Remembering India's Untold Jazz Masters - International Jazz Day 2022

Jazz has always played an important part in International Diplomacy across the nations since WW2 ended. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has officially designated April 30 as International Jazz Day to highlight the role of Jazz in uniting people across the globe.

International Jazz Day is being celebrated since 2011. Given the current geopolitical situation, the purpose of International Jazz Day becomes all the more pertinent. One of our earlier posts on the “Jazz For Peace” message was also on similar lines.

On this International Jazz Day, we take a look at some of the Jazz exponents from India who may not be household names but their immense contributions to Jazz in India and globally cannot be ignored.

1. Madhav Chari:

Imagine a brilliant mathematician transforming himself into one of the greatest yet unknown Jazz musicians from India. Pianist Madhav Chari developed into one of India's most talented jazz musicians after his M.A. from the University of Illinois.

Known for his bad temper and being quite curt, often abutting in arrogance, was one of India's most accomplished composers and pianists.

He once credited Oscar Peterson's album "Jousts" which was released on Polydor India, with inspiring him to pursue jazz at a young age. Madhav was particularly enthralled by Peterson's virtuosity and command of the piano.

John Coltrane was another musician who influenced Madhav. Coltrane's emotional and spiritual depth were the pillars upon which his own music was built.

Often overlooked due to his personality, he had an excellent understanding of the New York jazz scene of the 90s when he was based in the US. His group Nordic Subjects recorded the album “The Other Side” in 1999. It was released posthumously in 2022 as “From The Other Side” under his name.

EMI had released the Parisian Thoroughfare album in 2009. The title track was his cover of Bud Powell’s original tune and the album was recorded in France, had French musicians supporting him, and was also executive produced by the French Embassy in India. It had 5 of his original compositions including the beautiful track called Elder Song dedicated to his father, Mr. A.K. Chari.

Madhav passed away at the age of 48 years in 2015. There is a well-made documentary called “Tam Bram in A Jazz Jam” by Ranjan Kamath which is based on one of Madhav’s India Tours and his quest of finding his Jazz roots in India.

2. Amancio D’Silva:

Amancio was a master Jazz guitarist of the late 60s and early 70s, he remains one of the pioneers of what later came to be known as the Indo Jazz genre of music.

Influenced by the likes of Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell and Charlie Christian, he developed a unique niche for himself. He calls Charlie Christian his greatest early influence.

His playing often leads to comparison with the mighty Django Reinhardt. Amancio is in news currently as one of his previously unreleased recordings has just been released on 22nd April

According to Roundtable, the label releasing the album, Sapana was recorded in 1983 and is thematically similar to Cosmic Eye, a further musical impression of the subconscious (Dream Sequences) resulting in a spellbinding fusion of Indian raga and New-Age jazz.

Prior to the release of Sapana this year, Amancio went on to release five albums as leader or co-leader. Integration (1969), Hum Dono (1969, along with Joe Harriott), Reflections (1970), Dream Sequence (1972) and Konkan Dance (2006, recorded between 1972 - 1974).

Apart from that, he played as contributing musician for several other albums by artiste like Guy Warren, Clem Alford and India-born John Mayer.

3. Braz Gonsalves:

When it comes to jazz, Braz Gonsalves has done it all. From his first job as a musician, playing for a circus in Meerut to being India’s foremost Jazz Ambassador since the 1950s and eventually being hailed as one of the greatest Saxophone players of India.

In the 60s & 70s, Braz led his own band and for some time, also was a member of Louis Bank’s Brotherhood. Raga Rock being probably the most famous of his songs released, in the same line as many of the fusion music popular those days but having a distinct Jazz feel to it.

Right from 1978, in the first edition of the celebrated “Jazz Yatra”, Braz was a regular performer for most of the years till 1986 and even later in 1997. Devapriya is a compilation of tracks from various EPs released by Braz Gonsalves (Featuring Pam Crain & Others) was released in 2017 by Ovular Records as a 10” Vinyl record.

As noted Jazz Historian and expert Naresh Fernandes points out in the Liner notes of the album, it challenged the commonly held belief that John Coltrane was the first to integrate elements of Indian music into Jazz.

In fact, it was being done by Indian musicians in Bombay at least a decade earlier by the likes of Braz Gonsalves amongst others. The exalting Saxophone solo in the song “Om Shanti Om” from the Hindi movie Karz (1980) was played by Braz Gonsalves and serves as a fine example of Jazz elements in Bollywood soundtracks. Music was composed by the duo Laxmikant Pyarelal.

Braz who is in his late 80s still performs occasionally and his family is full of accomplished musicians who continue to carry the rich musical heritage that he started.

On this International Jazz Day, Braz will be in Lisbon, Portugal as part of “O Jazz Em Goa” – a series of concerts in honour of Braz in two different cities of Portugal.

John Mayer

Calcutta born John Mayer was one of few Indian musicians who left a mark in the British jazz scene of the late 60s and early 70s. In his early career in Calcutta, Mayer was given Violin lessons by Philippe Sandre who had established the Calcutta School of Music before continuing under Mehli Mehta, father of Zubin Mehta in Bombay.

He won a scholarship to London's Royal Academy of Music in 1952. He worked as a violinist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra between 1953 - 58 and then with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (1958–65).

However, he was also blending elements of Hindustani classical and Western classical forms fused with jazz undertones from 1952 onwards. His Violin Sonata was performed by Yehudi Menuhin in 1955.

The album “Indo- Jazz Suite" was voted the Best British Jazz LP of 1966 by readers of Melody Maker, one of the leading music magazines of the 60s in the UK. The album was a successful collaboration between Mayer and the West Indian Saxophonist Joe Harriott who had settled in the UK.

The three albums of these collaboration produced by Denis Preston under the Lansdowne Series are regarded as among the Holy Grails of British Jazz. The album had become an immediate favorite in avant-garde circles and sold a decent number of copies.

Though these three albums probably will come among his most notable recordings, Mayer continued to record both in the Indo Jazz style and classical recordings.

More detailed (but incomplete) Discography can be found on the following website.

John Mayer passed away at the age of 74 in 2004 after getting fatally injured in an accident.

 

Written by: Sujit Sinha (TRC Community Member)

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