Drums, bass, and Turkish banjos! Music from the East with psychedelic sensibilities.

Zor performs all the Eastern sounds of the old realm, with guitar-less krautrock sensibilities, and lots of improvisation thrown in to keep things confusing. Zor is/are: Pippin Barnett (drums); Stevie Ray Williams (bass); Gary Kalar (hard-to-pronounce Turkish instruments).

Pippin Barnett and Gary Kalar met while playing in avant-rock group Zgomot in Richmond, Virginia. They quickly realized they had chemistry together and an interest in music from the Eastern Mediterranean and began free-form jamming in Pippin's basement, evolving into what they are today. Improvisation is the main generator of their music, even the compositions, and that flexibility allows them to synthesize their influences and experiences into something new and unique, despite roots in ancient traditions.

Pippin Barnett has been playing drums with some of the avant-garde’s most beloved groups and composers for over 40 years. As a member of Curlew, Orthotonics, and Nimal, as well as drumming for Fred Frith, Tom Cora, John Zorn, Nicollas Collins, and many others, Barnett has played all over the map, figuratively and literally.

Gary Kalar has been making music as a performer and composer for over 25 years. He’s played many stringed instruments, in many styles, with diverse musicians from all over the world, including Mucca Pazza, Miramar, Yeni Nostalji, Ronnie Malley and Lamajamal, Selim Sesler, and many others.

Photo credit: Peter McElhinney / @irishjazz

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