Award-winning tunesmith Dan Whitehouse and hammered dulcimer virtuoso Max ZT plug album at live show in Derbyshire
New York musician Max ZT – renowned as the Jimi Hendrix of the hammered dulcimer – and award-winning Black Country tunesmith Dan Whitehouse will be touring their new album to Derbyshire.
Tracks from their critically acclaimed release Ten Steps will be played live at The Old Bell Hotel, Derby on June 23. Their concert will fuse virtuosic instrumental mastery with soulful song and spoken word.
Grammy-nominated Max ZT’s groundbreaking compositional style takes cues from an array of influences, from his training with the Cissokho griot family in Senegal and santoor master Pandit Shivkumar Sharma in India, to his deep love of Irish folk.
“Our album and our show incorporate elements of improvisation, because we are trying to live in the now as much as possible,” says Max. “Musically speaking, that’s enlightenment. That’s the real deal,”
Dan’s mellifluous vocal and subtle melodies deliver lyrics inspired by themes of fatherhood, his life in Japan, golf swings as a metaphor for life and the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“Ten Steps is about tapping into the mood of the present moment, going with the flow,” said Dan. “After four years of playing together, we’re more fluid and in-sync than ever.”
The pair first met online during Covid (Max was in Brooklyn, and Dan was stranded in Japan) through the international folk music project Global Music Match. ”Like online dating for musicians,” joked Dan. “It was interesting how effortless our songwriting collaboration was, from the start.”
Tickets cost £14 for their gig at The Old Bell Hotel. Book online at https://bellhotelderby.co.uk/event/ten-steps/