House of Waters

House of Waters is the confluence of multiple musical streams, with immersive studies in India, Senegal, Japan, the Americas, and beyond, all influencing their genre-defying performances. This Grammy-nominated trio is at the forefront of jazz innovation, featuring an original collaboration led by Chicago native Max ZT—the “Jimi Hendrix of the Hammered Dulcimer” (NPR)—and six-string bass master and virtuoso Moto Fukushima from Japan, with a drummer to be announced soon. You won’t want to miss what Béla Fleck calls “the most original band on the planet.” 

Tickets: $30 general public | $20 Middlebury ID holders/PASS Members | $10 youth (under 21) | $5 Middlebury students. Reserved seating. Tickets on sale in September: http://go.middlebury.edu/tickets

Approximate running time: 75 minutes, no intermission

About the Artists:
Nominated for the Best Contemporary Instrumental album at the 2024 GRAMMY awards, House of Waters is at the forefront of jazz innovation. With their new GroundUp Music recording, On Becoming, Max ZT and Moto Fukushima were joined by first-call accompanists: drummer Antonio Sanchez, guitarist Mike Stern, and vocalist Priya Darshini, who join the innovative group as special guests.

House of Waters has scored an Emmy-winning documentary (ESPN) and recently re-scored three century-old, French Dadaist era silent films in partnership with GroundUP Music and Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas. They have received the South Arts Jazz Road Grant and have an extensive touring history around the world. Having shared the stage with influential musicians including Pandit Ravi Shankar, Victor Wooten, Tinariwen, Snarky Puppy, Karsh Kale, and more, “House of Waters is a band that is bending the very fabric of the musical universe as we know it”—Onstage Review. Learn more about House of Waters: https://houseofwaters.com/home

The “Jimi Hendrix of the Hammered Dulcimer” (NPR), Max ZT is an innovator of an instrument rarely heard in contemporary music. With roots in Irish folk music, Max has studied in Senegal, where he trained with the Cissoko Griot family, and India, where he studied under the santoor master Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. His unorthodox playing style has been a pioneering force in revolutionizing dulcimer techniques. Learn more about Max ZT: https://www.maxzt.com/

Moto Fukushima is a recognized master of the six-string bass. With a background in jazz improvisation, Western classical music, and the music of South America, Moto’s playing is a combination of finesse, subtlety, and power that leaves audiences “slack-jawed in awe” (Jazz Wise). Learn more about Moto Fukushima: https://www.motobass.com/

Program: innovative jazz trio works for hammered dulcimer, six-string bass, and drums

Sponsored by the Performing Arts Series, the Paul Nelson Performance Endowment, and the Rothrock Family Residency Fund.

Learn more about the artists:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/houseofwaters
Instagram: http://instagram.com/houseofwaters
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/houseofwaters
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4a8MGNthjVGNBU6AdBQT7x
Watch a video:  https://youtu.be/5TitaVuT7cQ?si=z2TcA1rda0pr9uAQ

Performance subject to change.