This is a traditional melody from Armenia that Derek first heard on the album Near Eastern Ride (Amazon, iTunes) by Ara Topouzian. It's listed there as "Soorch Bar", the name of the dance that goes with it (literally "coffee dance"). This is also the term that some people use for the 10/8 rhythm (3+2+2+3) the song is in (more commonly known as "jurjuna" or "curcuna").
The melody used in this piece was originally taught to Derek and his brother Matt Wright (along with many fellow students) at the Lark in the Morning music camp in Mendocino, CA by Ernie Fischbach, David Brown and Brian Steeger. None of them knew a title for it, but all the students loved it. They were only able to refer to it as the "Long Afghan melody in Major, 7/8". That got shorted to "LAM7" and the name stuck.
Original composition by Derek Wright, created in Topanga, CA with David Bergeaud on 2014-01-29.
Recorded as a live trio (oud, tabla, flute) by Hussain Jiffry at his studio in Tarzana, CA on 2014-05-02.
The cümbüş bağlama saz track was recorded by Derek Wright in Seattle, WA on 2014-07-19.
The name comes from a Eugene Debs quote: "When I rise it will be with the ranks, not from the ranks". The song is based on a drum arrangement Derek learned from Nininho of Maracatu Badia called "Subindo a Ladeira", which is Portuguese for "climbing the hill". The struggle for a new society of justice, equality, liberation, love, compassion, sustainability, and peace can at times seem like an extremely tall mountain to climb. It can even feel like we'll never get there.
Multi-instrumentalist: oud, saz, Brazilian percussion (maracatú, other rhythms from Pernambuco, various forms of samba), body music, bass, Middle Eastern percussion, and more. 10 years studying North Indian classical music on the oud and voice interwoven with 15 years studying Brazilian music and dance (including 5 trips to Brazil for a total of 1 year of training) have given Derek a unique approach to music, rhythm, dance accompaniment, improvisation, movement, teaching, and life.
Derek is available for performances, dance collaborations, recording sessions, teaching, licensing, live accompaniment (films, plays, classes, etc), acting, and many other creative possibilities. He is also a certified practitioner and instructor of BREEMA (a bodywork method bringing body and mind together in harmony) and incorporates embodied mindfulness into his teaching and playing.