The Arun Ramamurthy Trio (ART) brings a fresh approach to age-old South Indian Carnatic music. Boundaries are blurred in this organic and seamless integration of styles as the group expands on traditional forms in explosive, improvisational flights of fancy. The trio freely explores the kindred spirit of Raga music and Jazz, resulting in a deeply invigorating and spiritual listening experience. ART's collaborative sound is driven by the propulsive rhythm section of drummer Sameer Gupta & and electric bassist Damon Banks.

Arun Ramamurthy is a multifaceted violinist, composer and educator based in Brooklyn, NY. Rooted in South Indian classical "raga" music, Arun is a versatile musician, performing internationally in both traditional Carnatic and Hindustani settings, as well as blurring genres with his own innovative projects like the acclaimed Arun Ramamurthy Trio. Arun studied under the celebrated violinist brothers, Sri Mysore Nagaraj & Dr. Mysore Manjunath, the distinguished violinist Sri. Ananthakrishnan as well as many early years with western classical violinist Jim Mate. He has shared the stage with luminaries like Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, Sudha Ragunathan, Reggie Workman, Kenny Werner, Jamey Haddad, Flute Shashank, Amir ElSaffar, Hamid Drake, Mashkoor Ali Khan, Adam Rudolph, Hamid Al-Saadi, Subhankar Banerjee, Martha Redbone, Awa Sangho amongst others. He has performed and recorded with a wide range of musical genres including Jazz, Arabic Maqam, Afro-Cuban, Malian, American folk, Western classical, and other creative and improvisational styles. Arun's music has brought him prestigious stages like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Celebrate Brooklyn and many more.

Born and raised in The Bronx, Damon Banks has evolved into a "world musician" in the truest sense of the word. Damon has established himself into an "in-demand” bassist and composer, and has worked with some of the music industry’s most creative artists, innovative musicians and brightest stars. His ability to adapt creatively and remain open-minded has led him into countless collaborations with genre-bending, musical trendsetters worldwide including luminaries like George Benson, Peter Gabriel, Angelique Kidjo, Hassan Hakmoun, Marc Ribot, Leo Wadada Smith, The Neville Brothers, Andre de Shields, KRS-ONE, Brooklyn Raga Massive, Phyllis Hyman, George Howard, Karsh Kale, DJ. SPOOKY, The Frankfurt Ballet, The Weather Girls, Eric Gadd, Min Xiao-Fen, Ntozake Shange, Me’lissa Morgan, Lawrence "Butch" Morris, Roxane Butterfly, Angela Bofill and Adam Rudolph (to name a few)

Sameer Gupta (drumset, tabla) is known as one of the few percussionists simultaneously representing the traditions of American jazz on drumset, and Indian classical music on tabla. Sameer completed his Jazz studies learning from his peers on the bandstands in San Francisco and Oakland to Harlem and Brooklyn. His own interests and love of tabla helped guide Sameer to become co-founder of the non-profit collective Brooklyn Raga Massive. Sameer has had the pleasure to make music with many great musicians including 2019 NEA Jazz Master recipient Reggie Workman, Jon Batiste, Ron Carter, Kenny Garret, Harry Belafonte, Charlie Burnham, Brandee Younger, Marc Cary, Casey Benjamin, Martha Redbone, Awa Sangho, Falu Shah, Adam Rudolph, Rez Abbasi, Wallace Roney, Karsh Kale, Pandit Krishna Bhatt, Pandit Chitresh Das, Jason Samuels Smith, Pandit Ramesh Mishra and numerous other luminaries.

Muthi Kitchen (duo feat. muthi reed on analog synth, samples fx, and Kevin Diehl on hybrid electro acoustic drum kit, fx)

Muthi is a physical/spiritual healing practice traditional to South Africa that uses plants, animals, and minerals to treat a variety of ailments.

muthi reed is an ethnographic artist living and working in Philadelphia, Lenapehoking and New Orleans, LA. Working in sound, visual media, public art, and design, their work explores themes of race, time, space, embodiment, and sound. They use personal and public archives to create digital media, sound, visual art, and public art.

Kevin Diehl is a Philadelphia-based drummer, percussionist, composer, electro-acoustic being, omo Obatálá, ilu bata. Among his current projects is a new trio featuring Chad Taylor and Joe Chambers; The Ashe Mystics (Julius Masri, Joshua Marquez); The Instant Arts Quartet (Terry Lawson, Matt Lavelle, Pete Dennis), AIRLFT Ensemble (Lawson, Lavelle, Levin, Hotep, Marquez, Dennis); Sonic Liberation Front w Oliver Lake

Accessibility statement: Located on the 2nd floor up a steep flight of stairs.

Contact the host of Arun Ramamurthy Trio & Muthi Kitchen (duo)