset, Tabla
Live in Tokyo
Kosmic Renaissance
Mary Joy Recordings
2005
David Boyce - Sax, Efx, Microkorg
Shing02 - Vestax Faderboard, ARP Odyssey
Sameer Gupta - Drumset, Tabla BR>Notations in Tonations
Aaron Novak's Gubbish
Odd Shaped Case
2004
Aaron Novak- Bass Clarinet
Graham Connah - Organ
Dan Cantrell - Accordian
Ches Smith - Drumset
Sameer Gupta - Drumset, Tabla
Old Thoughts for a New Day
Ben Adams Quintet
Lunar Module Recordings
2006
Ben Adams - Vibraphone
Mitch Marcus - Sax
Erik Jekabson - Trumpet
Sameer Gupta - Drumset, Tabla
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Primary Instrument:
Tablas
Location:
Brooklyn, NY
Willing to teach:
Intermediate to advanced students
Credentials/Background:
Sameer’s proficiency and real-world experience performing,
composing and teaching music make him a valuable asset to
any student of drumset and percussion. He has experience
in all styles of drumming from rock, and funk to jazz. His
specialties include drumset, tabla, and symphonic percussion.
As a student you will find Sameer to be talented, creative,
friendly, supportive, fun and who is easy to work. After
receiving his B.A. in Music from Santa Clara University in
1998, Sameer moved to San Francisco and then New York City
to develop his career as a free-lance music performer,
producer, and instructor. He is now teaching at The Jazzschool
in Berkeley, and his home studio in San Francisco.
With 15+ years of experience teaching and performing music,
and a strong grasp on the musical traditions of Western Europe,
America and India, Sameer has the ability to teach music from
a perspective that bridges several continents. Sameer offers
lessons in: Rock/Jazz/Funk Drumset - beginning to advanced
performance, reading and theory;
North Indian Classical Tabla - beginning to intermediate performance,
reading and theory; Misc. Percussion - Vibraphone, Djembe, Conga,
Orchestral Percussion performance, reading and theory.
