A
guitarist and multi-stringed instrumentalist of western music,
Dee Harris studied the North Indian classical music with sitarists
Daisy Paradis and Kinnar Seen and he received further direction
from the Sarodist Aashish Khan. His music is profoundly influenced
by the the Sarod virtuoso, the late Pundit Vasant Rai. Unfortunately
Dee never met Vasastji due to his untimely demise in 1985. He
has learned immensely from the abundant live-concert recordings
of Vasantji that has surfaced recently, and from his lesson
tapes that he had left to his students that are now in Dee's
possession.
As a guitarist, Dee Harris is largely self-taught.
He has developed many new techniques on his instrument as
well as redesigned the guitar in order to achieve the subtleties
of the Indian classical music. His guitar has twenty strings:
four of them for playing melody (SPSM), three chikari (SSP),
four support (SGRN), and nine sympathetic strings tuned to
the notes of the Raga being played. He plays this eclectic
instrument with a slide as well as with the fingers of his
left hand on the frets. He wears a thumb pick in his right
hand and mizrabs (sitar picks) on three fingers.
(Dee's
20 String Indian Slide Guitar used for North Indian Classical
music)
“A
refreshing new style to the Indian Classical Music. Dee’s
respect and dedication to my fathers music is deeply touching.”
– Aniruddha Vasant Rai
“As
I listened to Dee Harris begin his Alap, I was reminded of
the late Vasant Rai and I knew I was discovering a new talent.
Dee’s music is beautiful, confident and smooth. Soon
you move on from observing his technical skills to enjoying
the music. He is a promising interpreter of the Hindustani
Classical music and I shall be watching with interest how
his career blossoms.” – Surya Prakash Sinha
Music
of the East / Stringed Instruments of the West
Dees
first recording of the Classical Ragas of North India
Performed on Guitar, Banjo, Mandola, and Lute with very
special guest Viral Pandya on Tabla
A
guitarist and multi-stringed instrumentalist of western music,
Dee Harris studied the North Indian classical music with sitarists
Daisy Paradis and Kinnar Seen and he received further direction
from the Sarodist Aashish Khan. His music is profoundly influenced
by the the Sarod virtuoso, the late Pundit Vasant Rai. Unfortunately
Dee never met Vasastji due to his untimely demise in 1985. He
has learned immensely from the abundant live-concert recordings
of Vasantji that has surfaced recently, and from his lesson
tapes that he had left to his students that are now in Dee's
possession.
Listen
to Track 2: