Hailing from Maryland, in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, lead guitarist Gabriel Weiner began his musical explorations on the piano as a child, before teaching himself guitar as a teenager. During high school, Gabe developed an eclectic taste in music that ranged from bands such as Dream Theater to the Grateful Dead. Upon entering college, he began formal lessons in jazz, as well as classical music theory and composition. While in school, he was a member of several jazz improvisational groups, a big band orchestra, and he also played in the pit orchestra for musical productions. After graduating with a degree in Music, Gabe made his way to Chicago to work on a Masters in Jazz Guitar Performance at DePaul University, during which time he continued to play and record in several jazz combos and big bands, while also finding the time to jam at some of the great blues bars in the city.

 

Leaving Chicago behind in 2003, he traveled to Los Angeles to pursue his Doctorate in Musicology at the University of Southern California, where he now studies Indian classical music, Jazz History, and 20th century Western art music. As part of his studies, Gabe has also learned to play the tabla, a set of hand drums from India. He learned even more about this culture and music while he was abroad in India for 6 months in the fall/winter of 2006/2007, researching for his dissertation. His fascination with Indian music has influenced not only his compositional writing, but also his improvisational style.