Jason McKenzie: News

I'll be hanging out in L.A. on Monday 5/5 after playing the Stagecoach Festival the day before in Indio, CA. I'm looking forward to catching up with old friends.

On Wednesday, April 30th I will be hosting "Six Degrees Night" after the Atash show at the Red Fez in Austin, TX around midnight. I'll be giving away free CDs and download cards from the innovative world electronica record label 'Six Degrees' out of San Francisco. More info here:http://www.sixdegreesrecords.com/nights.php

I was up at the crack of dawn with Atash today playing for a local news station. Special guest, Indrajit Banerjee, joined us on sitar. It was a lot of fun! Click below to watch the video:
http://www.myfoxaustin.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/Detail?contentId=6125796&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=5.2.1

Every year the Austin Chronicle holds a readers' poll for the best bands, radio shows, and DJs. After ten years of experimenting in global fusion, Atash has won first place in the World Music category. Thanks Austin!
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Awards/MusicAwards?Year=2007&mode=awards&MPCategory=Best%20Performing%20Bands

Oye! I will be going to Spain with Atash from March 5th through the 10th. As a result of this and other factors, the annual Atash Global Harmony concert which usually takes place in Austin in the Spring will be postponed until Fall.

Things are off to a good start. Atash is gaining momentum at our Wednesday residency at the Red Fez in Austin with a new time (9pm-11pm). Billy Joe Shaver has been nominated for a Grammy(!) and he's keeping me pretty busy on weekends.

Atash will be starting up a new residency at the Red Fez in downtown Austin starting November 28th. Come join us every Wednesday for hookas and booty-shaking world music!

In the last couple of months, I recorded three albums for Will Taylor & Strings Attached -- now available on his website (stringsattached.org). More recently, my tour schedule with Billy Joe Shaver has gotten increasingly busier...

My drumming can be heard on half of this new full-album release from Matt. (Deathcab For Cutie drummer, Jason McGerr plays on the other half). The album is currently ranked number 6 on itunes. I'm also on the first single entitled "Car Crash". (To view the album, click on "Discography".)

I will be visiting the Big Apple with my friends/Atash band-mates, Roberto Riggio and Mohammad Firoozi, from Monday (7/2) until Saturday (7/7).

Lately, I have been playing occasional weekend gigs with Texas songwriting legend, Billy Joe Shaver, while doing session work during the week.

I will be traveling to Taiwan with Atash from April 3rd through the 15th to perform at the Spring Scream Festival and to give educational workshops.

I'll be in Austin for most of January performing with Darin Layne, Will Taylor, Atash, and my own jazz quartet. On Jan 22nd I'll be returning to San Francisco for a few days, then drive down to L.A. around the 26th to so some recording sessions and then I'm heading back to Austin with my car, my drums, and a few other things to spend the rest of the Winter and Spring in Austin to prepare for some festival performances with Atash and to complete some recording projects as well. I'm looking forward to a prosperous 2007.

After spending most of the Fall on the road, I am currently unwinding in Austin until mid-December. I'll be back in SF after the holidays and will travel between SF, LA, and Austin in January.

My tabla playing is featured on a song called "Home" on Alexi Murdoch's long-awaited album, "Time Without Consequence" in stores now.

I just had a landmark gig tonight. I played tabla and kanjira with one of my major inspirations, DJ Cheb i Sabbah at Underground SF.

I'll be in L.A. from 1/29 to 2/6 recording more drum set tracks for Matt Nathanson's next album.

I am finally moved into a wonderful flat in Lower Haight in San Francisco. I look forward to many new projects in the coming new year.

I just completed a U.S. tour with Matt Nathanson. For the next few weeks I'll be in Austin and L.A. getting ready to move to San Francisco on Dec. 1st.

I just unearthed an old video clip of Atash from our first California tour in 2001. Click on "Videos and Friends" to view it.