About the Jamrok Tabla Site
The Jamrok Tabla site–“Jamrok” my last name, Randall Jamrok; “tabla” a drum from Northern India–exists to share my tabla ideas with the tabla community in a 21st-Century World.
I am just a common tabla player, inspired to forever pursue the deep ocean of tradition of tabla by my Guruji, Pt. Samir Chatterjee. I hope to share my love for tabla and Hindustani Classical music and the pursuit of creativity and improvisation for the potential enjoyment of whomever comes across this site. One of my favorite aspects of tabla is creating new compositions and variations, and creating compositions and tehais in unique taals. The purpose of this site is to share my compositions and performances and interpretations of traditional compositions. This site will be my platform to share one composition/video/recording per month.
Randall Jamrok Bio
Randall Jamrok is an up-and-coming tabla player in the Hindustani classical music tradition. He is from an Indiana suburb of Chicago and is dedicated to the vibrant Chicago Indian classical music scene. Randall began his studies of tabla on February 24, 1999 in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY with Pt. Samir Chatterjee of the Farrukhabad Gharana.
He has performed with Indian Classical musicians including the late Pandit Ramesh Mishra on sarangi, bansuri Maestro Steve Gorn, harmonium Maestro Nalin Moolji, sitar players Maestro Aloke Dasgupta and Daisy Paradis, sarodist Pramantha Tagore, vocalists Jai Savani, and Rev. Father M.P. George (Director of the Shruti School of Liturgical Music in Kottayam, Kerala, India), the International Vocal Ensemble at Indiana University Bloomington directed by Mary Goetze, and the Chhandayan student tabla ensemble performing at Lincoln Center directed by Pt. Samir Chatterjee. Randall has also performed recitals as a soloist. Randall has put much attention to the development of his tonality and clarity on the tabla, which is a hallmark of the Farrukhabad Gharana and a goal which his guru has guided him towards.
As a drum set player, Randall has performed throughout the US and internationally, including a tour in China. Randall is an active accompanist and soloist in the Chicago metro area. He is currently a music teacher in the Chicago area.
Randall attended Manhattan School of Music for jazz drum set studies and completed his Masters of Music Education at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington Indiana. Randall has studied tabla in New York City in the US, in Delhi and Kolkata in India, with Pt. Samir Chatterjee and Shailendra Mishra.
Randall’s other interests and qualifications include the design science of Permaculture–a field in which Randall holds two certifications and practices in Chicago–and he has previously served as the elected General Secretary-Treasurer of the Industrial Workers of the World.
Randall lives on Chicago’s South Side with his wife Theresa and son and is part of the Chicago-area Hindustani Classical Music Meetup group as well as a Tabla Meetup group, and regularly performs and records with Chicago-area artists. He is available for concerts, educational workshops, and beginner student lessons with a unique teaching approach.
Jamrok Tabla 