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LALIT is a Sanskrit word meaning playful, desirable .... It is also the name of a newly formed group of musicians in the Pioneer Valley that started as the result of an idea by Robert Markey (sitar). Included in the group are Burrie Jenkins (guitar), Rob Terreden (percussion), and Jon Weeks (horns and woodwinds). The group formed in Spring 2009 , and began to assemble a body of music that consists of eastern and western influenced styles . While the instrumentation lends itself to a large number of more traditional Indian Ragas, complete with "alap" intros and energetic "jor" improvisations , there can be anything from a Jazz standard " Afro Blue" (w/ sitar contrapuntal improvisations against the melody) to a straight up celtic jig thrown in . The group also does original compositions in both eastern and western song forms. The idea is, "to see what can be" as stated by sitarist Robert Markey . The essence is in effect "limitlessness". __________________________________________________________________________ ROBERT MARKEY began studying guitar at age seven. As a teen ager he studied classical guitar with Allexander Bellow in New York, playing his first performance at age 17. Markey began sitar in 1974 under the teaching of Peter Row also spending time in India studing under Row's teacher, Gokul Nag, who also taught Ravi Shankar. After an extended hiatus from music to focus on sculpture and painting (http://rmarkey.blue-fox.com), he returned to the sitar and his musical expression. He now lives in Ashfield MA with his wife Julie. ___________________________________________________________________________ BURRIE JENKINS began guitar late at the age of 16 , and went on to study at Berklee college of Music for four years . Playing in many different kinds of bands including country, fifties, Irish, Jam, Rock, originals, dinner theater and styles from folk to jazz, it always comes back to the summer of love . Heavily influenced by the greats of west coast Pop culture such as The Dead, Hendix, Hot Tuna, The Airplane, Joni Mitchel, David Crosby, it just seamed very natural to transition into altered tunings and Eastern based musical styles. He is now living in Northampton MA. ___________________________________________________________________________ ROB TERREDEN studied jazz kit drumming as a young man and also played orchestral drums for a number of musical plays and light operas. Later he devoted himself exclusively to hand drums. In recent years he has performed with a variety of ensembles at the Academy of Music, in Northampton MA, the Wisteriahurst Museum in Holyoke MA, the Ardee Castle in Ireland, First Night Northampton and Laurie Boosahda's 4th of July Party. His musical tastes run to taking rhythms from North Africa, Latin America and West Africa and using them where they don't belong. He lives in South Deerfield with his wife Anne and son Jake, who plays the sax. ___________________________________________________________________________ JON WEEKS performs on flute, saxophones, wind synth, quena, congas, and small percussion. He has studied music at Berklee College of Music, Westfield State College and Holyoke Community College. Jon has performed with many latin, jazz, and rock bands up and down the East Coast such as Sol Y Canto, Orquesta Unidad, Ray Gonzalez, Jose Gonzalez, The Temptations and many others. Jon is currently teaching private lessons at Downtown Sounds and The Northampton Community Music Center. He is also director of instrumental ensembles at The Academy (Charlemont, MA). Currently he can be heard performing with Viva Quetzal, Joe Velez & Creación, Satinwood, Northside Saxophone Quartet, Changes In Latitudes and the 50's rock group Shakin' All Over.