Mixing sessions in progress on some new recordings. The transformation and development of the band is amazing. We are really looking forward to sharing these sounds with the world.

Ultra World X-tet was featured in various configurations in concerts at  On Lok Lifeways during Fall/Winter of 2015. We are  proud to support this organization and the great work they do in the community.

We had a great time  performing at Moe's books as part of the Berkeley World Music Festival, June 2015. Wonderful crowd, got to see some old friends and made some new ones. The audience really dug what we were doing. The performance was in the Science Fiction section (!) Winnie was under Isaac Asimov and I was next to Ray Bradbury!

Ultra World X-tet was the featured entertainment on the main stage for the 2014 SF Chinatown AT&T Autumn Moon Festival on Sept. 6, 2014. We truly enjoyed this experience! The Autumn Moon celebration has  a history that dates back over 3000 years!!!!! Thank you SF Chinatown for having us. It was an honor to be part of the festival. Click on the photo below to see a short photo album from this gig.

And in other news...... on June 13th, 2014 Ultra World X-tet presented the World Premiere performance of our groundbreaking piece "Wise Dreams and Fables of the Sky,"  inspired by books IX-Xll of Homer's epic "The Odyssey".  
You can follow these two links to  READ A REVIEW and see a SHORT VIDEO CLIP.  

Click on the photo below to see a short photo album from the "Wise Dreams" premiere.

      Wise Dreams and Fables of the Sky is inspired by The Odyssey books IX-XII. This is the section of the epic where Odysseus, as a guest of the Phaeacians, recounts the ten-year period of heroic adventures experienced on his zigzag voyage home following the Trojan War, which was fought around 1200 B.C. While not a literal sonic retelling, “Wise Dreams” is faithful to the underlying structure, sequence of actions, situations, and characters.     
       The unusual instrumentation provides a non-Eurocentric frame of reference, and has much in common with ancient Greek musical practice (we know from paintings and writings that wind, string, and percussion instruments were commonly used in small ensembles). Interestingly, the guzheng and yangqin lend themselves well to the role played by the kithara and the lyre in ancient Greece, and they remind us in a wonderful way that there were other advanced cultures in the world at that time, notably the late Shang Dynasty in China. 
      From time to time, each musician  takes on a more specific role in the drama. For example, you might hear the guzheng play the bittersweet melodies of the Earthly Realm, the bass portray the wounded Cyclops, or the saxophone deliver the prophesies of Tiresias in Hades. 
      Working with projections is an exciting new direction for us.  As the piece took shape, it seemed to call for a more immersive environment than the typical concert presentation, and we are thrilled to have Craig Baldwin handling the 16mm film projections.

This project made possible in part by support from the Zellerbach Family Foundation,

Great rehearsal last night. The Gods smiled down on us as Winnie Wong delivered the bittersweet melodies of the Earthly Realm, Surya Prakasha led us through a glimpse of the Trojan War, Yangqin Zhao gave us a glimpse of the sacking of Ismarus and the Witch-Goddess Circe, Doug Ebert channeled the wounded Cyclops and his bitter prayer to Poseidon, and Gary Schwantes delivered the prophesies of Tiresias from the sacrificial pit in Hades. Thanks to Winnie W. for providing a delicious meal! Much appreciated...wouldn't want the crew to set sail on an empty stomach!

COMING SOON!
Fri. June 13, 2014  8:00pm
ULTRA WORLD X-TET
presents a concert featuring the world premiere of
Wise Dreams and Fables of the Sky
a multisensory adventure inspired by The Odyssey.
special guest:
Craig Baldwin, 16mm film projections

Old First Church
1751 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA 94109  |  415.474.1608
www.oldfirstconcerts.org
Join the event on Facebook
find out more here

Coming June 13th in SF! 
Join the event on Facebook

Ultra World X-tet
Wise Dreams and Fables of the Sky
Fri June 13, 2014  8pm
Old First Church
1751 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA 94109  |  415.474.1608
www.oldfirstconcerts.org

Doug Ebert, bass; Surya Prakasha, drumset, percussion; Gary Schwantes, saxophones, bamboo flutes, composer; Winnie Wong, guzheng (Chinese zither); Yangqin Zhao, yangqin (Chinese hammered dulcimer); 
Special Guest:
Craig Baldwin, 16mm film projections
 
Hailed as an “extraordinary world class ensemble” by Examiner.com, Ultra World X-tet combines jazz, world, experimental and contemporary concert styles in a pioneering fusion of East and West. A highlight of the evening will be the world premiere of Wise Dreams and Fables of the Sky, composed by Gary Schwantes with 16mm film projections by experimental filmmaker Craig Baldwin. The piece is a multisensory experience that reimagines Honmer's epic, The Odyssey.

Don’t miss this exciting cross-cultural experience featuring brand new material, as well as a few favorites from the X-tet repertoire!!

Our newest creation, “Wise Dreams and Fables of the Sky" will premier June 13th, 2014. It's a multisensory experience inspired by the Odyssey, composed by Gary Schwantes and featuring visual projections by experimental film icon Craig Baldwin. The Ultra World X-tet line up features Yangqin Zhao, Winnie Wong, Douglas Ebert, Surya Prakasha and Gary Schwantes. More updates soon.

Ultra World X-tet Duo, with Gary Schwantes and Winnie Wong perform at the On Lok 41st Annual Spring Banquet, InterContinental Hotel, SF. 5/1/13 . It was an honor to be part of this event, and wonderful to see such a big crowd turn out to support On Lok. On Lok does great work, and has a long history with deep roots in the community.