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David Sait (1972), experimental guzheng artist and improviser from Brampton/Toronto, Canada records-performs on the long stringed Chinese zither (guzheng or zheng). David channels a variety of styles and disciplines crossing dysfunctional classical with non-descript avant garde and World music. Sait brings a contemporary, free spirited mentality to this ancient instrument which dates back more than 3,000 years, paying respect to it's rich history, but honoring it by searching for a unique voice. All music performed-recorded is completely improvised with only the notion that there will be a starting and ending point (no pre-planned themes, melodies, or agendas). All playing in between these two occurrences are randomly stacked, sorted and shifted on the fly. The action of playing music in borderless terrain is truly liberating and is one of the purest ways to free creativity for the player and the listener. Free improvisation works on impulses, it's intuitive music, instinctual communication, sometimes knee jerk reactions to sounds intersecting and running away from each other in the moment.

David's father, from Liverpool, England (Leon Sait) was a jazz bandleader/composer/arranger who performed in many cities around the World. He had the opportunity to arrange for and perform with many jazz greats such as Buddy Rich, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, etcetera. David's Grandmother also dedicated her life to music as a performing classical pianist (Russia). He is an active member of AIMToronto (Association of Improvising Musicians Toronto) and the Guzheng One Club (China). In performance and recording, Sait is a committed solo improviser, but also has been fortunate enough to perform/record with a cross section of artists including: Michael Keith, John Oswald, Paul Dutton, Eugene Chadbourne, Christine Duncan, Scott Thomson, Andrea Centazzo, Xu Fengxia, Mick Beck, Parmela Attariwala, David Prentice, Sarah Peebles, Allison Cameron, Anne Bourne, Glen Hall, Rainer Wiens, Eric Chenaux, Joe Sorbara, Ken Aldcroft, Gary Simkins, Colin Fisher, Germaine Liu, Friendly Rich, Gregory Oh, Mauro Savo and many more. He has also worked recently in collaboration on separate occasions with dancer Claire E. Barrett (NYC) and painter Katherine Dolgy Ludwig (NYC).

As a child his musical curiosity began to uncover a taste for playing by squawking out unusual sounds on the assortment of instruments amassed in the basement (sax, percussion, electric organ, etc). First public performance in 1980 (age 8) with the Leon Sait 18-piece Big Band under the guidance of Columbian percussionist Memo Esavedo. Over 20 years of formal/private music studies, live performance and recording experience balanced between guzheng, guitar, and invented found object instruments has helped shape a focus for new music exploration and presenting guzheng enthusiasts alternative forms of expression from this beautiful instrument.

"the young Canadian does some wonderful things on the 18-string Chinese zither….it's a set that doesn't falter for a moment and which indulges no hint of exotica......for a self-produced effort it's pretty exceptional and worth a visit" - Reviewed by: Brian Morton (WIRE Magazine)

Guzheng Music - David Sait

Sait- guzheng (18-string Chinese zither),
elec. gtr., acoustic gtr., keyboard, strumstick

"Too many records that attempt to combine musics from different countries end up cheapening, if not outright trashing, most if not all of the sources they try to fuse. Though of course there’s no such thing as a “pure” culture and I have to say that musical fusing can be one of the best things going, I’ve heard too many train wrecks or, on the other hand, aggressively shallow noodlings. Guzheng Music is more than just the exception to these tendencies. “Heat is Healing” stakes out a new territory neither east nor west and most tracks come off very well indeed. Sait glides this ancient instrument effortlessly into modern territory, or he can get subcontinent Indian, Appalachian or Celtic out of his zither in beguiling ways. There’s nothing forced here and it all comes together in a manner that usually sounds like it was always meant to be just that way. Trust me, that’s very hard to do". - Richard Grooms, The Improvisor http://www.the-improvisor.com

“beautiful work, you seem a quite extraordinary, unique improviser”
- Graham/The Good Anna ( UK )

“this is a fantastic CD! Intriguing, interesting and innovative...I love it! Once again, many thanks for this outstanding CD. Lots of comments around the station”. - Don Campau “No Pigeonholes” KKUP 91.5 ( San Francisco , USA )

“it's quite interesting then that by traveling backwards in time in his choice of instrumentation, Sait has been able to move forward in both style and sound, creating a fresh and exciting new work”.- Rik McLean/Ping Things (CANADA)

“It took me a while but your albums have really settled in with me now. They make for unique listening. There's no denying the passion you have for your music. Keep on playing and enjoying yourself!” -Simon from SITORIMON ( UK )

“This is very impressive music, very serious music.” -Ben E. Jacob ( USA )

I listened to your tunes and loved it a lot. It`s very fresh and interesting. - Xu Fengxia / Guzheng Virtuoso (GERMANY)