Mike's Oud Forums

Al Gardner Bardezbanian

Amos - 11-10-2006 at 05:09 PM

Hello everyone,
It is with a very sad heart that I inform all of you that oud virtuoso Al Gardner Bardezbanian passed away today at his home in Bath, Maine. I was just with him yesterday, and this is very unexpected. Al's passion for the oud, kindness of heart, and dedication to the science and art of music touched many lives and he will be very badly missed. He was my teacher and friend. He is survived by his wife.
Regards to everyone,
Amos

with my heart

Ararat66 - 11-10-2006 at 05:13 PM

I'm sorry to hear that with all my heart

Leon

Jonathan - 11-10-2006 at 05:19 PM

I never had the pleasure of meeting Al face to face, but we did share several emails over the past months which I treasure. His warmth of spirit came accross, and he was somebody that I looked forward to meeting some day.
His knowledge of the oud was encyclopedic, and he was happy at all times to share that knowledge.
I know that in his most recent email to me he mentioned recording a new cd, but I do not know if he actually got in to the studio to do any of the recording or not.

I hope that somebody can post some more tracks off of his cd. His Shataraban Pesrev was hauntingly beautiful. On songs with a fast tempo, he was amazingly accurate, and soulful (Hygagan Bar, for example). Since hearing of his passing, though, I find myself drawn more and more to his recording of Yeraz, a melancholy Armenian song meaning, simply, Dream. Every note is perfection. His playing was a lot different than Mgrdichian's, but I can't help but make the comparison, because they both found such depth in the music, and allowed the listener to be carried away to a completely different world. The track is brilliant, and, I think, a fitting way to remember this gentle giant of a man.



Every day is a gift.

Jameel - 11-10-2006 at 05:29 PM

NO!!! Are you kidding me!!??

SamirCanada - 11-10-2006 at 06:12 PM

Sad to hear about that. He was a great embassador for the oud in the USA.
Condoleances to his family and many friends. May god help them in this most difficult time.

Jameel - 11-10-2006 at 08:12 PM

I haven't contacted Al's family yet to offer my condolences, but I would echo Jonathan's sentiments exactly. I never met Al in person, but I corresponded with him for the last 4 years. He originally sent me a short note when I started my very first oud project. And since then he's been a real inspiration and friend in the oud. His enthusiasm for this instrument has motivated me on many ocassions. Not to mention his enthusiasm for the music in general. He was a master of the oud, kanun, clarinet, hammond organ, and probably many other instruments I don't know about. My second oud was based largely on a Nahat owned by Al, and he was quite proud that I used his oud for my project prototype. Indeed, I couldn't have built it without his input and advice. I'll always be indebted to Al. May God rest his soul.

Amos - 11-10-2006 at 09:28 PM

thank you for your sympathy everyone. jonathan, i am attaching the song you mentioned, 'yeraz' for you and for everyone to hear Al's lovely and delicate playing.
all the best,
amos

Goodbye Al

spyrosc - 11-10-2006 at 11:38 PM

I never met Al personally myself, but we had a short e-mail exchange, at the end of which he sent me, totally out of the goodness of his heart, his CD. That's the kind of guy he was, God rest his soul. I kept meaning to send him something back as thanks but you know how we keep procrastinating some times. Who would have thought !

His musical viruosity has been mentioned by all of you so I don't have to repeat it. His music was awsome. It touched all of us with Middle Eastern sensitivities, Armenians, Greeks, Arabs, Turks, you name it.

Maybe we shouldn't be posting his music here, so that more people would buy his CDs and help the family that way.

He will be lovingly remembered.

Spyros C.

Al's music

Ararat66 - 11-11-2006 at 01:03 AM

How can we get hold of Al's music - I've looked online and can't find any. I would love any cd by him especially now we need to keep his beautiful, soulful, music alive.

Best wishes

Leon

Jonathan - 11-11-2006 at 01:46 AM

Spyrosc--I understand how you feel. I never post anything that is available commercially. But, that cd of Al's is out of print, and impossible to find. So, posting it really doesn't deprive anybody of any revenue.

RA_Oud - 11-11-2006 at 04:58 AM

Sorry to hear of his passing..

jshead - 11-11-2006 at 05:22 AM

I met Al a couple of times and, of course, heard him perform. As people say, he was generous and loved very much the music and the oud. A great loss for anyone who loves the music of the oud.

Mike - 11-11-2006 at 10:23 AM

This is really very sad news. I don't recall hearing that he was sick, and actually knew that Jameel was just recently restoring some of his instruments. So this must have just come out of nowhere. I too had some correspondence with him early on in the development of the website, and he was nothing but encouraging and supportive to say the least. One could tell that he was an all and all great guy. Our sincerest condolences go to his family. We hope that knowing that he is in a much better place will provide them with the comfort and peace of mind needed to get through this difficiult time.

samzayed - 11-12-2006 at 02:57 AM

This news really upset me. I got to know Al at the 2005 Simon Shaheen retreat. Of all the amazing people I met there, I was really touched by him. He was such a sweet, kind, inspiring person. Since it was my first retreat, I was so overwhelmed, but Al was always there to keep my spirits up.

The best way I know how to pay tribute to this amazing soul is to post my recordings of his "Oud Clinic" class at the retreat. There is a lot of valuable information on these tracks - he was so knowledgable and generous with his talent. His last name was "Gardner" - he most certainly planted his kindness and talent to all those around him.

Rest in peace ya Ustaz Al . . .

http://sonicsahra.com/mp3/Al%20Garder/
Right click and Save As, to your computer.

Alan - 11-12-2006 at 08:44 AM

I also had the pleasure of meeting Al at Simon's retreat in 2000. Very kind and warm hearted man as well as incredible talented musician. Condolences to his family and friends. The oud world has just lost another gem.

Amos - 11-12-2006 at 04:30 PM

Hi everyone,
Your words of condolence and admiration for Al have been wonderful. I was at the Connecticut Kef this weekend, and I was able to talk to Richard about Al and his passing. Master oudmaker Peter Kyvelos was there, and we all stood at the hotel bar talking about what an amazing musician and kind human being Al was...Eric LaPerna, Al's percussionist for 7 years and my bandmate for 12, asked Richard if he could dedicate a song to Al, and Richard asked if Al had a favorite. We both answered instantly, 'Sirdus Vera Kar Ma Ga' by Udi Hrant Kenkulian. Al loved the song dearly, and often played it in dedication to his own late teacher, the master Kanuni Esber Coprucu. Richard played the song beautifully and kept playing until 3:30 am. It seemed the fitting way to mark Al's loss...he was so passionate about the dance aspect of Armenian and Anatolian music. In his mind, the perfect performance always involved lots of people dancing. I could feel Al there with us.
When I get any information about funeral or memorial arrangements, I will make it available, depending on what Al's wife and family decide to do.
All the best to everyone,
Amos

oudplayer - 11-12-2006 at 04:53 PM

hey all

I never even heard of Al and after you guys talked abotu him i feel like i knew him personaly. i am sorry to hear what happaned but i know everythign happans for the best.
we are with you AL.
thx sammy

Jameel - 11-12-2006 at 06:49 PM

Amos,

Thanks for sharing that with us. It was kind of you to take the time.

Brian Prunka - 11-13-2006 at 11:41 AM

I was shocked and saddened to hear this news.
I met Al for the first time at the 2001 Arabic Music Retreat, and every year it was a pleasure to be able to see him again and experience his music, his generosity and his amazing personality. He was a unique person whose absence will be sorely missed. I wish I had more recordings of his playing, it was inspiring and beautiful.

jimrrjim - 11-13-2006 at 03:01 PM

I met Al some 20+ years ago when he was a martial arts instructor and, if I remember correctly, a bassist. We connected in our love for Mingus and I have watched from a distance as Al became more and more interested in the oud and Arabic music. I was lucky enough to hear him perform dozens of times over the years and, though we were never more than passing aquaintances, his passing will leave a huge hole in the music scene in the region. ..and clearly from the comments before... far beyond.

Al Gardner

Hestiabhn - 11-13-2006 at 07:23 PM

I knew Al as "Sensei Al"--the beloved martial arts teacher of my grandson. He was a big man with a big spirit and huge enthusiasm for all he did. He truly inspired the children who came to his dojo in Bath.

I did not know his musical side--and am now very remorseful that I missed his recent concert. After listening to "Yeraz" I am very eager to buy his CD. Does anyone know his wife? I wonder if she would consider re-releasing it. Yeraz is utterly beautiful.

Amos - 11-13-2006 at 07:39 PM

Hestiabhn,
It is great to hear from one of Al's many martial arts students on this forum. I know that he was a dynamic and powerful practicioner of martial arts and his students must feel empty without him.
Eric LaPerna is dedicating himself to ensuring that Al's music gets released widely...along with Al's students and family we will make sure this happens. it is too early to talk details but much work will be done to make certain that Al's recorded music and his completed compositions be made available to musicians and scholars. His works are masterworks and should be played and studied as much as possible...there is initial talk of a memorial service in early december, so I will let you all know as I do.
I already miss him so much.
thanks all,
amos

Sensei Al

Tengu - 11-14-2006 at 10:02 AM

Hello all, my name is David Hills. I was a student of Al and I have been charged with seeing to the continuation of his school. With the help of an army of people that loved him I will see this done. We will not let him down.

I see that many of you would like to get a hold of some of his music. I have found at the Dojo several boxes of his CD's. His widow has requested that we set up the "Al Gardener Memorial Scholarship fund for Music and Martial arts” We plan on distributing these CD's with the proceeds going to that fund as well as accepting donations at the memorial PARTY!! that he requested. I will hop on here and leave the details on when and where as soon as we know. I can't say how quickly it can be done (the CD's) but if you would like one of these send me an e-mail and I will send you a note when we are ready the address is "wuhsing@wuhsing.net"

Jonathan - 11-14-2006 at 10:20 AM

Just a thought--
I am sure that there must be a lot of recordings of Al's lying around. It would be nice if somebody could compile some of his unreleased material, and put out a cd of it. The proceeds could go to his wife, and/or the fund.

Tengu - 11-14-2006 at 10:33 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Jonathan
Just a thought--
I am sure that there must be a lot of recordings of Al's lying around. It would be nice if somebody could compile some of his unreleased material, and put out a cd of it. The proceeds could go to his wife, and/or the fund.


This is a good Idea. Susan (his widow) is having me go through his files to extract the Martial arts stuff. I can tell you that there are many, many music files on there as well. I am not sure who will do it or when it will be done but I am sure that it will be done. I will ask Susan tonight what her thoughts on this are and who among his music friends the task should go to.

David

Radio Special

charanguero - 11-14-2006 at 10:36 AM

My name is Andrew Reissiger and I am a guitarist/charango player and radio producer. A dear friend of mine used to work at the Center for Cultural Exchange in Portland Maine and knew Al. From his stories, and sharing CDs like 'From Kef to Classical' and 'Orientalism', I too have grown to know and love Al's music. I produce a radio show called World Tour that airs statewide in Georgia. I would like to dedicate this weeks show to Al. If anyone who knows him would like to share some thoughts about any aspect of the life of Alan Shavarsh, please feel free to write something and send it to me at dromedary@earthlink.net. Stories, memories, recordings, conversations, a poem ... anything. I think this show could possibly be aired in Maine and elsewhere. The show will air Sunday at 4pm and I need to have all my materials in the next 36 hours so that I can finish editing and submit the show Friday afternoon. Thank you.
Hello Amos ... remember Dromedary?

Brian Prunka - 11-14-2006 at 11:38 AM

Hey Andrew,
Good to see you on this board. Not sure if you remember, I'm Rob's friend--we split a bill in NYC a while back (over a year ago . . .).

-Brian

Radio Show

charanguero - 11-14-2006 at 12:03 PM

Hey Brian,
i do remember you. I hope you are well. Here is my idea for this show. I'm working with Ryan McMaken from the Center for Cultural Exchange on some of this. The general breakdown of the show would be as follows:

1min - intro
5min - song
25min - music and bio, themes of Turkey/Armenia
15min - reOrientalism collaboration, themes of Islamic World and Western World
13min - teaching, words from his students and perhaps some music from his students

Some great audio from one of his classes at the Arabic Music Camp is available via this forum. I'd like to establish a story arc that links Esber Kuprucu, Alan, and Al's students across 3 generations. I have access to "From Kef to Classical" and "ReOrientalism" as well as a few tunes by Udi Hrant. I can't find anything by Esber Kuprucu.

Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated as I'm under a deadline for turning the show in by Friday afternoon.

Andrew

charanguero - 11-14-2006 at 02:04 PM

Can anyone add to this? Birthdate? When his family immigrated to the U.S.? Some history about the Dance Hall scene?

Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian was born into an Armenian family in Massachussetts in 1951. As a child he taught himself how to play the Oud and by the time he was a teenager, he had mastered the Armenian dance hall repertoire. In a move highly unusual for an Armenian, he sought out the great Turkish kanun master Esber Kuprucu, to whom he apprenticed from 1977 until his recent death…mastering the complex system of makam, Turkish classical music.

Jameel - 11-16-2006 at 06:00 AM

Al's wife sent this obituary yesterday. I though it would be of interest to post it.

If anyone is interested in making a donation to the Scholarship fund, I would be willing to consolidate the funds into a paypal account and forward them to the fund on behalf of the Mikeouds online community. The deadline would be sometime before the memoral service occurs in order to send the funds by that time (Dec. 2). I still have to clear this with Mike, but I'm sure he will be all for it. I'll post some info later this morning.

Amos - 11-16-2006 at 07:45 AM

Hi everyone,
Thanks Jameel for letting everyone know about Al's Scholarship Fund and posting his obituary. Anyone interested in contributing should send donations to : Al Gardner Scholarship Foundation, c/o First Federal Savings and Loan, PO Box 488 Bath, Maine 04530.
Al's wishes were to have a party in his memory, and we hope to do him proud. The memorial party is scheduled for Sunday, December 3rd at the Hyde School gymnasium in Bath, Maine from 9am to 1pm. There will be plenty of music, just like Al would have wanted.
Al's martial arts students have been monitoring this thread overflowing with love for Al, and it just so wonderful to have this forum to share the grief of his loss. Thank you to Mike and to everyone for being here during this time.
Sincerely,
Amos

barbt - 11-16-2006 at 01:03 PM

I have just stumbled upon this message board while searching for information about Al, having just heard about his passing today. For those of you in the greater Portland, Maine area, Jackie Nice on WMPG (90.9 FM) will be dedicating her Sunday show "Eastern Sands Radio" to Al this week, December 19, 3:30-5 pm. I'll be there with her as I have some stories to relate. This is such a sad event for music. Thank you for sending the information about the party. May we pass that along to our listeners? I will certainly be playing his music on my show on Wednesday (10:30am-noon) as well.

In the late 90's I had the wonderful opportunity to write and perform music for a play that was produced at the Oak St. Theater, called Pushing Through, in Portland (sadly, the theater is no longer there). It was a play that dealt with women in two families (ficticious, but based on real experiences). One Palestinian, one Israeli. It was an incredible learning experience for me both musically and historically. During the process I went to visit Al at his home to get a crash course on Middle Eastern music - enough so to get the flavor I needed for the show. I had/have listened to and programmed the music for years (and now play it a bit), but it was so helpful to hear him speak about it. He was so gracious and fun to meet with and helped me out tremendously. He never saw the show, but I did give him a video tape, and he was complimentary about what I had accomplished. A relief for this white, suburban American! Anyway, it was an experience I've held close to my heart for many years.

Thanks all for your comments - it's been a helpful read.

barbt - 11-16-2006 at 01:05 PM

Forgot to sign that last post!

Barb Truex

mavrothis - 11-16-2006 at 02:24 PM

I'm very sorry to hear about the loss of this great musician and human being. May he rest in peace.

Sincerely,

mavrothis

jshead - 11-18-2006 at 11:34 AM

From the Portland, Maine Newspaper

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alan S. Gardner, 56

WEST BATH -- Alan S. Gardner, 56, of West Bath, died suddenly on Thursday evening, Nov. 9, at Mid Coast Hospital of heart failure. He was the husband of Suzan Steer, with whom he shared over 35 years of marriage and friendship.
Born on March 2 1950, in Lynn, Mass., he was the son of Alfred Gardner and the late Alice Mooradian Gardner. He attended Swampscott High School in Massachusetts, and Kent's Hill School and then Bates College on a football scholarship.
After his junior year at Bates, Al took a year to study composition and arranging at the Berklee College of Music. He founded and led the Bates College Big Band, and was musical director and conductor for the Bates College Theater Orchestra. He graduated from Bates in 1973, with a major in theater and minors in religion, art history, and music. While at Bates, he studied composition with Professor Elliott Schwartz of Bowdoin College.
Al's Armenian grandparents were born during the Ottoman Empire in Anatolia and Syria. In 1977, Al began studying the Turkish Makam system of composition under the tutelage of master musician, Esber Koprucu, a relationship that continued until Mr. Koprucu's death in 2003.
Considered a virtuoso of the oud and a master of the G clarinet, Al was a popular performer at the Maine Center for Cultural Exchange and other venues. His band, the Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian Middle Eastern Ensemble, played Armenian, Arabic, Greek, and original music from both the folk and classical traditions. His recent CD, From Kef to Classical, won wide critical acclaim. He was also director of the Bowdoin College Middle East Ensemble and a faculty member at the Arabic Music Retreat at Mount Holyoke College.
Al was the commissioned composer for ReOrientalism which received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, the New England Foundation for the Arts, and the LEF Foundation. This marked the first time an Armenian composer was commissioned to compose Peshrevs and Semais (classical Middle Eastern forms) since the Ottoman Empire. He was an
artist in residence at the New World Theatre's Play Developmental Laboratory and was a featured artist at the National Folk Festival produced by the National Council for the Traditional Arts.
An accomplished professional martial arts instructor for over 31 years, Al began studying both Karate and Kung Fu in 1963. He was full contact Kuo Shu champion in 1968 and 1969, and was honored as Cultural Athlete of the Year by the Chinese Embassy. Al held the titles of Renshi Shihan Kaiden and the rank of 8th Dan in Shotokan Karate-Do and 3rd Dan in Hakko Ryu and Jui Jitsu. He also held the titles of SiGung (teacher of teachers) in the Kung Fu arts of Tai Chi , Pakua and Hsing-I, and the title of Sifu (instructor) in Wing Chun.
Al served as martial arts instructor at Bates and Bowdoin Colleges and at Harvard University along with teaching various police departments in Maine and Massachusetts. He also served on the board of directors for a number of national organizations and was Assistant Director of the National Martial Arts Association.
Al established Wu Hsing Shan on Front St., in Bath, in 1975, as a traditional Japanese and Chinese martial arts school, where he has taught martial arts to hundreds of area children and adults. In a tribute to Al, his students have vowed to continue the school and its tradition of teaching self defense, physical and spiritual well-being, and character development.
In addition to his wife and his father, he is survived by several cousins; brother and sister-in-laws, Michele and Joel Mann of Castine, Eric and Becky Rolfson of Albion, Lynn Boulger of Blue Hill; and his adored nieces and nephews Sotherd Steer, Matthew and John Rolfson, and Morgan <b>rooster</b>burn.
A memorial service will be held at 9 a.m., Sunday, Dec. 3, at Hyde School in Bath. A celebration of Al's life will follow the service.

The family requests that memorial contributions be made to:

The Al Gardner Scholarship Foundation
Care of
First Federal Savings & Loan
P.O. Box 488
Bath, Maine 04530
__._,_.___

Oudchi - 11-18-2006 at 09:07 PM

To All of Al's Family and Friends,

Once upon a time a long time ago, my shop door opened and in walked Al Bardezbanian Gardner with an oud for repair. We talked about our love of ouds and music and of players past and present. Hours drifted by. A friendship ensued which has lasted for more than three decades.

Al had a way of capturing your soul. Something intangible in his persona always made you feel good. From that first meeting and the hundreds of meetings and telephone calls, the shared life experiences, our trials and tribulations, I felt he was more of a brother to me, than just a friend. Al felt that way too. I'm sure most of us felt the electricity, the warmth and sincerety of this very special person. When he would call, and say he'd be down to see me or whenever the opportunity came up for us to get together, excitement filled the air. I knew I was going to have a great day.

All of us, who have been priviledged to have known him even for a short time, have been blessed. That's evident from the many beautiful responses I have read. I'm devasted at the loss of my friend. No longer will we sit and joke or enjoy a good cigar together.

My ears hunger for his high pitched, explosive voice saying "Hi Ya Pal". But I know that when life gets me down, I will always think fondly of Al and I will feel good all over once again. Although his life was short, the memory of Al will sustain us when we're down, his teachings will guide us and his friendship will endure.

As I write this, I'm puffing on a stogie, drinking a little port, as Al and I had done so often. I lift my glass and give a toast to Al, my Brother "As long as life and memory last, I will remember you"!

Peter S. Kyvelos

Jameel - 11-19-2006 at 05:24 AM

Dear Peter,

How thoughtful of you to write such personal and touching words about Al. I only knew his voice for a few years, but I agree, I miss it too. It's also a real honor, and I'm speaking for many people here, to have you participate here. Your contribution is valued.

vin - 11-19-2006 at 09:36 AM

Hi friends & family of Al,
we agree this is great how we can continue to honor Al and his music.
we would like to give those interested a link to WBAR Barnard College radio show, "Oriental Moods." This is an archive of a show broadcast on July 18th, 2005 which features tracks from Al's album, from Kef to Classical. Al's music starts about 50min into the show.
the link:

http://www.wbar.org/playlist.php?dowhat=continueshow&instanceid...

and a short Video clip that was taken of Al playing live in 2005, he was accompanied by tim o'keefe on percussion. you can watch this video at this link below:

http://www.missiononmars.com/AL%20OUD%202005%20MVI_0535.AVI

Al he brought his knowledge, patience, and great spirit to all who came in contact with him.
he was a great teacher as well as a great musician, and we will not forgot him.
sincerely,
vin
A.P.

Greg - 11-19-2006 at 07:08 PM

It has been noted elsewhere in this thread that there is to be a Memorial service for Al in Bath on 3rd December.

There has been a request for musicians, who wish to play at the memorial service, to make contact by way of the memorial website at:
http://www.bardezbanian.com/for_musicians.html

Greg

David Parfitt - 11-23-2006 at 08:35 AM

Reading the obituary above, I find it amazing that one person could have achieved so much in such a relatively short life. An inspiration to us all - may he rest in peace.

David