The band included drummer Gino Banks, pianist Arka Chakravarty, bassist Mohini Dey, singer Samantha Noella and tenor saxophonist Mark Hartsuch
Kunal Kapoor of Mumbai’s Prithvi Theatre has actually started a routine series of live jazz performances on the early morning of the last Sunday of every month. It has actually been an interesting experiment and we saw a sold-out show at the not likely jazz hour of 11 AM.
Jazz artists are infamously late risers– one dare not run the risk of calling them before twelve noon, and especially on a Sunday early morning– and to have not simply 5 leading artists from Mumbai however likewise about 150 eager audience members in participation at this hour is a testimony to how well gotten Kapoor’s undertaking has actually been. He states he enjoyed the custom of Sunday early morning jazz jam sessions at numerous Mumbai dining establishments in years passed and is attempting to revive that environment.
There are numerous aspects adding to this success. The acoustics at Prithvi are wonderful; the theater might well have actually been created for live jazz. The setting is ideal for enjoying and listening and this band was a well-chosen band of artists who worked well together.
Jazz is resistant and it is flexible; it can be utilized as a car to change a normal, uncomplicated tune into an improvised, interesting variation. Christmas tunes and carols have actually been favorites of jazz artists for developing a swinging, energetic performance.
This Christmas Eve, Rudolph (yes, the reindeer with the red nose) was running behind schedule; so he hitched on a turbo-charged V-8 engine to his sleigh and offseted wasted time. Or so it appeared when tenor saxophonist Mark Hartsuch played this Christmas preferred with enthusiasm and swing. This uptempo variation of the olden Christmas favorite was normal of the treatment provided to the typical sing-along joyful fare.
In keeping with the all acoustic setup– other than Mohini Dey’s magnified bass, the artists changed their playing with subtlety. Gino Banks played drums throughout the session utilizing just brushes while Dey had her bass magnified to a bare minimum. The noise of an upright piano in this setting was really pleasing and Arka Chakravarty had fun with a subtle touch to more raise the quality of allure.
Samantha Noella sang without a microphone. She opened the session with an unaccompanied “Holy Night.” She may have been a little disabled by the absence of amplification of her voice and was maybe a bit inaudible at the back of the auditorium.
Swing variations of “Cool Yule”, “Let it Snow”, “Winter Wonderland” and “Santa Claus is concerning Town” were all vocalized by Noella while “Merry Christmas Baby” was an intriguing sluggish blues variation– with a great blues solo on piano from Chakravarty.
“This Christmas” was a cool take on the tune and Mohini Dey remained in her aspect with the liberty to set her groove. Oh! The flexibility of jazz analyses.
Visitor pianist Louiz Banks changed Arka at the piano for “Jingle Bells” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. Louiz was welcomed by the pleased audience with a standing ovation, which is simply a testimony to his years of devoted service to jazz and the status he has actually attained from it.
Unique reference is because of the bass playing of Dey in this set of jazz; she regulated her efficiency in keeping with the acoustic setting. Sometimes she played a ‘strolling’ bass much in the design of an upright acoustic bass and her solos were melodic and downplayed. On his ‘brushes just’ drum playing, Gino sounded rather advanced. Subtle playing on drums can include a really enjoyable measurement to a jazz performance, as it did at Prithvi that early morning.
Hartsuch was likewise at his dazzling finest and he and Chakravarty are a welcome addition to the Mumbai jazz scene. Noella was, as constantly at her melodic finest, if rather hindered without a microphone.
It was completely a high requirement of jazz and ideally, we can hear more from this impressive quintet in time to come.
Sunil Sampat is a jazz critic and Contributing Editor of Rolling Stone India. Compose to Sunil at jazzwala@gmail.com