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The assemblage got variety, for sure. From creaseless pop-jazz to energetic jazz-rock to old-school fare, the NCPA International Jazz Festival astatine Tata Theatre, Mumbai, (November 21 to 23) had thing to cater to antithetic tastes. The highlight, undoubtedly, was the show by guitarist Mike Stern and drummer Dennis Chambers connected the 2nd day.
Both are renowned names, and naturally, the hallway was packed. Mumbai’s jazz fans person had a sensation of American guitarist Stern’s wizardry. He was the astonishment item of the 1996 Jazz Yatra astatine the erstwhile Rang Bhavan, and aboriginal did a mates of shows with keyboardist Louiz Banks. Indian audiences would person seen Chambers erstwhile helium accompanied the Latin-rock radical — Santana — successful Bengaluru and Noida successful 2012.
The operation produced a 90-minute ablution of magic. An added attraction was the beingness of Stern’s woman Leni, a superb and a much-admired instrumentalist herself. With saxophonist Blaise Whittaker and young bassist Naom Tanzer, determination was a bully equilibrium betwixt rapidfire solos and subtle interaction artistry. Beginning with Leni’s tune ‘Like a thief’, wherever she played the African drawstring instrumentality ngoni, the radical presented Stern’s newer pieces ‘Connections’ and ‘Echoes’, too older gems specified arsenic ‘Wishing well’, with its catchy vocal parts, and the Jimi Hendrix quality ‘Red house’. A band-jam took the vigor to different level.
Compered by Brian Tellis, the festival began with New York pianist-vocalist Peter Cincotti, who played a premix of fashionable songs and originals. Though the euphony seemed excessively popular for the purists, Cincotti displayed his skills astatine the expansive piano, portion singing effortlessly. Accompanied by trumpeter Anthony Glausi, bassist Michael Olatuja and drummer Charles Goold, helium began with Billy Joel’s ‘New York authorities of mind’, and followed it with the standards ‘I hatred to spot the prima spell down’, ‘Sway’ and Cole Porter’s ‘I emotion Paris’, which to the daze of some, utilized an statement from the Britney Spears’s opus ‘Toxic’.
Throughout the show, Cincotti narrated stories of however helium recorded definite standards and wrote immoderate of his own. ‘Angel town’ was astir Hollywood civilization (not Bollywood, helium quipped), and ‘Another falling star’ was astir radical whose endowment was wasted. ‘Ghost of my father’ was dedicated to his father, whom helium mislaid astatine a young age.
Though the debonair-looking Cincotti received a fabulous effect from galore successful the crowd, determination were immoderate who questioned whether his euphony was perfect to unfastened a jazz festival. The musicians showed sincerity successful their art, with Glausi successful peculiar chipping successful with immoderate neat solos. As a songwriter, Cincotti showed depth.
Mike Stern and Dennis Chambers | Photo Credit: NARENDRA DANGIYA
On the 2nd day, bassist-vocalist Nicki Parrott had a pugnacious challenge, arsenic she had to play earlier Stern came on. But she charmed the assemblage from the precise archetypal song, a rendition of Peggy Lee’s ‘I emotion being present with you’. The Johnny Hodges creation ‘Squatty roo’, a Burt Bacharach medley, the Brazilian fig ‘Mas que nada’ and the Frank Sinatra-popularised ‘Fly maine to the moon’, played unplanned connected request, took 1 backmost to the aureate epoch of jazz. Joni Mitchell’s ‘Both sides now’ evoked nostalgia and, successful a full surprise, Parrott announced that she loved Indian movie music, earlier confidently singing the Telugu ‘Srivalli’ from Pushpa: The Rise. She adjacent mentioned composer Devi Sri Prasad and lyricist Chandrabose.
Born successful Australia, Parrott moved to New York for further euphony studies. Her coordination betwixt the treble bass and vocals was perfect, and pianist Steve Russell, trumpeter Todd Hardy and drummer Dave Sanders chipped successful with sparkling contributions.
Strangely, 1 saw lone astir 75 per cent attendance connected the 2nd day. Those who didn’t marque it missed a stellar show by American bassist Brian Bromberg, who utilized 2 formations. While the trio set-up featured pianist Tom Zink and drummer Charles Ruggiero, the full-band line-up additionally had saxophonist Doug Webb and trumpeter Lin Rountree.
Besides Bromberg’s ‘The hacha cha cha’ and ‘Boomerang’, the musicians played the Bill Evans standards ‘Waltz for debby’ and ‘My foolish heart’, the anthem ‘Autumn leaves’ and an mentation of Cole Porter’s ‘What is this happening called love?’. The set members are affluent successful experience, with Bromberg having played with saxophonist Stan Getz. Their coordination was smooth, and they came up with bully idiosyncratic spells.
The festival was a dainty for fans, and too Stern’s scintillating performance, it was heartening to spot 2 double-bass players successful specified fluid action. There was 1 antithetic observation, though. Many musicians were successful a tearing hurry to drawback flights aft the show. Perhaps, they needed a small much clip successful Mumbai.
