This year the Hyderabad Jazz Festival was
on two days at two different venues.
The first day 2nd of December 2017, it was on the lawns of the Secunderabad Club. And the second day, 3rd
December, it was at the amphitheatre of Phoenix Arena.
DAY ONE
The
3 bands that played at the Secunderabad Club on the 2nd, were a
study in contrasts. They played music that was so different from each other
that even the least knowledgeable about Jazz could hear the difference and know
what dissimilar forms jazz could take. From a classical hued set by CRUISE CONTROL ON TRIO (CCO3) that amalgamated
elements of jazz-like swinging rhythms and improvisation with classical guitar
compositions to make music of an unusual, though transcendent, texture and
tonality, to THE BEER PUPPETS, who
twisted R&B and Neo Soul - itself an interesting mix of
contemporary soul music and Rhythm and blues - with interesting arrangements
and improvisation to make it ‘Jazz’ that appealed to hard rock fans in the
audience. And sandwiched in between these two contrasting bands was the MATTEO FRABONI "EUROPE MEETS INDIA"
QUINTET whose
contemporary compositions, arrangements and concept of an unusual quintet sound
mixed well with mainstream jazz to create a unique set of driving Jazz that
stimulated the mind, body and spirit.
CRUISE CONTROL ON TRIO (CCO3) – comprising Martin Van Hees - Classical Guitarist & Composer, played a classical acoustic-electric guitar for this performance. Aktas Erdogan - Classical/Jazz Guitarist, multi-instrumentalist & Composer, played a double neck electric guitar with one neck fretless; he also played Turkish flute and an Armenian Duduk. Nello Biasini – Percussion, played a regular drum set.
All three conservatory trained musicians
played a set of not just their own compositions, but music from the classical
world and from jazz and pop. It was wonderful to hear such quiet, aesthetic and
thoughtful music that balanced confidently between classical music and
Jazz. So the audience were charmed to
hear besides the bands own compositions, ‘Fragile’ by Sting, ‘Someday My Prince
Will Come’ from the Disney Movie ‘Sleeping Beauty’ that had been turned into a
Jazz standard by Miles Davis and played as a solo in classical guitar style
with a Jazz swing and improvisation by Martin van Hees. It was also so
gratifying to hear a tango in a jazz concert, but that’s what we heard in the
band’s ‘Tribute to Astor
Piazzolla’ the Argentinian musician and composer, or to hear Cuban rhythms in a
composition by Leo Brouwer of Cuba. To hear the surprisingly horn-like, plaintive sound from the tiny
Duduk played by Aktas Erdogan in his own beautiful and sadness tinged
composition and also in their composition called ‘Waltz for Duduk’, was an
extraordinary experience. There were many pleasing moments while the trio played; and throughout, the
drummer Nello Biasini was impeccable,
everything he did was just right. So creative and such a perfect fit, it was delightful to hear a drummer who was so wholly coordinated and played so appropriately for this singular crossover between Jazz and Classical music, Cruise
Control On Trio (Cco3).
MATTEO FRABONI "EUROPE MEETS
INDIA" QUINTET, as described, is a coming together of the artistes from Europe
& India. And the music they played was a "voyage" through
jazz, classical, Latin and Indian influences, led by the Italian drummer and composer Matteo Fraboni. The rest of the quintet comprised Sharat
Srivastava – Violin
who has been performing Hindustani classical music for over 25 years and was in
the Indian rock band, Parikrama. Rainer
Pusch is an internationally renowned saxophonist, flautist, arranger and
composer. Aditya Jayakar on Piano is
also a composer from Mumbai and performs with jazz musicians in Mumbai. Abhinav Khokhar is a one of the few
upright bass players in India who has been collaborating and composing with
many Indian and international musicians over the years.
The closest one comes to describing the
music that this quintet played is to say that it was a startling revelation of Jazz
as an intercultural collaboration that was open to all influences. Not just
that, it was inventive, and it was swinging.
Most of the compositions were by Matteo Fraboni except two, and one of them, ‘Jai Ho’ was arranged so that it was transformed into an extraordinarily lovely work of art. Matteo Fraboni’s composing and arranging talent is brilliant. The compositions and arrangements were both emotional and intellectual in their appeal and incorporated all the Quintets instrumental diversities and yet was mindful of the player's individual "sound". The Quintet was professional to the highest degree, the quintet’s individual and collective improvisation was spot on. Sometimes the violin and saxophone blended so well that they sounded like the brass section of a jazz band. Violinist Sharat Srivastava’s solos were fresh, distinctive and very personal in tone and mood yet fitted the overall composition, and Aditya Jayakar on Piano was in tune with the feel of the band and took some good rapid fire solos. But it was Rainer Pusch who stood out as a
colossal musician who
bared his emotions through his alto saxophone, and flute, displaying exquisite technique,
artistic expression and musicianship, playing energetic and expressive solos.
It was soul satisfying to hear him. And Abhinav
Khokhar on bass was an ideal
jazz bassist who thinks on his feet and harmonises and lays a solid foundation
for the band. Of course Matteo Fraboni is a versatile drummer who plays an
array of inventive swinging, syncopated rhythmic patterns to support the band,
and a point to note is, though he is the leader, composer and arranger of the
quintet, he is restrained and does not give himself too much prominence, but
remains an unobtrusive accompanist. Both the bassist and the drummers’ solos
were well conceived and constructed.
Amongst Matteo Fraboni’s compositions was
one called ‘Varda’, named after the cyclone that hit Chennai in 2016. Another was
‘The Society of Liquid Law’, and another called ‘Unknown Knowledge’. To hear
this engaging Quintet was indeed a pleasure and a privilege.
THE BEER PUPPETS set was full bodied, loud and appealed to the rock music lovers in the audience. Defining the music they performed at the Jazz festival is difficult. It could be called R & B, or it could be called Soul, or it could be called new form of rock, but it was performed with full-spirited energy and it could be called jazz too because there was a degree of improvisation. The guitar player Anthony Cammarota was versatile and surprisingly perceptive. Especially when he ‘comped’ behind the solos with interesting chords. But he played his solos sometimes like a shredding rock
guitar player and sometimes as like a sensitive jazz guitarist. And of course
there was Karim Ellaboudi on piano
who is more a Jazz pianist than anything else, and it was his elegant, stylish
and tasteful playing that made the music rise above itself. Shreya Bhattacharya’s is a gifted
vocalist, her voice a powerful and supple instrument with which she belted out some fiery vocals. The bassist, Abhishek Dey, was the force to be reckoned with, it was he who was the drive behind
the music, and his bass playing was outstanding as was his understanding of the music. And the
drummer, Aron Nyiro’s musical intelligence was obvious, he has a wonderful sense of
tune, tempo and dynamics and his technique and stick work and his ability to
use every part of the drum set with telling effect was incredible. So while The
Beer puppets music was hard to define as jazz, it was good music that could be
only be played by Jazz influenced musicians.
It was an evening of fine music that was
enjoyable, refreshing and artistic. And appealed
to the senses and to the soul.
DAY TWO
Day Two. 3rd of December 2017, Phoenix
Arena, Hyderabad. This was the day of atmospheric, imaginative,
experimental music in the amphitheatre that was suitably bathed in the luminous
glow of a full moon.
UNDER THE SURFACE from
Netherlands, comprised the leader, Joost Lijbaart, who played Drums &
Percussion, Bram Stadhouders, Guitar
& Electronics and Sanne Rambags,
Vocals & Lyrics.
The trio’s music seemed experimental, but was actually
loosely structured to give each musician room to listen and respond. One could
tell that Joost Lijbart was a
skilled jazz drummer who kept control over the pieces that were played and kept
the trio within the structure of the music, and Bram Stadhouders on acoustic-electric guitar provided the melodic hooks on which the remarkable young singer Sanne Rambags improvised using her
voice as an instrument. Under The
Surface played what sounded like open and experimental music, but was, in
reality, precise, controlled and atmospheric, and the music gave the impression
of it being balanced between magic and reality. The bands profile very aptly described
their music as a “search for space
through silence and improvisation”.
C.A.R.
is four young musicians from Koln, Germany, Leonhard Huhn on alto
saxophone, bass clarinet and effects, he pushes the boundaries of music by creating
a delicate web of sound heavily altered by electronic effect devices. And Christian Lorenzen who plays Piano and Synthesizer is
one of Germany´s flagship jazz musicians, Kenn Hartwig on acoustic-electric Bass is equally, or more at home
with electronics and researching the world of sound. And Johannes Klingebiel on drums plays many genres of music but more of
Techno and Deep House.
The four musicians of C.A.R. concocted a brew of musical sounds that incorporated jazz,
experimental music and free improvisation
that, as someone said, “carries you away like a cloud”.
ERIK
TRUFFAZ & RIATSU, ANAND BHAGAT & NEIL GOMES
The Erik Truffaz headed outfit played their set of exotic music last. Erik Truffaz lyrical and melodious trumpet lines were
played over looped repeating patterns of sounds from his own trumpet, similar
to an elephant trumpeting, and these sounds were sometimes draped over a grating
factory-floor like groove, or sometimes to more atmospheric dreamlike groove similar
to what Miles Davis experimented with and was ‘done with’ towards the end of
his life. Comparing Erik Truffaz and Miles Davis is not far-fetched, because
Erik Truffaz does play his trumpet with the same spare, thoughtful, melancholic
feel as Miles Davis, but in this concert these are patched on to textures and atmospheres created by his band. Riatsu,
who composes ambient techno to dark ambient electronic music. Anand
Bhagat percussionist known for his skills with the West African Djembe and who
played the Didgeridoo too for some of the more exotic soundscapes, and multi
Instrumentalist voice and guitar player Neil
Gomes. However experimental the music may have sounded to an audience, Erik
Truffaz music and the sound of his band, though out of the ordinary, is still engaging
and interesting.
All in all, it was an extraordinary two
days of music. The music was quite unusual, often on the thin edge of Jazz, but
it was a wonderful experience to listen to such diverse sounds and such a
diverse range of music from an array of great musicians, every one of whom believed
in what they were doing and gave us in the audience everything they had with
holding back.
The 2nd Hyderabad International Jazz
Festival was conceived, coordinated, and made to happen through the sole effort
of the one man band, Joe Koster, of course, with a whole lot of help from
friends and institutions such as Hyderabad Western Music Foundation, Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad, Alliance
Française Hyderabad, US Consulate, Secunderabad Club,
Phoenix-Arena and a few sponsors and donors.
Pratap Antony /hydmusic.com /
7th December 2017 Photographs: Joe Koster
