Todd Ferris Mosby

Composition built on the Rag Bhim Palasie, an ancient afternoon rag depicting the sun breaking through the clouds in late afternoon to early evening according to my teacher Ustadt Imrat Khan. He used to go to his teachers house and remembered him peroforming this rag many times.

I scored this piece to the movement of the rag melodically and chordally. One of the things which allows this music to cross genres is strict adherence to the rules of rag and its use of modal harmony. A western person can improvise over the changes and go totally outside the realm of the rag yet the harmony and chordal movement holds it to the tonal center. An Eastern musician can improvise totaly within the rag and have the added beauty of chordal accompaniment wich stays within the rag structure.

Compositional technique based in the sound of the Instrument. Exploration of over tones, susatined notes and subtle finger technique to bring out full range of instrument. Performance on Martin D41 Guitar.

Ancient Rag given to me by my Guruji Ustadt Imrat Khan. This is a serious evening rag and is performed on the Acoustic Imratgitar with accompaniment on tuned 6 string guitar. 

Yamin Kalian is an ancient romantic evening rag with a raised fourth degree. Yamin is a location in India from which the rag originated approximately five hundred years ago. This is an updated extended form composition for Indian Jazz quartet. The riff under the piano solo comes from a ghat given to by my Ustdaji.

Solo Guitar piece exploring the movement of water through the use of a rag I created. Meter is in 16 with chordal and melody movement consistent with the flow and note sequencing of the rag.