Home » Jazz Musicians » Ancient Future

Ancient Future

World Fusion Music

Ancient Future is the first and longest running musical organization dedicated exclusively to the mission of creating world fusion music. The term was coined by bandleader Matthew Montfort in 1978 to describe Ancient Future’s unusual blend of musical traditions from around the world. BILLBOARD calls the group “trendsetters” for their early contributions to the movement, which seeks to show how people from different cultures can grow by learning from each other.

World fusion is more of a process than a genre. It is a process by which new traditions are created, and has been going on throughout history. It would be difficult to find a form of traditional music that has not at some time been influenced by the music of another culture. But current times offer the opportunity for musicians to learn music from anywhere on earth. It is the mission of Ancient Future to explore this new sonic territory while shining a light on the ancient musical knowledge of the world.

"The time has definitely come for world fusion music. Ancient Future is one step ahead of the game; on their side is the philosophical parallel between global consonance and world peace." SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL

“Laying the groundwork for some of today's most successful world beat acts, Ancient Future has grown into a global village of musicians...from Africa, India, Asia, America and the Middle East. The tunes included are diverse, yet equally captivating, evoking all that is most appealing about music from a global village.” CD NOW

"Northern California's ... 'world fusion' band do more than simply throw together players and instruments from East and West. They rebuild at the sub-molecular level, puréeing the varied melodic,rhythmic, and harmonic idioms into tuneful ... compositions." GUITAR PLAYER

One Band Many Flavors

Over the years, Ancient Future has expanded its musical vision through collaborations with master musicians from more than two dozen countries, cultures, and musical traditions who are now an integral part of what is today more than just a band. Ancient Future has grown to become a large multinational music ensemble with many smaller ensembles within it, enabling Ancient Future to realize its core mission of creating world fusion music. Through cross cultural exchange, Ancient Future has created a musical world without borders.

World Traditions

The preservation of the world's great traditions is vital to the world fusion music movement. With that in mind, Ancient Future also presents traditional music from the cultures of the individual master musicians who perform with the band.

Read more

Tags

3

Event

Ancient Future Concerts Celebrating Matthew Montfort's New Custom Scalloped Fretboard Guitar

Ancient Future Concerts Celebrating Matthew Montfort's New Custom Scalloped Fretboard Guitar

Source: Matthew Montfort

Ancient Future Bay Area Concerts Debut Performances with Matthew Montfort's New Scalloped Fretboard Guitar Featuring World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort, Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar and Special Guest Composer/Santurist Mariah Parker One of the program variations of the trailblazing world fusion music ensemble, Ancient Future, this improvisatory ensemble features world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort accompanied by renowned Indian tabla virtuoso Vishal Nagar and composer/santurist Mariah Parker. Blending flamenco, raga, rock, Celtic, jazz and Asian music, they will perform music from Ancient ...

1

Performance / Tour

Ancient Future Pacific Northwest Concert Tour

Ancient Future Pacific Northwest Concert Tour

Source: Matthew Montfort

The pioneering world music group Ancient Future will perform four concerts as part of a rare Pacific Northwest concert tour. Celebrating its 36th year, Ancient Future is the world's first and longest running ensemble dedicated to world fusion music. They've sold over 150,000 albums and millions of samplers, and performed over 1,000 concerts. Ancient Future has become a large collective of master musicians from around the world with many smaller ensembles within it. Each program focuses on the traditions of ...

1

Performance / Tour

Original Ancient Future Reunion Concert

Original Ancient Future Reunion Concert

Source: Matthew Montfort

On Sunday, April 19, the original line-up of the pioneering world fusion music group Ancient Future will perform together for the first time this century. Ancient Future was formed in 1978 by students at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California, including Mindia Devi Klein, Matthew Montfort, Benjy Wertheimer, and Phil Fong. Ancient Future's first concert took place to a packed house on February 11, 1979, at the original Sleeping Lady Cafe in Fairfax, California, then a ...

2

Video / DVD

First Ancient Future Studio Video Released On Earth Day

First Ancient Future Studio Video Released On Earth Day

Source: Matthew Montfort

Ancient-Future.Com Records Presents: Yearning for the Wind By Ancient Future Yearning for the Wind is the first brand new Ancient Future studio recording released to the general public since 2002's Planet Passion.  It isn't that Ancient Future hasn't been active. Indeed, Ancient Future has recorded over three hours of music in this period, much of it live. But rather than release it all in a market where a low value is placed on music while ...

1

Crowdfunding Campaign

Announcing The Archive Of Future Ancient Recordings By Ancient Future: Celebrating 35 Years Of World Fusion Music With New Fan Funded Tracks And Youtube Video

Announcing The Archive Of Future Ancient Recordings By Ancient Future: Celebrating 35 Years Of World Fusion Music With New Fan Funded Tracks And Youtube Video

Source: Matthew Montfort

Ancient-Future.Com Records Presents: The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings (A.F.A.R.) Fan Supported Recording Series by Ancient Future Celebrating 35 Years of World Fusion Music Ancient Future performed its first concert on February 11, 1979, at the Sleeping Lady Cafe in Fairfax, California. Since then, the band has gone on to perform hundreds of concerts nationally and internationally and release seven full length recordings that have established Ancient Future as the trendsetting pioneers of world fusion music, a term coined by ...

1

Technology

Dickens Of A Twitter Torrent From An Ancient Future Present Starring Etherseizer Scrooogle

Dickens Of A Twitter Torrent From An Ancient Future Present Starring Etherseizer Scrooogle

Source: Matthew Montfort

The week of December 9, the twitter account of the world fusion music band Ancient Future is hosting a twitter torrent from Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort's spooky little spoof, “Dickens of an Ancient Future Present." Based on Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carole," the spoof follows Etherseizer Scrooogle as he is haunted by four phantoms: his deceased search partner Torrent Pirate, the Ghost of the Ancient Future Past, the Ghost of the Ancient Future Present, and the Ghost of ...

Performance / Tour

Ancient Future Duet Northern California Tour Featuring Matthew Montfort And Vishal Nagar

Ancient Future Duet Northern California Tour Featuring Matthew Montfort And Vishal Nagar

Source: Matthew Montfort

Ancient Future Duet Northern California Concert Tour Featuring World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort and Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar Friday, January 10, 2014, 8 PM The Sunflower Center 1435 N. McDowell Blvd., Suite 100 Petaluma, California 94954 Tix: $12 advance, $15 door. Advance tix at https://ancient-future-sfc.eventbrite.com Info: Call 707-792-5304 or email [email protected] Saturday, January 11, 2014, 8 PM Trinity Chamber Concerts Trinity Chapel 2320 Dana Street between Bancroft Way & Durant Avenue Berkeley, CA 94704 Tix: $15 general, $10 senior/disabled/student. No ...

1

Event

Ancient Future "World Without Walls" Reunion Concert At The Freight And Salvage, Berkeley, October 16, 2013

Ancient Future "World Without Walls" Reunion Concert At The Freight And Salvage, Berkeley, October 16, 2013

Source: Matthew Montfort

Ancient Future World Without Walls Reunion Concert World Jazz featuring Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Jim Hurley (violin), Doug McKeehan (keyboards, piano), Ian Dogole (percussion) and Kash Killion (bass) Ancient Future Performs '14 Steps' at “World Without Walls" Reunion Wednesday, October 16, 8 pm Freight and Salvage 2020 Addison Street Berkeley, CA 94704 Tix: $18.50 in advance, $20.50 at the door. Info: Call 510-644-2020 or email [email protected] Poster (703k pdf). Facebook Event. The exact lineup of Ancient Future that performed ...

1

Performance / Tour

Ancient Future Performs At Halanda Studio In San Jose, May 11, 2013

Ancient Future Performs At Halanda Studio In San Jose, May 11, 2013

Source: Matthew Montfort

Halanda Studio Presents Ancient Future In Concert Celtic Raga Program Featuring Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard and fretless guitars) and Ferhan Qureshi (tabla) Saturday, May 11, 7 pm Halanda Studio for Dance and Fitness 1062 Lincoln Avenue San Jose, CA 95125 Registration: $20 in advance through Halanda Studio PayPal, $25 at the door. Info: 408-246-1129 or 408-369-1304 Celtic (kel'tik), adj. of the Celts, their Indo-European languages, culture, etc. raga (räg'a), n. [Hind.] a melodic recipe ...

1

Special Offers

End Of The Beginning Of The Ancient Future Celebration

End Of The Beginning Of The Ancient Future Celebration

Source: Matthew Montfort

End of the Beginning of the Ancient Future World Without Walls By Ancient Future. (Capitol/Sona Gaia 163). Reconditioned CD- $24.98: Buy Link. audio. End of the Beginning (Matthew Montfort. 5:15). audio. Celebrate the End of the Mayan 'Time of No- Time' with the Music of Ancient Future! There's been much ado concerning the end of the current 5125 year cycle of the Mayan Long Count calendar on December 21, 2012. Oral legend has it that the first of seven Mayan ...

"World fusion music wouldn't be what it is today without the compositions, concerts, and collaborations of the Ancient Future ensemble." — ECLECTIC VIBES MAGAZINE, India

"Leader Matthew Montfort's synthesis of styles and sounds isn't superficial — he plucks the essential musicality of several traditions without discounting them. Beautiful world fusion music." — Roger Carlberg, ELECTRONIC MUSICIAN

"World music pioneers. Ancient Future created the "world fusion" genre with its blend of Indian, African, Balinese, Middle Eastern, European, East Asian and South American music." — World Vibe, 96 Hours Weekend Entertainment Guide, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

Read more

Primary Instrument

Band / ensemble / orchestra

Willing to teach

Beginner to advanced

Credentials/Background

The members of Ancient Future are all master musicians from various world music traditions. Instruction is available via Skype or in person at each member's studio. Recognized as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists, Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort teaches all styles of guitar along with music theory and repertoire for all instruments. He helps students reach their own personal goals in music, whatever they may be, through a lesson plan customized to the student's needs. He offers private guitar lessons, music tutorials, and group classes in the San Francisco Bay Area and online. He is available to teach master classes and workshops worldwide. To contact Matthew Montfort about lessons, e-mail him at info@ancient- future.com.

Clinic/Workshop Information

Read more

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Yearning for the Wind

Ancient-Future.Com
2014

buy

World Without Walls

Capitol Records
2011

buy

Planet Passion

Ancient-Future.com Records
2009

buy

Asian Fusion

Narada
2006

buy

Dreamchaser

Narada
1988

buy

Quiet Fire

Narada
1986

buy

Videos

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.