Jonathan Mayer: sitar
Justin Quinn: guitar
Neil Craig: tabla

The Teak Project represents a collaboration between three of Britain's finest young improvisers. These musicians have come together simply to make their own music, unfettered by the structures of defined categories like 'jazz' or 'Hindustani classical'. In doing so they have drawn from their own wealth of experiences and created a space in which to let their instruments breathe.

Son of the legendary composer and co-founder of Indo-Jazz Fusions John Mayer, Jonathan Mayer started learning sitar from Clem Alford (the first ever European sitar player) at the age of 16 and later from Subroto Roy Chowdhury of Senia Gharana and Wajahat Khan (direct descendant of Mia Tansen the Great Musician, one of the nine jewels in the Moghul Court of Emperor Akbar). He has played with artists such as Dave Stewart, The Smith String Quartet, The Bingham String Quartet, Kumar Bose, Shiv Shankar Ray, Ashok Dutta, Erich Gruenburg, Rohan De Sarem, The Dub Pistols, John Wilson, Sarah Brightman, I Musici Fiamminghi Orchestra, and Sir Paul McCartney.

Neil Craig has performed in many musical contexts throughout his career, including orchestral, avant-garde and traditional Hindusthani music. After graduating from the Western Australian Conservatorium of Music in Perth, his native city, he played with various orchestras and ensembles worldwide. Trained in Latin percussion, Neil went on to study tabla in Benares, India, and later in London under renowned tabla player, Pandit Sharda Sahai. Neil can be heard on The Christian Garrick Quartet's album FLY 3 and recently toured with the augmented version of this band, the Firewire Ensemble. His third album with Deva is soon to be released.

Justin Quinn: member of F-ire collective, please refer to the Biographies section.

Press
Justin Quinn
"a startlingly fresh and deeply individual talent" Mojo
"a rising star in London's jazz and improvised music scene" Jazz Views

Jonathan Mayer
"astonishingly virtuosic" Classic CD
"exhilarating solos from Jonathan on Sitar" The Times

Neil Craig
"formidable… tabla maestro Neil Craig beautifies" www.jazzcds.co.uk
"Australian tabla player Neil Craig adds further richness" Jazzwise

Recordings
Debut album due for release in 2007 on F-IRE label.