The music on this page is from the CD 'Breath of Rama' produced by Geoffrey Gordon. Musicians are Geoffrey- lead vocals and all instruments except: Manose- Bansuri flute; Onye Pheori- violin, Anastasi- rhythm guitar on Jai Hanuman & Hari Bol, Christopher Krotky- drum set on Hari Bol. The total chorus includes- Anastasi, Lakshmi Devi, Geoffrey Gordon, Stephen Meese, Onye Pheori, Uma Reed, Diana Rogers, and Larissa Stow. Christopher Krotky did the final mixing and mastering.
Influences
Neem Karoli Baba, Ustad Allarakha, Zakir Hussain, John Lennon, Ravi Shankar, John Coltrane, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Band, Pete Seeger, Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, Louis Armstrong, Jack DeJohnette, Billy Cobham, Steve Gadd, Buddie Rich, B.B. King, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Shakti, The Bauls of Bengal, The Incredible String Band, George Harrison, Bob Marley, Leonard Cohen, Foozy Gordon, Harry Partch, John Cage, Richie Havens, The Blues Project, Joni Mitchell, Don Cherry, Pharoah Sanders, Collin Walcott, Tim Buckley, Leonard Bernstein, Ram Dass, Suzuki Roshi, Alan Watts, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, The Dalai Lama, William Blake, Ruth St. Denis, Eric Hawkins, R. Buckminster Fuller, Ramana Maharshi, Chögyam Trungpa, Carl Jung, Kalu Rinpoche, The Sixteenth Karmapa, Dudjom Rinpoche, Joseph Campbell, Rumi, Hafiz, Herman Hess, Gautama Buddha, Gandhi, The Baal Shem Tov, Tulsidas, Yogananda, all beings who work to uplift the world, promote peace and relieve suffering.
'Breath of Rama' is devotional chanting in the tradition of Bhakti Yoga with modern musical arrangements. A beautiful chorus of singers broaden the musical landscape including Diana Rogers, Larisa Stow, Onye Pheori, Lakshmi Devi and Uma Reed. Featured throughout this album is Bansuri flute maestro Manose known for his work with Deva Premal and Miten.
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Downloads available on Apple iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody. You can also buy the CD by pressing here
Geoffrey has performed on major motion picture soundtracks, on many popular recordings, at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Hollywood Bowl, on the Broadway stage in Tony Award winning shows, and in clubs and festivals throughout the world. Geoffrey taught on the faculties Sarah Lawrence College, City College of NY, Omega, Esalen, Breitenbush, and Hollyhock. Geoffrey also leads devotional chanting known as kirtan and accompanies many devotional singers.
Geoffrey produced CDs for Rita Coolidge and Walela, Shiva Rea, Yuan Miao & Lama Norbu, Swami Vishwananda, Diana Rogers, The Hanuman Foundation, and Marie Elizabeth. Geoffrey was the percussionist with Jai Uttal and The Pagan Love Orchestra on all tours and recordings including the Grammy nominated 'Mondo Rama'. He's recorded with Robbie Robertson, Walela, David Torn, Kenny Loggins, Ram Dass, Jai Uttal, Krishna Das, R. Carlos Nakai & Nawang Khechog, Peter Kater, Steven Halpern, Gabrielle Roth, Tulku, Little Wolf, Stephen Kent, Coleman Barks and many others. He has performed on stage with many great musicians including Dave Liebman, Don Cherry, Reggie Workman, Rashied Ali, Badal Roy, Don Byron, Simone Shahine, Peter Apfelbaum, Kit walker, Steve Gorn, and many others. Geoffrey's percussion is heard on movie soundtracks with composers Carter Burwell (composer- 'No Country for Old Men') and Academy Award winner Elliot Goldenthal (composer- 'Frida, Batman Forever').
Geoffrey's original music for 'Inanna' with Diane Wolkstein was performed at The United Nations, Avery Fisher Hall and in 2007 at the British Museum in London. Geoffrey's compositions for Diane include versions of the ancient sacred stories of Sumeria, Mayan, Chinese, Biblical, Native American and Inuit traditions. They also performed at the Asia Society, the Jung Foundation, the American Museum of Natural History, and The Jewish Theological Seminary.
Geoffrey worked on and off Broadway and at Lincoln Center with director Julie Taymor ('Across the Universe', 'Frida', 'The Lion King') and composer Elliot Goldenthal in 'Juan Darien'. Geoffrey also performed on Broadway in the Tony Award winning play 'M. Butterfly' with the original cast starring John Lithgow and BD Wong. He performed with Robbie Robertson and with Rita Coolidge and Walela at the First Native American Music Awards. He was featured in "Rumi: Poet of the Heart" on PBS with Coleman Barks. Geoffrey performed with Walela at The New Orleans Jazz Festival and the Great American Music Hall. He was a featured soloist with the Tibetan Singing Bowl Ensemble at the Atomic Bomb Commemoration Ceremonies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Geoffrey performed in the Knitting Factory Soundtrack Festival with movie composer Carter Burwell performing Carter's compositions from FARGO, ROB ROY, GODS AND MONSTERS, KALIFORNIA, and RAISING ARIZONA. He played for Gabrielle Roth for many years at Esalen Institute and at retreats and conferences. Geoffrey has also performed with Jason Hwang, Jaya Lakshmi, Lucia Hwong, Lex Hixon, Sukhawat Ali Khan, and The Ali Akbar Khan Orchestra.
Geoffrey Gordon was born in New York City. He began playing drum set and singing in rock bands at the age of fourteen. He played bass fiddle at the age of ten continuing in orchestra throughout College at New Paltz University. From 1971-1974 Geoffrey played drums in several popular rock bands in Woodstock and Ithaca NY including the Zobo Funn Band. He attended Ulster College near Woodstock and was introduced to Joseph Campbell, Buckminster Fuller, Stanislav Grof and the teachings of Carl Jung and Shamanism by his Psychology Professor Stephen Larsen in 1971-72. Geoffrey met Ram Dass in 1971. He learned yoga practices from 1971-1973 including Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga and Tantric meditation. He attended the fist sessions at Naropa University in 1974 and learned Buddhist practices. He became a tabla student of the great Ustad Allarakha in 1975 who was Pandit Ravi Shankar's premier tabla player for 30 years. He also studied tabla with Allarakha's son Zakir Hussain. He studied North Indian Classical Music with Ustad Ali Akbar Khansahib.
Hello Geoffrey! I hope you're well! I'll be in Marin recording and doing some kirtans in March. Hope our paths cross. Do let me know if you're performing in the area in March - I'd love to attend! Love,Brenda
I love you, Geoffrey. Thank you for your kind words. Life... can be so lifelike at times. I am eating bananas and watching Mateo play Legos. As always, I miss my satsang. Many blessings. I type today from a cavern deeper in my heart than I remembered existed.
And I met Maharaji in the hospital. Did my mother tell you!
Hello Geoffrey, I'm absolutely loving listening to your music! How inspiring! I'm in the area recording a Kirtan album right now and met Anastasi today. I think I'll be at your Kirtan in Berkley on Saturday. Blessings to you brother, Brenda
