Click here to read the "Jareeda" Cover Story
about Desert WindThe Desert Wind band consists of up to nine (9) accomplished recording and performing artists, with eleven (11) CDs
currently selling worldwide! Check out this partial list of their distributors: Desert Wind Distributors. While acclaimed
throughout New Age and Middle Eastern / Mediterranean Dance markets, Desert Wind's versatility reaches
the commercial mainstream with influences from jazz, classical, and progressive rock music!
They perform live at events ranging from small gatherings to huge concerts! Andalin & Alan work with the purchaser or
entertainment director to customize the instrumentation, song choices, and number of musicians to suit the occasion.Desert Wind performs a wide variety of Original and Cover Material (Desert Wind Style) in Concert and for Weddings, Anniversaries,
Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, Receptions, Grand Openings, Festivals, Dances, and many other Special Occasions!
For more information please visit Desert Wind's Live Band site.
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THE DESERT WIND ARTISTS
(THE WORLD / ROCK FUSION "FUN" BAND):
ALAN SCOTT BACHMAN is acclaimed internationally as one of the original innovators of what has recently come to be described as "world fusion" music, the cross-cultural blending of American and Middle Eastern dance music. This was previously called "tribal fusion", but has caused some confusion in recent years as a more "pure" Egyptian style of belly dance has adopted that term. Alan started the band known as Desert Wind over eighteen years ago in Portland, Oregon. His dazzling keyboard work, songs, and arrangements include influences from the blues, jazz, classical, and pop/rock/funk/disco music~ with a unique dash of Mediterranean spice, and a "hint" of formal training as may be expected from his musical studies at the Eastman School of Music. His live performance with Desert Wind opened the first ever, and now annual, “International Academy Awards of Middle Eastern Dance” in Los Angeles, CA, and the rave reviews come in on a regular basis from the worldwide use of his recordings. Alan led Desert Wind to Somerset, New Jersey to open the first ever "Rakkasah-East," which has become an exciting annual event. Originally from Rochester, New York, Alan has made his home in the Rocky Mountains of Salt Lake City where he serves as a Utah Assistant Attorney General by days in support of his passion ~ music.
ANDALIN BACHMAN is the recipient of the prestigious national "Selmer Award for Excellence in Jazz Performance" and has enjoyed scholarships from the Intermountain Collegiate Jazz Festival, the Salt Lake Tribune, and from the National Stage Band Camps. Her energetic and electrifying flute work is the synthesis of jazz, rock, classical, blues, new age, and exotic world music influences. Following a Telluride Jazz Festival performance, the Denver Post called her performance "fiery, seductive, and strong!" When she's not tearing on her flute, she adds another dimension by playing her saxophone fingered wind synthesizer ~ just for fun! Recently she has added the gorgeous tones of her new gold bass flute to the Desert Wind sound. A Summa Cum Laude graduate of Westminster College, Andalin uses her degree in business and works as a paralegal in support of her music. She now joins her soulmate Alan in devoting two jobs and two incomes to the calling of Desert Wind. Learn more about Andalin at www.flutefest.com.
RAJAB JUMA has been with Desert Wind for over fifteen years. His doumbek and ric work is both driving and subtle on demand. Raj has brought Desert Wind exciting rhythms from his homeland of Libya. When Raj begins the rhythmical intro to "Sahara", the room moves! Raj has made America his home and does sound regularly for the Church of Religious Science in Salt Lake City. He works as an audio technician and has many professional recordings to his credit. Rajab has audio engineered major venue performances including Rakkasah near San Francisco and the annual International Dance Gala in Salt Lake City, Utah. No event is too big or too small to appreciate his passionate drumming and technical expertise.TERENCE HANSEN, “guitarist extrordinare,” is stunning in his simultaneous performance on two guitars. His presence in Desert Wind is part of a continuum, taking him a step beyond the jazz fusion / progressive rock idiom which brought him here. A talented singer, songwriter, arranger, Terence has entertained many a standing room only audience. Among his numerous credits are his presentations at guitar clinics sponsored by D.O.D. Electronics, Abel Axe Guitar, Inc. and Starsmith Music, Inc. Terence has been involved in the musical recording and production company, DreamAttik Productions, Inc., and is known for his unique blend of charisma, versatility, originality and talent. Currently Terence is working on his own spectacular triology with his VOID OF COURSE band. Learn more at: TERENCEHANSEN.COM.
ISAIAH STEWART, formerly of Los Angeles, CA, has been drumming professionally since the age of 9. By age 20, he was performing in many of the same L.A. and Hollywood jazz clubs as Kenny G, Richard Elliot, Freddie Hubbard, Tom Browne and Jeff Lorber. Isaiah has personally studied drumming with many of the worlds most renouned drummers including Dave Weckl, Billy Cobham, Steve Gadd, Tony Williams, Dennis Chambers and Terry Bozzio. He has studied jazz and compositional musical theory since the age of 10 and has composed more than 300 songs. Isaiah has worked as a studio musician for over 15 years, completing session work on numerous commercial jingles and film scores in Utah and California. All of Isaiah's CDs are available at Amazon.com.SHAWN VINCENT joins desert wind as a back-up bass player to Berno when Berno is unavailable. He brings an artistic flair and passionate bass playing to the group. "Soaring sounds of flight, meet the worldly roots of compositional mastery. Shawn Vincent's music is a breath of fresh air, that will make your heart pound!" - Mason Gower, NY Chronicle Desert Wind thanks Shawn for his great attitude and creativity! Truly, a "breath of fresh air!"
BRYAN BAAL began studying Middle-Eastern percussion in 1997 under the tutelage of Graeleaf, who taught for Kismet at the time. Since 1999, Bryan has played Greek and Arabic music on weekends at the Grecian Garden restaurant in Salt Lake City. Since 2004, Bryan has been a percussionist and guitarist for Bazeen, a Utah-based band specializing in Middle-Eastern music, and has often been honored with invitations to perform with Kairo by Night. In the past few years he has appeared often with Desert Wind, espcially when world beat music has been the flavor of the moment. In 2006, Bryan established Tabla Arabía, a school specializing in intermediate-level instruction on the Egyptian-style darbuka.
Special Guests for Recording and Live Performance with Desert Wind
BRETT “ANGUS” BOWEN has been a driving force behind the passionate and mesmerizing music of Desert Wind. Angus is a multi- percussionist specializing in Egyptian/Arabic and Afro-Cuban drums. Angus has studied with many greats in Mideast percussion including Hossam Ramzy, Hossam el Gafour, and Billy Woods. He performs regularly with Kairo By Night and has both studied and performed with Mark Bell and, on Latin percussion, with Ricardo Romero. Originally from Seal Beach, CA, Angus has been performing and teaching percussion in the Intermountain West for the past nine years. Currently Angus resides in Colorado and usually drops by for a session or two at the Desert Wind Recording Studio when in town.BERNO DANYLIK was the original "funk" in Desert Wind and the DysFUNKtionals! His acoustic and electric bass playing adds a whole new rockin' dimension to the live band. Berno is originally from New Jersey, where he got an outstanding education in jazz through the New England Conservatory of Music. He continued as a serious working musician with cover bands that played the "club scene" throughout New Jersey, New York and Long Island. Interestingly, this East Coast gem found himself on the other side of the country in the Los Angeles Cherokee Studios doing recording sessions with the likes of Mark Slaughter and Dana Strum. Having worked as a lead singer, acoustic and electric bass player and movie songwriter, Berno is an unbelieveable find in Salt Lake City, and a great periodic addition to Desert Wind!
GEORGE GRANT's rhythm work is on most Desert Wind CDs. Currently residing in Sunvalley, Idaho, he has earned a reputation as "an adventurous musician and intrepid teacher." As a performer and clinician, George fuses his wide influence in World Music with his roots in jazz improvisation. His "alternative drum sets" include tabla, zarb, kanjira, claypots, many sizes of frame drums and cymbals, with lots of percussion colour. He has performed with many American jazz and classical masters, and with virtuosos from Asia and the Middle East. As a full time Artist in Residence for 13 years, George taught his unique Drum Talk method in public schools and universities in Utah and Idaho. George Grant's Drum Talk is a modern approach to an ancient method - chanting vocal syllable patterns to prepare for drumming - and all other music. For centuries, many cultures have understood the secret - "If You Can Say It, You Can Play It." George Grant says it.
RAMI ZIADEH, famed Bay Area Middle Eastern Percussionist and Flamenco drummer, has joined Desert Wind for numerous recordings, as well as live performances in Salt Lake City, Santa Rosa and San Francisco. He was a major influence behind Desert Wind's Christmas: Rhythms of the Holy Land. Rami's precision drumming is impecable, and Desert Wind welcomes him to their recording studio any time!
ZJARI! Finally! Desert Wind found the Goddess Vocalist herself! Zjari's soothing and alluring voice is just the magic they wanted. It is no surprise that her voice has been showcased in numerous television jingle campaigns, including those for five Fortune 500 corporations. Among numerous other credits, she was the lead vocal talent in a made-for-television production and featured vocalist for several radio commercial projects. Zjari’s added experience as an actress for direct response television commercials has taken her into over seventy markets nationally. Most recently Desert Wind's own Zjari (Jerri Eckert) has been featured on an MTV Video receiving national acclaim! Please visit the Musical Discoveries site for more info on this project and Jerri "Zjari" Eckert's performance on the Sleepthief: The Dawnseeker. Jerri is presently taking some quality time for her beautiful young family, though she is occasionally available for special appearances with Desert Wind.
THE DESERT WIND LABEL:
Desert Wind is an independent, self-produced recording / performing band / label created by Alan Scott Bachman, originally from Rochester New York. Desert Wind has produced eleven CDs which are now sold throughout the world by a number of distributors within three niche markets: new age music, Goddess, and world/bellydance. A big surprise was the wonderful response from Germany! In 1996 Alan met Andalin, a world-class jazz flutist, or flautist if you wish, with the Selmer Award of Jazz Performance and numerous other credits in her history. The two shared a second wind with this union, and in three short years produced World Dance, a full length two CD-set, She is a Tree of Life, another full length two CD-set, and Christmas: Rhythms of the Holy Land.
On October 9, 2003 Desert Wind produced "Flute Fest" with 100% original music, and within three weeks the title was picked up by several of Desert Wind's existing distributors including Music Design, Inc. and New Leaf Distribution. Reviews have been outstanding, and this CD has slowly but surely found its way into the flutist and jazz markets due to Andalin's flute work. While previous titles ("Gaia, Earth Goddess," "Return to the Goddess," "Kali Ma," and "Shekhina, Hebrew Goddess") are still helping to fund their continued work, Alan & Andalin are now reaching out to a broader, more commercial audience, with an exciting blend of classical, jazz, pop, blues and world beat musical influences. Presently Desert Wind is working on yet another 2 CD set called I Will Remember.
Desert Wind is based in Salt Lake City, Utah ~ a beautiful place in the Rocky Mountains from which to make their frequent trips to the Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland, Denver, the San Francisco Bay and other areas of the West. Alan's day job is assistant attorney general for the State of Utah, and Andalin is employed as a paralegal. Virtually every dime and free hour of their time is devoted to the production and love of this music. Desert Wind is proud to be part of CD Baby's Indie portfolio, now finding an incredibly huge new audience through digital distribution! For Desert Wind, the future has only just begun.......