There are guitar players, and then there are guitar players. Fareed Haque is of the later category, a virtuoso. Fareed enjoys a career that spans the spectrum of musical styles. He plays acoustic and electric guitar, sitar and even plays a hybrid guitar/sitar. The Fareed Haque Group, equipped with a DJ and a tabla player, has been described as a "tantric meditation." With diverse cultural and musical influences, Fareed Haque Group is opening new doors with a completely fresh approach to cosmic music that grooves. Moving easily between jazz and classical guitar, Fareed's versatility has created a demand for him with prominent jazz and classical artists including Medeski, Martin and Wood, Sting, Joe Zawinul, Cassandra Wilson, Leste Bowie, Dave Holland, Robert Walter, Carl Denson, Kahil el Zabar, Defunckt, and Ramsey Lewis. Born in 1963 to Pakistani father and Chilean mother, extensive travels, especially long stays in Spain, France, Iran, Pakistan and Chile, exposed Haque to different musics from a very early age. This natural eclecticism has become the hallmark of Fareed's music. "One of Chicago's most versatile musicians and the main man of Garaj Mahal, guitar great Fareed Haque is adept at modern jazz, Indian music, funk, jam-band rock, classical concertos -- you name it. This time he brings his cross-cultural Fareed Haque Group, a cutting-edge jazz band that's just as likely to rock or raga. Imagine "Mahavishnu Orchestra playing a dance party," he suggests." The Big Gigs, Tom Surowicz, Minneapolis Star Tribune Tickets on sale NOW from Cedar Ticketline (612-338-2674 ext 2), Cedar outlets and Ticketweb $12 advance $15 day of show