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Urban Nature Music
Biography
Todd Boston is an international performing artist, a guitarist/multi-instrumentalist, and a producer of world, devotional and folk music. Live on stage he creates a passionate sound utilizing live looping technology to record and loop acoustic instruments all in the moment with no pre-recorded tracks. He combines advanced finger style guitar techniques, percussion and various world instruments to create a sound both memorable and mesmerizing. While performing as a soloist, in his acclaimed world fusion group Urban Nature with percussionist Ramesh Kannan, or in various collaborations and ensembles, Todd deeply connects to his audience in a soulful way.
Todd Boston's music has been gaining popularity and recognition worldwide. He received nominations in the 2003 Arizona Music Awards and in the 2005 California Music Awards. Todd was chosen as Top Performer for Philly Rising at the esteemed World Cafe Live in 2005. His first two albums (Urban Nature, Coming Home and Todd Boston Alive) have been consistently featured on Echoes, the two-hour nightly music show heard on over 130 NPR channels and distributed by Public Radio International. Urban Nature Coming Home was voted #13 for the Best CDs of 2009 on the Echoes listeners poll. Todd Boston, Alive was chosen as the CD of the Month of October 2010 by host John Diliberto and was chosen in the top 25 Listeners Choice Awards for 2010. Read the review
Todd has worked and performed with Snatam Kaur, Tony Levin (legendary bassist of Peter Gabriel), Charlie Bisharat (Grammy Winning Violinist), Jeff Haynes (Grammy Winning Percussionist), Eugene Friesen (Grammy Winning Cellist), Deva Premal & Mitten, Manose, Tina Malia, Shimshai, Donna De Lory & Suzanne Sterling. He has performed at prominent festivals such as Wanderlust Festival Vermont and California, Earthdance, Harmony, the 2007 Mac Conference and at events featuring Joan Baez, Michael Franti, Jai Uttal, MC Yogi, Sila and the AfroFunk Experience and more. He has played at venues such as The Fillmore (SF), Marin Civic Center, XPN Studio World Cafe Live (PA) and many others.
Todd has studied North Indian Classical music with the late great maestro Ali Akbar Khan and has studied with guitar virtuoso Alex De Grassi. He has begun working on his next full length album produced with Will Ackerman (Grammy winner and Windham Hill Records Founder) due for release in 2012.
Todd Boston has been inspired by many artists, from the unique guitar stylings of Stanley Jordan and Jimi Hendrix, to the soulful playing of Eric Clapton and BB King. He has mastered alternative tuning styles in the tradition of Jimmy Page, Leo Kottke, Will Ackerman, Alex De Grassi and Michael Hedges. Todd has found inspiration in the musicianship of Bela Fleck, Victor Wooten, Ali Akbar Khan, Ravi Shankar, R. Carlos Nakai among others.
Todd believes music is healing and continues to explore the deep relationship that exists between music and movement. In addition to his live stage performances, Todd accompanies yoga classes across the U.S. in his project Live Music Yoga Flow. He is also an educator and believes that music is an important part of our communities and offers his time to schools, hospitals, institutions, and healing centers to share and spread the powerful healing effects of music.
Todd Boston's music has been gaining popularity and recognition worldwide. He received nominations in the 2003 Arizona Music Awards and in the 2005 California Music Awards. Todd was chosen as Top Performer for Philly Rising at the esteemed World Cafe Live in 2005. His first two albums (Urban Nature, Coming Home and Todd Boston Alive) have been consistently featured on Echoes, the two-hour nightly music show heard on over 130 NPR channels and distributed by Public Radio International. Urban Nature Coming Home was voted #13 for the Best CDs of 2009 on the Echoes listeners poll. Todd Boston, Alive was chosen as the CD of the Month of October 2010 by host John Diliberto and was chosen in the top 25 Listeners Choice Awards for 2010. Read the review
Todd has worked and performed with Snatam Kaur, Tony Levin (legendary bassist of Peter Gabriel), Charlie Bisharat (Grammy Winning Violinist), Jeff Haynes (Grammy Winning Percussionist), Eugene Friesen (Grammy Winning Cellist), Deva Premal & Mitten, Manose, Tina Malia, Shimshai, Donna De Lory & Suzanne Sterling. He has performed at prominent festivals such as Wanderlust Festival Vermont and California, Earthdance, Harmony, the 2007 Mac Conference and at events featuring Joan Baez, Michael Franti, Jai Uttal, MC Yogi, Sila and the AfroFunk Experience and more. He has played at venues such as The Fillmore (SF), Marin Civic Center, XPN Studio World Cafe Live (PA) and many others.
Todd has studied North Indian Classical music with the late great maestro Ali Akbar Khan and has studied with guitar virtuoso Alex De Grassi. He has begun working on his next full length album produced with Will Ackerman (Grammy winner and Windham Hill Records Founder) due for release in 2012.
Todd Boston has been inspired by many artists, from the unique guitar stylings of Stanley Jordan and Jimi Hendrix, to the soulful playing of Eric Clapton and BB King. He has mastered alternative tuning styles in the tradition of Jimmy Page, Leo Kottke, Will Ackerman, Alex De Grassi and Michael Hedges. Todd has found inspiration in the musicianship of Bela Fleck, Victor Wooten, Ali Akbar Khan, Ravi Shankar, R. Carlos Nakai among others.
Todd believes music is healing and continues to explore the deep relationship that exists between music and movement. In addition to his live stage performances, Todd accompanies yoga classes across the U.S. in his project Live Music Yoga Flow. He is also an educator and believes that music is an important part of our communities and offers his time to schools, hospitals, institutions, and healing centers to share and spread the powerful healing effects of music.
Highlights
2003 ~ Nominated at the Arizona Music Awards with the band Maruma
2005 ~ Featured performer at XPN Studio World Cafe Live
~ Released first EP - Global Village with Ramesh Kannan
2006 ~ Nominated twice in the Southern California Music Awards
2007 ~ Moved to Bay Area to study at the Ali Akbhar College of Music
2008 ~ Self - Released record Urban Nature Coming Home
2009 ~ Urban Nature Coming home receives national radio airplay Echoes program and is distributed by Spirit Voyage Records.
~ Coming Home stays on top 25 cds charts for 7 months straight
~ Featured performer at the Earthdance Festival
with Urban Nature and Tina Malia
~ Coming Home Voted #13 on Top 25 CDs 2009 Echoes Listeners Poll
2010 ~ Produced and Released Solo album Todd Boston Alive
~ featured performer at the 2010 Wanderlust Music and Yoga Festival
~ Earthdance 2010 main stage performance
~ October CD of the month on Echoes, Todd Boston Alive
~ Chosen in Top 25 Cds of 2010 on Echoes, Todd Boston Alive
2011 ~ Begin Production of Touched by the Sun produced by Grammy Winning Artist, Windham Hill Records Founder Will Ackerman
~ The Fillmore San Francisco, Wanderlust at the Fillmore
~ Wanderlust Vermont
~ Wanderlust California
2005 ~ Featured performer at XPN Studio World Cafe Live
~ Released first EP - Global Village with Ramesh Kannan
2006 ~ Nominated twice in the Southern California Music Awards
2007 ~ Moved to Bay Area to study at the Ali Akbhar College of Music
2008 ~ Self - Released record Urban Nature Coming Home
2009 ~ Urban Nature Coming home receives national radio airplay Echoes program and is distributed by Spirit Voyage Records.
~ Coming Home stays on top 25 cds charts for 7 months straight
~ Featured performer at the Earthdance Festival
with Urban Nature and Tina Malia
~ Coming Home Voted #13 on Top 25 CDs 2009 Echoes Listeners Poll
2010 ~ Produced and Released Solo album Todd Boston Alive
~ featured performer at the 2010 Wanderlust Music and Yoga Festival
~ Earthdance 2010 main stage performance
~ October CD of the month on Echoes, Todd Boston Alive
~ Chosen in Top 25 Cds of 2010 on Echoes, Todd Boston Alive
2011 ~ Begin Production of Touched by the Sun produced by Grammy Winning Artist, Windham Hill Records Founder Will Ackerman
~ The Fillmore San Francisco, Wanderlust at the Fillmore
~ Wanderlust Vermont
~ Wanderlust California
Photgraphy by Jai Zeta Photography