Jim Feist has been performing and teaching the tabla for the last 18 years. He has
traveled to India several times to learn tabla from the late, legendary Ustad Allah Rakha,
and Vibhav Nageshkar. For the past decade Jim has been under the tutelage of Ustad
Allah Rakha's celebrated disciple, Pandit Yogesh Samsi. He has also studied from
Sukvinder Singh Namdhari, Samir Chatterji, Anand Badamakar, and a handful of other
notable players. His interaction with such tabla intellectuals as Pandit Sudhir Mainkar
and Dr. Lowell Lybarger have also enhanced his knowledge of this vast art-form
Jim has been recorded on albums by composer Kanniks Kannikeswaran for two all India
releases, and an album of pure Dhrupad music called "Banaras" released in March '06.
He has also recorded with Fareed Haque, Autumns Child, Aradhna, David Wilcox, Mike
Cohen Kirtan, Ron Esposito, Peter Mayer, and with the group he co-founded Mohenjo
Daro ("Baksheesh" on Tandem Records and "Rajdhani Express" also on Tandem
records). In 2003 and 2004, Mohenjo Daro won back to back "Cincinnati Entertainment
Awards" for "Best World Band". Jim also composed the music and performed all the
percussion on his debut solo disc Indus Red. As a session tabla player Jim has been
recorded on many discs over the years. He also performed in the critically acclaimed
Indian show Shanti (2004,2006) in Cincinnati Ohio. In late 2007 he had the priviledge of
performing for the President of Bangladesh and in August 2009 for the Governor of the
State of Ohio at the Governors Mansion.
traveled to India several times to learn tabla from the late, legendary Ustad Allah Rakha,
and Vibhav Nageshkar. For the past decade Jim has been under the tutelage of Ustad
Allah Rakha's celebrated disciple, Pandit Yogesh Samsi. He has also studied from
Sukvinder Singh Namdhari, Samir Chatterji, Anand Badamakar, and a handful of other
notable players. His interaction with such tabla intellectuals as Pandit Sudhir Mainkar
and Dr. Lowell Lybarger have also enhanced his knowledge of this vast art-form
Jim has been recorded on albums by composer Kanniks Kannikeswaran for two all India
releases, and an album of pure Dhrupad music called "Banaras" released in March '06.
He has also recorded with Fareed Haque, Autumns Child, Aradhna, David Wilcox, Mike
Cohen Kirtan, Ron Esposito, Peter Mayer, and with the group he co-founded Mohenjo
Daro ("Baksheesh" on Tandem Records and "Rajdhani Express" also on Tandem
records). In 2003 and 2004, Mohenjo Daro won back to back "Cincinnati Entertainment
Awards" for "Best World Band". Jim also composed the music and performed all the
percussion on his debut solo disc Indus Red. As a session tabla player Jim has been
recorded on many discs over the years. He also performed in the critically acclaimed
Indian show Shanti (2004,2006) in Cincinnati Ohio. In late 2007 he had the priviledge of
performing for the President of Bangladesh and in August 2009 for the Governor of the
State of Ohio at the Governors Mansion.
He composed and performed music for the documentary "Made in India?" and the wonderful documentary
"Smile". He has provided music for an important video for the organization "Saathi" (Solidarity and Action Against
the HIV Infection in India) and also co-wrote music for the "Oxygen" cable channel. His music is heard on the
smash Australian t.v. show "Aussie Goes Bolly" (produced and narrated by Hugh Jackman) He has also played on
the 2006 c.d. "Sri Venkata Ramaniyamu Vol. 5" for the Sri Venkataramaniyamu Welfare Society where all
proceeds benefit the underpriviledged in India. Jim has performed with the famed vocalist Ashiq Khan in
Rajasthan, India. He is a frequent performer with the Bhajan group Aradhna. He has performed with the
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra on several occasions, and at the Montreal Jazz-Festival twice (2002 and 2005)
with Mohenjo Daro. He has shared the stage with many fusion stalwarts including The Buddy Rich Big Band
bassist Dave Larocca, Greg Osby, and Fareed Haque. He has also performed solo tabla with his teacher
Yogesh Samsi. Jim has also accompanied Bollywood giant Mahendra Kapoor, Budhadev Das Gupta, Laxmi
Shankar, Anupama Bhagwat, Kirana vocalist Mowna Ramachandra, Smt. Aditi Upadhya, and Kankana
Banerjee, and a host of other Indian Classical musicians. In the American Kirtan scene Jim has performed and/or
recorded with , Girish, Kaliji, Mercury Max, and Mike Cohen. As an educator Jim has held very successful
clinics and lec/dems all over the mid-west in colleges and high schools. He has been a featured clinician at
Marshall University and has lectured at Taylor University among many others. He has had successful solos at
Washington University, University of Toledo and Indiana University to name a few. He was awarded the American
Institute of Indian Studies grant for performing artists in 2006 and became affiliated with the University of Mumbai
Hindustani Music Department. He teaches privately in Dayton and Cincinnati Ohio. Jim shares his time between
Cincinnati, Ohio and Pune, India.
"Smile". He has provided music for an important video for the organization "Saathi" (Solidarity and Action Against
the HIV Infection in India) and also co-wrote music for the "Oxygen" cable channel. His music is heard on the
smash Australian t.v. show "Aussie Goes Bolly" (produced and narrated by Hugh Jackman) He has also played on
the 2006 c.d. "Sri Venkata Ramaniyamu Vol. 5" for the Sri Venkataramaniyamu Welfare Society where all
proceeds benefit the underpriviledged in India. Jim has performed with the famed vocalist Ashiq Khan in
Rajasthan, India. He is a frequent performer with the Bhajan group Aradhna. He has performed with the
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra on several occasions, and at the Montreal Jazz-Festival twice (2002 and 2005)
with Mohenjo Daro. He has shared the stage with many fusion stalwarts including The Buddy Rich Big Band
bassist Dave Larocca, Greg Osby, and Fareed Haque. He has also performed solo tabla with his teacher
Yogesh Samsi. Jim has also accompanied Bollywood giant Mahendra Kapoor, Budhadev Das Gupta, Laxmi
Shankar, Anupama Bhagwat, Kirana vocalist Mowna Ramachandra, Smt. Aditi Upadhya, and Kankana
Banerjee, and a host of other Indian Classical musicians. In the American Kirtan scene Jim has performed and/or
recorded with , Girish, Kaliji, Mercury Max, and Mike Cohen. As an educator Jim has held very successful
clinics and lec/dems all over the mid-west in colleges and high schools. He has been a featured clinician at
Marshall University and has lectured at Taylor University among many others. He has had successful solos at
Washington University, University of Toledo and Indiana University to name a few. He was awarded the American
Institute of Indian Studies grant for performing artists in 2006 and became affiliated with the University of Mumbai
Hindustani Music Department. He teaches privately in Dayton and Cincinnati Ohio. Jim shares his time between
Cincinnati, Ohio and Pune, India.
"Yaad Bhagavati"
(Jim Feist)