Sarah Sy

Professor Crain
October 7, 2015

Concert Report:

GYANI Indo Jazz, September 29, 2015

On September 29, 2015, I was excited to attend the GYANI Indo Jazz concert as I like

listening to indian music and was curious as to how the group could infuse jazz into the cultural
music. The concert started with a small introduction of who the performers were and a brief
history of what specific type of music they perform. As two performers appear onstage, I noticed
they did not have shoes on once they sat down on a platform furnished with comfortable pillows.
The harmonium player and vocalist, Pandit Binay Pathak, turns on a drone and tunes his
harmonium as the tabla player, Vishal Nagar, tuned his tabla with a small mallet-like hammer
before dusting his hands with chalk. Pandit quickly explained that their introductory sing was
Raga Deish.

As they nodded to each other, Pandit starts singing with the drone wherein I think most of

his singing were comprised with vocables. The song sounded unmetered, but rather driven by
feeling and instinct with Pandits voice sounding like a chant. It was just the drone and Pandit
singing with his harmonium. At some point, it was just a harmonium solo with the drone with
Pandit moving the back of it like an accordion-like motion. I had thought the harmonium was
the drone, but I realized after that the drone was coming from a different equipment. The tabla
would enter and then the song would sound as if it gained a relative meter since the tabla acted

CONCERT REPORT 9/29/15

"1

as a rhythmic centerfold. The tabla was entrancing in that the player, Vishal, would seem to
change the pitch with the use of his wrist while playing with his fingertips. The water drop
sounds from the tabla added a sense of ethereal primitivism to the vocals and with the
combination of the drone, sent rivets of shivers running down my spine. The table increased its
pace as the raga progressed as the vocals more or less maintained its speed, creating a feeling of
contrasting sounds to the viewers ears. The raga then ends in an abrupt stop of the tabla and a
sustained note from the harmonium and, of course, the drone.

After the raga was finished, the rest of the performers smoothly entered and went to their

respective places: the Southern Indian Slevaganesh Vinayakram who played the kanjira and a
lowered drum set, an Uzbek percussionist Abbos Kosimov who had an assortment of doira, And
Egyptian pianist by the name of Osam Ezzeldin, and the American George Brooks who played
the saxophone. The second piece started as the pianist accompanied the saxophonists solo in a
very smooth, jazzy ballad spiced with eastern influences. Slevaganesh would occasionally play
soft cymbals to accent certain areas of the song as the vocals flowed in in the same fashion as it
had, a chant that sends chills, and I noticed that Pandit would occasionally make hand gestures.
The doira, kanjira, and the tabla joined in and the tempo picks up in rapid rhythmic succession
between the membranophones. In the middle of the intricate intertwining of beats, the
harmonium stood out in its smooth, steady notes. The instruments fade, leaving a short piano
interlude only to jump right back in without disrupting the flow. As one would think that the raga
would end abruptly, the music returns to a slightly slower, quieter pace before building up all over
again. Throughout the piece, their would be roll offs between the doira, tabla, and the lowered
drum set to make it seem as if they were communicating through their instruments. Even as I was

CONCERT REPORT 9/29/15

"2

listening, I did not know where the end was until people started clapping due to the constant
drone, even while the other instruments stop playing.

Throughout the entire concert, I was thoroughly pulled into the music switches of distinct

jazz and indian music and the dynamic sort of tag between the membranophones that I realized
that while most of the selections were composed of improvisations, not one performer placed an
out-of-place beat, but rather inputted fascinating rhythms to make their selections feel relaxing,
smooth, and sensual as well as moments that kept me on the edge of my seat. At one point, I
noticed a salsa rhythm amongst the musicians and I was ecstatic at how seamlessly they
incorporated it without losing the previous styles of jazz and indian fusion. Unfortunately, I also
noticed that as the concert progressed, the volume of the piano seemed to be drowned out by the
rest of the instruments, and I could tell that the pianist seemed a bit put off by the fact. What was
interesting though was that after every raga, the musicians would ask the sound tech to increase
the monitors as the more they hear each others instruments, they feel more inspired. As they
continued barraging the audience with powerful and acrobatic solos, I noticed that no one used
any sort of striking instrument for their membranophones, but solely with their hands. It amazed
me as that clicked in my head that their amount of control as well as precision allowed them to
play without a mallet or drumsticks. Each raga would start out slow and gradually gain speed to
the point wherein it was insane that all of them were still together. The dynamic rhythm changes
from 12 to 6 made me bounce in my seat because it was so smooth to the point that I almost did
not catch it. I laughed as I witnessed the tabla, doira, and kanjira player compete with each other,
showing off their individual instruments to the others in a playful chase between the three. I
noticed that not only were they talking to each other via instruments, but also through hand
signals as a way to keep everyone together. The concert became even more entertaining in that

CONCERT REPORT 9/29/15

"3

the performers beckoned the audience to perform with them via clapping. It felt like the ultimate
jam session and I had laughed whenever the audience would become out of beat. As the
musicians signaled us to stop, they performed their last individual solos with as much acrobatic
rhythmic skill they could show. The doira player even juggled his instruments as he played them.
The solos morphed into the ending of their closing piece as they flowed into the raga as if
portraying aurally of a sunrise, finishing off with a loud, celebratory sounding beat.

Overall, I had an amazing time and I couldnt help but feel sad that it ended. It felt like a

dream in that it kept my attention until the very end. I was even fortunate enough to actually ask
Pandit after the concert about the occasional hand gestures that he did while chanting only to
find out that it is actually a tradition in indian music, and it made me glad that I was able to learn
more about the indian music I love to listen to. If they were to come back in the area, I will
definitely come to see them perform.

CONCERT REPORT 9/29/15

"4