Sangeeta Michael Barardi

1960-1963: Connecticut: Gigs with own band in clubs, at Providence College, Univ. of Conn. Appearances with pianist Count Steadwell. 1963: Chicago: Gigs with organist Baby Face Willette and organist Bobby Buster Featured with guitarist Joe Diorio's Saturday morning jam session w/ Scotty Holt, bass; Gerald Donovan, drums, Gene (Clarence) Shaw, Eddie Harris, Jack DeJohnette, and others.

 

1964: Connecticut: Club gigs, also bass lessons with jazz and avant-garde classical virtuoso Bert Turetzky.

 

1965-1968: Manhattan: performances in lofts and other venues with saxophonist Frank Smith, Steve Tintweiss , clarinetist Perry Robinson, trumpeter Dewey Johnson , alto saxophonist Noah Howard, trumpeter Johnnie Salgado, bassist David Izenson, drummer Muhammad Ali, and others/duo gig with bassist Scotty Holt at Louie's Tavern in Greenwich Village/CT gigs with bassist Mario Pavone and saxophonist Mark Whitecage. Studies with pianist Ronnie Ball.

 

1968-1969: Woodstock, NY/New Paltz, NY/Manhattan: Concerts as leader with bands featuring Mark Whitecage, sax; Mario Pavone, bass; Richard Youngstein , bass; Perry Robinson, clarinet; Earl Cross, trumpet; Juma Santos, bass/ percussion; Steve Tintweiss, bass; Ollie Anderson, flute/bassoon/percussion; David Shaw (aka Dahoud Shaar) and others at St. Gregory's Church, Father Francis' Church-on-the-Mountain, the Academy Theater, Bennett College and other venues.

Also co-leading band with altoist Sonny Simmons featuring trumpeter Barbara Donald, drummer Paul Smith, bassist Juma Santos, trumpeter Earl Cross, and Ollie Anderson, flute/bassoon/percussion. Gigs with this band at Marist College, and at the Annual Sound Out Folk Festival which for the first time included Jazz (and Rock)groups. Appeared with pianist Burton Greene's group at Sound Out Festival.

Appeared with altoist Noah Howard's group in concert in Woodstock.

Co-leading group with drummer Sunny Murray featuring Dave Burrell, piano; Juma Santos, bass/percussion; Ollie Anderson, bassoon/flute/percussion; the late Rev. Frank Wright, saxophone; Earl Cross, trumpet; Jack Cross, trumpet. Performance at the Woodstock Town Hall.

 

Spring to Fall of 1968: Music Director at Group 212, a multimedia arts cooperative located near Woodstock, NY, that included a theater group, painters, a rock and roll power trio and dancers in both the folk and modern traditions. The previous director had brought avant-garde classical performers such as John Cage, Nam June Paik, and others to the area.

Sangeeta brought jazz, especially cutting edge "free jazz", to Woodstock, nearby towns and schools. He organized two Openhouse/Festivals on Group 212 land. Sixty musicians from New York City, Boston, Connecticut and the upstate New York area came to the first one and participated in spontaneous performances and workshops including Archie Shepp, Alan Silva, Burton Greene, SuSunny Murray, NoNoah Howard, Mark Whitecage, Mario Pavone, and others. Archie Shepp, Sunny Murray and Sangeeta played as a trio, later joined by Alan Silva, cello, and Burton Greene, piano.

The second Open house included workshops and also featured two days of outdoor concerts with several bands. Among them: The Mark Whitecage/Trevor Koehler Group; The Aboriginal Music Society featuring Sonny Simmons, Barbara Donald, Sangeeta, Ollie Anderson, and Juma Santos; the Noah Howard Ensemble featuring Earl Cross; Burton Greene Group; the Rev. Frank Wright Quartet with Sunny Murray; and others.

Karl Berger, founder/director of the Creative Music Studio(CMS)said of Sangeeta: "If it wasn't for him and what he did in the area I'd never have done CMS. He showed it could be done outside of Manhattan."

When Group 212 folded for lack of funds Sangeeta stayed in the Woodstock/New Paltz area and continued playing concerts with his own bands in various venues.

 

1970-1972: Manhattan and Upstate New York: Played at Manhattan Loft Festivals with own groups and in groups of others such as: Steve Tintweiss and the Purple Why ; duets with Stafford James, bass; and another duet appearance with the late drummer, J.C. Moses and with the bands of trumpeter James DuBoise and bassist David Izenson.

 

1971 member of Roswell Rudd's group (bassist Sirone, drummer Marvin Patillo) Sangeeta was featured as soloist playing Roswell's music with the Jazz Composer's Orchestra (JCO), which included Lee Konitz, Becky Friend, Enrico Rava, Karl Berger, Charlie Haden, Joe Chambers, Dewey Redman, and others. Co-led band with saxophonist Marzette Watts at the East Village Inn in a series of weekend concerts that also featured Archie Shepp, Sun Ra and his Arkestra, and others. Sat in with Alice Coltrane's band ( Jimmy Garrison, Clifford Jarvis, Frank Lowe, Benny Maupin) at the East Village Inn.

 

1972: Upstate New York: Began a weekly concert/workshop series on the SUNY New Paltz campus. The basic quartet would often expand into a 20 piece big band with musicians ranging from blues master Eddie Kirkland to Thad Jones/Mel Lewis saxophonist Eddie Xiques.

 

1972-1980: San Francisco: Played gigs with own bands in venues in the Haight-Ashbury, at the Last Day Saloon, the Precita Valley Neighborhood Center, on TV Channel 20, and other venues. Appearances at the Keystone Korner with Archie Shepp (Clifford Jarvis, drums; Ronnie Boykins, bass; Siegfried Kessler, piano) and at Mapenzie in Berkeley with the Pharoah Sanders Quartet (Kirk Lightsey, piano; Henry Franklin, bass; Jimmy Hopps, drums). Sangeeta also appeared at the Keystone Korner with his own band featuring bassist Steve Neil at a benefit for Rasahn Roland Kirk.

 

1975-1980: San Francisco: Solo appearances at the Yoga Society of San Francisco, and with Murali playing tabla at the San Francisco Yoga Festival. Recorded Cosmic Healing Mantras with yogi Sant Keshavadas, harmonium and chanting, and Murali, tabla.Appearances at other ashrams, solo and with percussionists and flutes.

 

1979: Recorded Sangeeta: Divine Song as a leader, featuring Archie Shepp, saxophone; Roswell Rudd, trombone; Eddie Gomez, bass; Mario Pavone, bass and Rashied Ali, drums in Connecticut for the Beat City label. (Limited release, digital master currently on Sunjump Records future release schedule.)

 

1980: Recorded Inside the Outside for Beat City Records as a leader with Joe Diorio, guitar; Vea Williams, voice; Eddie Gomez, bass; Rashied Ali, drums; Geoffrey Gordon, tabla/percussion; and Rahiim Taalib, percussion/whistles. (Never released, digital master currently on Sunjump Records future release schedule, titled “Music Is Love: Manhattan Sessions”.)

 

1981: Manhattan: Gig at Tribeca club, Stilwende, with own band featuring Arthur Rhames, saxophone/piano; Vea Williams, voice; Fred Hopkins, bass; and Rashied Ali, drums. Dave Liebman appears on soprano saxophone. (Unreleased location recording of this band is currently on Sunjump Records future release schedule.)

 

1981-1984: Sangeeta opened up his 7th Avenue loft as a workshop/performance space. Nightly regulars included: Rashied Ali, Pharoah Sanders. Sahib Sarbib, Dave Schnitter (of Art Blakey's Messengers), Rashid al Akbar. Other musicians who frequented The Loft were: Drummers Greg Bandy and Idris Muhammad (both playing in Pharoah's bands); drummer Steve McCall (with the band, Air); drummers Phillip Wilson; Sunny Murray; Eddie Moore; Art Lewis; Marvin "Boogaloo" Smith; percussionist Geoffrey Gordon; vibraphonist Michael Freeman; percussionist Trazi (playing with Dr. John's band); bass players Reggie Workman; Nicky DeGeronimo; Hakim Jami; Joonie Booth; Lindsay Horner; and others; saxophonists Joe Lovano; Billy Drewes; the Arthur Rhames; the late Rev. Frank Wright; Charles Gayle; piano players Ted Saunders and Hilton Ruiz; trumpeters Jack Walrath, Kamal and the late Earl Cross; Clifford Jordan, George Coleman, David Murray and Cecil Taylor dropped in. And many other players known and unknown came to play, make contacts, learn and socialize until the landlord decided to close down the building. Sangeeta was unable to start up The Loft elsewhere, although many musicians spoke to him about the value of such a center. Archie Shepp had suggested a petition signed by numerous New York musicians as a way to get government funding for a place that many musicians felt was a necessary and desirable contrast to Manhattan's mean streets.

During this time period Sangeeta also appeared at a Lower East Side venue with Sunny Murray, Rev. Frank Wright, Khan Jamal, Donald Ayler on a bill that included Philly Joe Jones, violinist Billy Bang and others. At the same event he played solo and duo with clarinetist Tony Scott.

Sangeeta was called to the bandstand at the Village Vanguard to play with the Ira Sullivan/Red Rodney Quintet along with Walter Bishop Jr. He also sat in with Sahib Sarbib's quintet at Sweet Basil.

In Philadelphia Sangeeta and Rashied Ali did a three hour radio show during which they talked about the music and played tapes and records including tapes from duo recordings at The Loft. (There are about 100 tapes, cassettes recorded at The Loft. Pharoah Sanders has told Sangeeta: "You've got me on tape playing a whole different way, not like I've been playing at the clubs." )

1985: San Francisco: Appearance with Archie Shepp's quartet (George Cables, piano; Herbie Lewis, bass; Eddie Marshall, drums) at Kimball's.Played at Bishop King's church that is dedicated to the memory and music of John Coltrane with Rashied Ali, joined by the Bishop on soprano, Blue on tenor and others.

 

1985-1988: Connecticut. Musically inactive publicly. Writing several prose manuscripts, poems, making drawings.

 

1988-1993: El Cerrito, Ca. Occasional appearances: at sessions with Pharoah Sanders, with Rashied Ali at the Coltrane Church with the Coltrane Church band.

 

1994: Appearance at the Cooler in Manhattan with Rashied Ali's quartet, By Any Means, featuring Charles Gayle, William Parker and Sangeeta. (Digital location recording done by engineer David Baker. Master available from Rashied Ali)

 

1994-1995: Severe back injury, unable to play except very sporadically.

 

1996: Manhattan/Woodstock/Connecticut: Gig in New Haven, Ct. with the Harold Zinno Sextet. Manhattan: Digitally recorded duet with Rashied Ali for possible CD project. (Twenty-six minute piece, "New World Language/Old World Roots" available as a demo)

Woodstock: Sangeeta produced digital masters of his new band, Earth Ship, which featured John Esposito, piano; Jim Finn, saxophone/flute/bass clarinet; Hilliard "Hill" Greene, bass and Peter O'Brien, drums. 1997: Concert in Woodstock featuring: John Esposito, piano; John Menegon, bass; Jeff Siegal, drums; Sangeeta, guitar. This music later was released on Sunjump Records. Appearing also on "Love Supreme" Jayna Nelson, flute; Joe Giardullo, alto saxophone. Appearance at "Celebrating Coltrane" festival at Bard College, duo: Sangeeta, guitar; John Esposito, drums.

Duo recording session with Sangeeta, guitar; Joe Giardullo, saxophones, flute, bass clarinet.

 

1998—2000: Performances across US with appearances in Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina and Rochester, NY. Interviewed and asked to contribute music for a radio documentary on John Coltrane being produced by Steve Rowland. Author Lewis Porter requested Bio Info on Sangeeta for latest edition of Baker’s Jazz Dictionary of Musicians. Sangeeta devoted the latter part of this period and early 2001 to writing new music, making mixed media paintings and completing a novel. He also worked on short stories and a collection of poetry. During this time Sangeeta began to show symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease and to have difficulty playing the guitar.

 

2008 music from the 1996 recording session was released as Earthship on Sunjump Records.

 

2009 Sangeeta was a guest lecturer at Bard College

 

2010 his work was again featured at Bard College in a presentation in which his paintings were projected while his music from the Earthship cd was played and his poetry was read by Mikhail Horowitz.

 

2011 film maker Burril Crohn began shooting a documentary film on Sangeeta’s life and work as a musician, painter and poet titled Playing With Parkinson’s. The film documents Sangeeta’s most recent record date which was comprised of two days at NRS studio in Catskill, NY. Musicians on the date were Sangeeta on vocals, acoustic and electric guitars and Tibetan singing bowls, Kendra Shank vocals and electronic loops, Rosi Hertlein, viloin and vocals, Mitch Kessler, flute, soprano, alto, tenor saxes and bass clarinet, John Esposito, piano and prepared piano, Hilliard Greene, bass and Peter O’Brien, drums.

 

2012 in January , the second part of the 1996 Earthship sessions was released on Sunjump as Calling Coltrane.

 

2013 double CD music and spoken word, The Mr P Sessions released on Sunjump Records. Gigs at Saugerties Performing Arts Factory, Saugerties, NY and Zeb’s, NYC. guest artist lecturer at Bard College.