Ron Samworth guitar, effects
Lan Tung erhu, vocals
Neelamjit Dhillon tabla, alto saxophone, flute, bansuri

Birds of Paradox is a collaboration between Ron Samworth, Lan Tung, and Neelamjit Dhillon that began in December of 2007 to explore the fusion of composition and improvisation. The unique instrumentation – erhu / voice, guitars /effects, and tabla /alto saxophone – provides a wealth of textural possibilities for these three versatile composer/performers. With Birds of Paradox, three very distinct voices and cultural backgrounds come together as a creative whole: Samworth is from Anglo/Irish roots, Dhillon: Indian, and Tung: Chinese. The traditional musics of these cultures are infinitely rich unto themselves, but the transformation and synthesis of these traditions into a contemporary expression of life in post-millennial Vancouver is what compels this group.

Vancouver is a city which has experienced extraordinary growth and significant demographic shifts since the 1970s. The incredible cultural diversity of the city makes a group like this a natural collaboration, but as a subtext, rather than a deliberate intercultural initiative. The trio employs elements of jazz, improvised music, and traditional Chinese and Indian music with a view to creating a discourse that is simply their collective expression.