House of Waters
House of Waters
Max ZT, hammered dulcimer (Hackbrett)
Moto Fukushima, six-string bass
Juan Chiavassa, percussion
“One of the most unique groups you will ever come across . . . I can only describe their sound as being a sound which one has longed to hear without truly realising it.” (The Bubble)
“In today’s world, there are no musical boundaries,” says Max ZT of ‘House of Waters,’ a trio that makes those words come alive as they incorporate elements of West-African, jazz, psychedelic, indie rock, classical and world music into their astonishingly unique sound.
The “Jimi Hendrix of the Hammered Dulcimer” (NPR), Max ZT is an innovator of an instrument rarely heard in contemporary music. With roots in Irish folk music, Max has studied in Senegal, where he trained with the Cissoko Griot family, and India, where he studied under the santoor master Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. His unorthodox playing style has been a pioneering force in revolutionizing dulcimer techniques.
Moto Fukushima is a recognized master of the six-string bass. With a background in jazz improvisation, Western classical music and the music of South America, Moto’s playing is a combination of finesse, subtlety, and power that leaves audiences “slack-jawed in awe.” (Jazz Wise)
Drummer Juan Chiavassa mixes South-American rhythms with powerful fusion beats. Born in Buenos Aires, Juan is one of the most popular drummers in NYC playing regularly with Mike Stern, Paquito D’Rivera, and many more.
House of Waters latest album, Rising, produced by Guy Eckstine (Herbie Hancock, Chris Botti, Wayne Shorter) was released in partnership with GroundUp Music in February 2019. Their eponymous 2016 album, House of Waters was also released on Snarky Puppy’s GroundUP Music label, and debuted at #2 on the iTunes World Music Charts. All About Jazz calls it, “A rare and beautiful gem,” while TimeOut NY calls their performances, “A sight to behold.”
House of Waters has scored an Emmy-winning documentary (ESPN), and recently re-scored three 100+ year old French Dadaist-Era silent films in partnership with GroundUP Music and Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas. Having shared the stage with influential musicians
including Pandit Ravi Shankar, Victor Wooten, Tinariwen, Snarky Puppy, Karsh Kale, and more: “House of Waters is a band that is bending the very fabric of the musical universe as we know it.” (Onstage Review) to behold.”