Jason McKenzie: News

Going to San Francisco from Jan. 28th to Feb. 7th to record tabla for cellist Matthew Schoening and DJ/producer Jef Stott.

I will be touring the Midwest from January 12th thru the 22nd. For more details click "Shows".

Performing Art Outside this year with Sunray Project featuring Oliver Rajamani.

Performing tabla with Jef Stott at the Hookadome Wednesday night at 11pm, then a Sunray Project DJ set at "Burners Without Borders" Thursday, Sunray Project live (w/ Fared Shafinury) at Hookadome Friday at 9pm, and a chill set Hookadome Sunday 1pm to 3pm followed by a live tabla accompaniment with solo cello looping wizard Matthew Schoening just before the Temple burn 7pm.

From Aug 11th--23rd, I will be on the road in the Midwest and Southeast with Billy Joe Shaver including a stop at Farm Aid on the 13th in Kansas City.

All this week, Atash will be in the studio working on our long-awaited new album. Look for the release sometime in early 2012.

Atash's four-year weekly residency at the Red Fez has finally come to an end. The club is closing it's doors after ten years of operation. Thanks for the memories!

A live performance of me drumming with trumpeter Jeff Lofton has just been posted on the web:

http://kut.org/2011/05/jeff-lofton-in-studio-1a-tomorrow-2p/

A tribute to the early fusion era made famous by Miles Davis' exploits into the unknown.

Thank you, Austin, for voting Atash best world music band for the fourth year in a row!!

Performing on drum set and kanjira with one of my tabla mentor's group Naad. I'll be out of the country from Jan 29th to Feb 3rd.

This week, I will be going to California to visit friends and bring in the New Year at "Sea of Dreams" in San Francisco, then I will be spending the rest of January preparing for a big show in Masqat, Oman with my tabla mentor's band Naad on February 3rd. Looking forward to an exciting 2011!

I will be featuring Fared Shafinury backed by my tabla and electronic grooves at this year's annual Art Outside event at 4:30pm on Saturday Oct 23rd.

I am now doing a DJ set featuring my tabla playing with occasional special guests after Atash at the Red Fez every Wednesday from 12:30am to 1:30am.

Billy Joe Shaver will be taking the rest of the summer off to recover from shoulder surgery. Meanwhile, Atash has decided to continue our highly-acclaimed weekly residency at the Red Fez in downtown Austin.

After a year's hiatus, Atash will return to the Red Fez weekly for the month of July 2010. Join us each Wednesday at 10pm.

Thank you, Austin!

Featuring Joel Laviolette from Rattletree on the African mbira at Ruta Maya Friday March 12th.

Joel began studying the mbira in 1995, and those studies took him to Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Canada, and back to the US. He formed a record company, Mhumhi Records, in 2001. This was done to promote and support the groups that Joel recorded while in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Profits from those recordings go directly to the musicians involved.

Joel has had the joy of performing on stage and/or touring with some of the greatest musicians to come out of Zimbabwe, including Newton Gwara, Stella Chiweshe, Tute Chigamba, Garidziva Chigamba, Ambuya Buelar Dyoko, and David Gweshe. He has also done extensive teaching for students of all ages and is one of the regular teachers for Zimfest-an annual music festival dedicated to Zimbabwean music.

Atash is back in the studio working on our second studio album in years in this beautiful studio in Lockhart, TX. Look for our record release sometime this Fall.

I'm excited to get out to Seattle and Vancouver from Feb 10th to the 16th to play with a trio version of Tehranosarus. Chris Ladesma will be playing acoustic guitar, Fared Shafinury vocals & setar, and I will be on tabla.

I am stunned to learn that my good friend and favorite artist has just passed on. Andrea Burden was the primary visual artist for Atash. She created our album covers, our posters, our website, and our stage design for the Global Harmony shows. She also did posters for the Sunray Project as well as innovative work with Govinda, Kan' nal, and for festivals all over the country.
Her vision was unique and rich like a fine wine. Her paintings take you to enchanting worlds. She was an incredibly loving person and a role model. My heart goes out to her family. http://www.andreaburden.net