BIO

Geoffrey’s warm and generous spirit has illuminated recordings, theater, dance scores, film scores and concert stages around the world. He's taught music on the faculties of both Sarah Lawrence College and City College of New York. He's performed at The Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, on Broadway, television, film scores, and on over 80 published beloved CDs. He's performed throughout the USA, in Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Indonesia, South America, Canada, India and Japan. His creative journey has taken him from recording on the soundtrack for 'Raising Arizona' to performing on Broadway in the Tony Award winning show 'M. Butterfly' with John Lithgow. He played on Ram Dass's first cd 'Chord of Love', on Krishna Das's first cd 'One Track Heart' and on all of the cd's by Jai Uttal and The Pagan Love Orchestra. He recorded on the premier jazz label ECM, Sounds True, and Triloka appeared on MTV, CBS Evening News, CBS Sunday Morning, and played on the soundtracks for 'Demolition Man', 'The Big Lewbowsky', and 'Kalifornia'. Along with Jai Uttal, Geoffrey pioneered the modern kirtan movement recording and touring internationally beginning in 1992. He has recorded and performed with Robbie Robertson, Rita Coolidge, Rumi translator Coleman Barks, director Julie Taymor, film composer Elliot Goldenthal, film composer Carter Burwell, guitarist David Torn, worked for retreats and teacher trainings with Gabrielle Roth, appeared in the PBS documentary 'Rumi Poet of the Heart' narrated by Debra Winger, played with world music group 'Tulku' on several of the 'Buddha Bar' cd series. Since 2010 Geoffrey has been a featured performer at The Bali Spirit Festival, Bhakti Fest, The Gaia Festival, The Beloved Festival, and Globalquerque. Since 2011 he has taught on yoga retreat faculties in Bali, Thailand, Japan, India, California, and Australia.

Born in New York City in 1952 into a progressive, artistic family Geoffrey studied piano at the age of five. Then at the age of eight he took up the acoustic bass and played in orchestra throughout high school and college. Geoffrey started playing drum set in his own rock bands beginning in 1967. He found himself in the middle of the creative, social, and political revolution of the 1960s in his teen years. Being of draft age, participating in demonstrations against the Vietnam war and going to many of the very early rock and folk music concerts, poetry readings, and social consciousness lectures of the time, he was very influenced by the altruism, spirituality, and alternative lifestyles that were happening all around him. Then in college beginning in 1970 Geoffrey studied shamanism and psychology with author and scholar Stephen Larsen (The Shaman's Doorway). In 1971 Geoffrey took initiation into tantric meditation and ashtanga yoga practices. He studied comparative religion at New Paltz University with Amiya Chakravarty (literary secretary to Rabindranath Tagore and close associate of Mahatma Gandhi). That same year he played drums in a popular rock band regularly in clubs in Woodstock NY. Also in 1971 Geoffrey went to see The Concert for Bagladesh at Madison Square Garden which was organized by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar featuring Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and many others. In that concert he saw Ravi Shankar and his future teachers Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Ustad Allarakha perform as the opening act. This concert had a profound effect on Geoffrey. He knew there and then that he wanted to study North Indian classical music and learn to play the tabla. Geoffrey completed yoga teacher training in 1972 and began teaching Hatha Yoga. In 1973-74 he played drums in The Zobo Funn Band in Ithaca NY and worked at Moosewood Restaurant where he helped put together the very first edition of the Moosewood Cookbook. He then left to attend the first summer sessions at Naropa University in Boulder CO in 1974 and was instructed in Buddhist meditation practices. He received his first set of tabla in 1974 and then moved to New York City to study with Badal Roy who had just recorded on tabla with Miles Davis, John McLaughlan and The Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Pharoah Sanders. In 1975 Geoffrey went to see the group Shakti with Zakir Hussain, John McLaughlan, and L. Shankar. Zakir Hussain is considered one of the greatest tabla players of all time and is the son of the great tabla maestro Ustad Allarakha (Zakir Hussain became Geoffrey's tabla teacher beginning in 1996). Later in 1975 Geoffrey began playing tabla for kirtan with Jai Uttal, Krishna Das and Bhagavan Das. Later that same year Geoffrey, Steve Gorn and Badal Roy played together live on WBAI radio in Manhattan opening for David Hykes and The Harmonic Choir. In 1976 Geoffrey had the good fortune of becoming a tabla student of Ustad Allarakha and in 1977 a student of North Indian classical raga with Maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. In late 1977 Geoffrey began studying Afro-Cuban and Haitian drumming and joined the faculty of The City College of New York's dance department in Harlem. There he collaborated with professional dancers from Alvin Ailey Dance Co, Dance Theater of Harlem, Martha Graham Co, Merce Cunningham Co, Alwin Nikolais Dance Co and Pilobolus Dance Co. His collaborations at City College also included working with dance teachers from Kenya, Haiti, India, China, Bali, Brazil, and Mexico. Geoffrey learned vast amounts of world music by accompanying these dancers in this vibrant dance department. In 1977 he toured and played tabla with the contemporary classical group John Cooper and The East West Chamber Ensemble and performed with violinist L. Subrananiam. In 1978 he performed with Visant Rai at The Bottom Line and The New School in NYC. Visant Rai was a student of the great North Indian classical music master Ustad Allauddin Khan who was the father and guru of sarodist Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and the guru of of sitarist Ravi Shankar. Also in 1978 Geoffrey began playing regularly with violinist Steven Kindler who had been touring and recording with Jeff Beck, John McLaughlen and Jan Hammer. In 1979 Geoffrey began working with Gabrielle Roth on many events and retreats including several as master drummer for her 5 Rhythms teacher trainings at Esalen Institute. In 1982 he began a close collaboration with writer/scholar Diane Wolkstein peforming 'Inanna: Queen of Heaven and Earth' at Lincoln Center, The United Nations and The American Museum of Natural History in NYC. In 1983 Geoffrey co-created the music and performed in the original production of Jean-Claude van Itallie's play 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead or How Not To Do It Again' at LaMama Theater produced by Ellen Stewart. This play has since been restaged many times around the world and turned into a book which has become an important contemporary interpretation of the sacred Tibetan Buddhist text. In 1985 Geoffrey was hired by film composer Carter Burwell to play on the score for Raising Arizona and went on to work on many of his film scores in both Hollywood and New York City. In 1985 Geoffrey recorded his first major worldwide release on ECM Records- a duo improvisation album with David Torn titled 'Best Laid Plans'. From 1986 - 1990 Geoffrey taught music on the dance faculty of Sarah Lawrence College and became the musical director of the dance department working with Viola Farber, Bill T Jones, Kei Takei and many others. Geoffrey opened for Miles Davis in 1986 at the Hollywood Bowl playing drums in a jazz trio with violinist Charles Burnham (Cassandra Wilson, James Blood Ulmer). In 1987 Geoffrey was a featured soloist with the Tibetan Singing Bowl Ensemble in Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan performing at the commemoration ceremonies for the victims of the atomic bomb. In 1988 Geoffrey joined the original cast of 'M. Butterfly' on Broadway and performed on stage in this Tony Award winning show with actors John Lithgow, Tony Randall, B.D. Wong (Law and Order) and Alec Mapa (Ugly Betty). In 1988 Geoffrey developed the original drum parts for the Obie Award winning musical 'Juan Darien' directed by Julie Taymor with music by Elliot Goldenthal touring to Festival De Lille in France, The Israel Festival in Jerusalem, The Edinburg Theater Festival Mainstage in Scotland, the Montreal Theater Festival in Canada, The Marines Memorial Theater in San Francisco, Lincoln Center Theater in NYC and more. In 1989 Geoffrey worked at Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival in the cast of 'Blood Wedding' by Federico Garcia Lorca starring Elizabeth Peña. In 1992 Geoffrey moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. He played on the recordings 'Monkey' and 'Beggars and Saints' with Jai Uttal and played tabla for the first kirtan tours with Jai. In 1993 Geoffrey played all the drums parts on 'Chord of Love' with Ram Dass and Amazing Grace which also including Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Diana Rogers and other devotees of Neem Karoli Baba. In 1995 he was the featured drummer on the breakthrough trance dance album by Tulku titled 'Trancendence' with producer Jim Wilson. In 1996 Geoffrey recorded the drum and percussion parts on 'Walela' featuring Rita Coolidge and Walela. In 1998 Geoffrey recorded on Robbie Robertson's cd ' Contact From the Underworld of Redboy' and played with Robbie at the 1st Native American Music Awards. That same year he also performed at the New Orleans Jazz Festival with Rita Coolidge and Walela. In the year 2000 Geoffrey, Jai Uttal and Lai Lakshman produced 'The Hanuman Chaleesa: Songs in Praise of Hanuman' the first full cd of the Hanuman Chaleesa by American devotees.

Geoffrey's compositions with scholar, writer and storyteller Diane Wolkstein include versions of the ancient sacred stories of Sumeria, Mayan, Chinese, Biblical, Native American and Inuit traditions. They have performed in New York City at The United Nations, Avery Fisher Hall, The Asia Society, The Jung Foundation, The American Museum of Natural History, The Jewish Theological Seminary, The National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee, in Austria and in England at The British Museum. Geoffrey plays on many classic movie soundtracks including 'Raising Arizona' with Nicholas Cage, 'The Big Lewbowsky' with Jeff Bridges, 'The Locusts' with Vince Vaughn, 'The Corruptor' with Mark Wahlberg, 'Storyville' with James Spader, 'A Dangerous Woman' with Deborah Winger, Kalifornia' with Brad Pitt, 'Airheads' with Adam Sandler, 'Titus' with Jessica Lang, 'Demolition Man' with Sylvester Stallone, and more. Geoffrey performed on the Broadway stage in the Tony award winning Best Play 'M.Butterfly' at the Eugene O'Neil Theater and in the national touring company. Geoffrey performed with Robbie Robertson and Rita Coolidge at the First Native American Music Awards. He worked with Rita Coolidge and Walela at Symphony Space in NYC, The New Orleans Jazz Festival, and The Great American Music Hall in S.F. Geoffrey appears with Rumi poet Coleman Barks in the PBS documentary 'Rumi: Poet of the Heart'. He's also performed with Coleman Barks at The State of the World Forum in San Francisco CA, Omega Institute in Rhinebeck NY, CIIS in San Fracisco CA, in Puerto Villarta Mexico, The Lensic Theater in Santa Fe NM, Dominican College in San Rafael CA, The New Age Journal Conference in NYC, KPFA Benefit Concert in Berkeley, CA, and in 2010 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre CA and at The Beloved Festival in Tidewater Falls, OR. Geoffrey toured in the Knitting Factory Soundtrack Festival with a final performance at the El Rey Theater in Hollywood CA with Carter Burwell (on keyboards) performing his soundtrack music live from 'Fargo', 'Rob Roy', 'Gods and Monsters', 'Raising Arizona', 'Kalifornia' and more.

Geoffrey has produced cds for many artists including Shiva Rea- 'Yoga Trance Dance'; Rita Coolidge & Walela- 'Unbearable Love'; Diana Rogers- 'Unveiled'; Jai Uttal, Geoffrey Gordon and Jai Lakshman- 'The Hanuman Chaleesa: Songs in Praise of Hanuman'; Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, and Geoffrey Gordon for Ali Akbar Khan- 'Garden of Dreams'; Geoffrey Gordon and Stephen Kent- 'Baraka Moon' with Sukhawat Ali Khan; Swami Vishwananda- 'Love Beyond Word's' and Love Beyond Words II'; Yuan Miao and Lama Norbu 'Crossing the Himalayas'; and Geoffrey's own CD 'Breath of Rama'.

Geoffrey worked with Jai Uttal at The Prophet's Conferences in Victoria BC and Monterey CA, Joseph Papp's Public Theater in NYC, Omega Institute in NY, Lama Foundation in Taos NM, Esalen Institute in Big Sur CA, Spirit Rock in Woodacre CA, Breitenbush in Detroit OR, Hollyhock on Cortez Island in Canada, with Shiva Rea at Samasati in Costa Rica and Kalani in Hawaii, at Yoga Journal Conferences in LA and NYC, Holotropic Breathwork/Chanting Retreats in Palm Desert and Marin CA, International Transpersonal Psychology Conferences in Manous Brazil, Palm Springs and Sant Clara CA, The Shantipi Festival outside Tel Aviv in Israel, The Santa Fe Jazz Festival, The San Diego Jazz Festival, The Sacred World Music Festival in San Francisco CA, Monterey World Music Festival, Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival, The House of Blues in LA, Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, ABC Television's LIVE IN CONCERT, BET Jazz Cable TV, with Goldie Hawn and Robbin Williams for Operation Smile in LA, and opening for Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan at the Universal Ampitheater in LA and the Greek Theater in Berkeley CA.

A few of the albums Geoffrey has played on include Robbie Robertson 'Contact from the Underworld of Redboy'; Rita Coolidge and Walela 'Walela' 'Unbearable Love'; Krishna Das 'One Track Heart'; Elliot Goldenthal soundtrack albums 'Juan Darien' 'Demolition Man' 'Titus'; R. Carlos Nakai & Nawang Khechog 'Winds of Devotion'; David Torn 'Best Laid Plans' 'Door X'; Carter Burwell soundtrack albums 'Storyville', 'Raising Arizona', 'Airheads' and 'Kalifornia'; Gabrielle Roth 'Trance'; Jai Uttal 'Nectar' 'Monkey', 'Beggars and Saints', 'Shiva Station' 'Mondo Rama' 'Spirit Room'; Bhagavan Das 'Now'; Tulku 'Trancendance' 'A Universe to Come'; Little Wolf 'Wolf Moon'; MC Yogi 'Elephant Power', Stephen Kent 'Family Tree' 'Gathered on the Edge' and 'Nobody Knew the Time'. A more complete list can be found on the 'Videos and Discography' page and at www.allmusic.com/artist/geoffrey-gordon-p81088/credits

Geoffrey has performed and recorded alongside many great artists including Dave Liebman, Don Cherry, Reggie Workman, Rashied Ali, Eddie Gomez, Don Byron, Mickey Hart, Simone Shahine, Peter Apfelbaum, Trilok Gurtu, Richard Teitelbaum, Zuleika, Roger Housden, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Manose, Jaya Lakshmi, Shyam Das, Stephen Kent, Sukhawat Ali Khan, Yeshe, Ganga Giri, Skip LaPlante and Music for Homemade Instruments Ensemble, Lucia Hwong, The Tibetan Singing Bowl Ensemble with Raphael Mostel, and The Ali Akbar Khan Orchestra.

Geoffrey met Ram Dass in 1972 and became a devotee of Neem Karoli Baba. Geoffrey worked on faculties with Ram Dass at Pura Vida, Omega Institute, Breitenbush, Hollyhock, The Prophets Conferences in Carmel and Maui, in Austin, Durham, Santa Fe, New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco; and more recently at Studio Maui. He played the tabla and drum parts on Ram Dass's CD 'Chord of Love' and is also heard on the soundtrack of the film 'Fierce Grace'. Geoffrey has taken Refuge and Bodhisattva vows directly from Kalu Rinpoche, The 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, The 14th Dalai Lama and recently with Anam Thubten Rinpoche. He studied Vipassana meditation in the presence of S.N. Goenka. Geoffrey feels blessed to have had direct teaching from J. Krishnamurti, Dudjum Rinpoche, Siddhi Ma, Aido Roshi, Pir Vilayat Khan, Swami Chitananda, Murshid Hassan, Sheik Musafere, and Guru Bawa Muhaiyaddeen.