Product Description Anjali by Michael Mandrell and Benjy Wertheimer Review "Benjy Wertheimer and Michael Mandrell are world-class musicians who will rock your heart and move your soul." -- -John Friend, Anusara Yoga founderBenjy Wertheimer and Michael Mandrell are world-class musicians who will rock your heart and move your soul. -- John Friend, founder of Anusara Yoga About the Artist A founding member of the internationally acclaimed Ancient Future world fusion music ensemble, Benjy Wertheimer has studied Indian classical music for over 25 years with some of the greatest masters of that tradition (including Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain, Ali Akbar Khan and Z.M. Dagar.) His 2002 release Circle of Fire was #1 on the New Age Voice radio charts in November 2002. An award-winning songwriter, composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist (playing tabla, congas, percussion, esraj, guitar and keyboards), Benjy tours frequently with Krishna Das and has toured the US, Canada and Japan with renowned bamboo flute master G.S. Sachdev. He has opened for such artists as Carlos Santana, Paul Winter and Narada Michael Walden. For over 5 years, Benjy scored music for the internationally syndicated NBC series Santa Barbara. He has recorded with numerous artists on such labels as A & M, Windham Hill, Narada, Nippon Phonogram, Rounder and Global Pacific, and was a contr! ibuting composer/member of the Zakir Hussain Rhythm Experience (along with Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead). As Public Radio International's Echoes host John Diliberto put it in an interview: "Michael Mandrell is the acoustic guitar player infusing his original melodies with Indian scales and a Celtic lilt." Michael honed his open-tuning guitar craft in the early 80's on the Texas folk circuit, performing with and opening for many prominent and upcoming artists such as Nancy Griffith, Lyle Lovett, John Gorka, Kate Wolf, Spyro Gyra, California Guitar Trio, William Ackerman, Shadow Fax, Townes Van Zandt and Robert Mirabal. Michael has been touring nationally, playing solo as well as with Benjy Wertheimer and many others.
