Compass Trio

Compass is a trio that brings an original compositional voice to the three musicians’ collective experience and expertise - Indian raga and tala, the art of flamenco, jazz harmony, and deep groove.

The rhythmic form of North Indian music known as theka is a uniquely sophisticated container for exploring time and polyrhythm. Separated by hundreds of years and countless migrations, of the Gitano diaspora throughout present day Middle East and Europe we find the same concepts in new forms through the Spanish compás. This musical connection through history and culture is referenced in the name Compass; both a tool to find one’s way home as well as that which structures time in music, another form of finding “home”. Compass Trio is comprised of guitar (James Labrosse), tabla (Tripp Dudley), and sitar (Galen Passen) and integrates these deeper connections of tradition and music into its interweaving forms, reflections and improvisations. Each piece is a truly original creation, borne out of our own individual creative expressions while being deeply rooted in the extensive traditions that we have studied.