4 months ago
1
If you thought jazz and Hindustani classical were connected antithetic philharmonic spectrums, Music – The Harvest Horn of Plenty, could springiness you intermission for thought. This performance is simply a collaborative effort betwixt Boston-based Phil Scarff and MoonArra, a satellite fusion ensemble successful Bengaluru founded by Jagadeesh MR and Madhuri Jagadeesh.
To recognize however this antithetic philharmonic confederation came about, The Hindu MetroPlus spoke to Phil Scarff, who was successful Guwahati earlier his performance successful the city.
Phil Scarff began playing the saxophone erstwhile helium was astir 11, gravitating towards jazz groups earlier moving to Boston for gigs with like-minded musicians. There, helium met Warren Senders, a jazz musician, who had been playing Hindustani euphony for years. Smitten arsenic helium was by this caller sound, Phil says helium could not ever travel Warren’s directions.
“His instructions for improvisation were intriguing and challenging to execute, and I couldn’t ever comprehend them. I realised aboriginal his instructions were derived from raag grammar.”
In the pre-internet era, Phil says helium continued his acquisition listening to LPs and attending the fistful of Hindustani concerts which took spot successful Boston astatine the time. “Around 1984, Warren organised an ensemble that included the sitar and tabla; helium played drawstring bass, and I, the soprano saxophone. We were joined by Steve Gorn who played the bansuri.”
Phil Scarff | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
As soon arsenic helium heard Steve play, Phil says helium decided, to undertake an in-depth survey of Hindustani music. He began his acquisition nether Kalpana Mazumdar, a Hindustani vocalist successful Boston earlier coming to India to larn from starring sunri creator Pt. Suryakant Khaladkar. “The sunri, overmuch similar the shehnai are akin to the sax, making it a bully exemplary from which to larn however to play this genre of music.”
He continued his studies with vocalist Pt. Shreeram Devasthali, and aboriginal connected with shehnai maestro Pt. Shyamrao Lonkar. “In betwixt my trips to India, I started studying with Peter Row, a sitarist successful Boston. Being a Western instrumentalist who had learnt Hindustani music, helium could explicate concepts successful ways I could recognize better.”
In 1987, Phil enactment unneurotic an ensemble that combined jazz, Hindustani, and euphony from West Africa. “I wanted to instrumentality these 3 traditions and harvester them. Tabla creator Jerry Leake, bassist Mike Rivard and myself started arsenic a trio. Today, Natraj and the Lewis Porter-Phil Scarff Group is simply a quintet, with the 3 of us, the founding members, inactive there.”
The years went by and Phil was invited to contiguous a full-fledged Hindustani performance successful Kohlapur successful 2008. “Though I had doubts astir the turnout, I realised it was a large opportunity. I had adjacent to 3 months to hole and was shocked erstwhile I came retired to execute to a packed location of 250.”
Phil’s show was highly appreciated, earning him recurring invites to concerts successful India. Around 8 years ago, helium became acquainted with the Bangalore School of Music and MoonArra.
“I judge this is different signifier of one’s education: playing successful concerts and collaborating with assorted artistes. Though successful India, I usually execute astatine Hindustani concerts oregon jugalbandis with Carnatic artistes, my sets with MoonArra volition mostly comprise fusion pieces based connected raags.”
MoonArra is signaling an medium of archetypal songs written and composed by Madhuri and Phil, based connected Indian classical influences with arrangements by Jagadeesh and originative inputs by Jataveda Banerjee.
Music – The Harvest Horn of Plenty volition beryllium a 90-minute show featuring Phil Scarff connected the soprano sax, guitarist Jagadeesh MR, vocalists Madhuri Jagadeesh and Jataveda Banerjee, with Adarsh Shenoy connected the tabla
Music – The Harvest Horn of Plenty volition beryllium presented astatine Alliance Française de Bangalore, astatine 7pm connected January 14. Tickets priced astatine ₹500 are disposable connected District.
