The background score of Ilaiyaraaja’s ‘En Iniya Pon Nilave’ has everyone swaying along. Then it segues to ‘Fragile’, a Sting classic.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot percussionist Krishna Kishor and bassist Naveen Napier grinning. It’s the mix they planned with pianist Anil Srinivasan a night before, I’m told. They expected Srinivasan to forget all about the fabulous mash-up. Evidently he remembered, but the rest of the show is a mystery to them. As it is for us, not that we’re complaining.
“When you’re playing with Srinivasan, the challenge is to not be taken aback. We have to ride the wave with him,” Napier tells us.
Previously intimidated, the element of surprise is what excites Napier today. “It’s all about opening your mind. All the ideas are Srinivasan’s, including bringing in Ilaiyaraaja and AR Rahman; that’s his strength,” adds Kishor.
Songs and surprise
There’s a verse of ‘Moongil Thottam’, followed by a flash of brilliance with Julie Andrews’ ‘My Favourite Things’ converged with Ilaiyaraaja’s ‘Nee Paartha Paarvai’. Wineglass in hand, everyone’s tipsy enough to be chiming in.
“Jazz gives you the freedom to let go. It allows you to dance, to invigorate, to innovate. It deserves a space where listeners can appreciate without judgement. In our case, it’s genre-bending,” Srinivasan says.
It’s a testament to his days at Columbia University, where he discovered jazz watering holes in the alleyways of Upper Manhattan. “New York changed my life. I’m true to my Carnatic roots, but I’m a great worshipper at the altar of jazz.”
Srinivasan is almost reverential in his approach. As he performs at the 365 A.S. bar at Hyatt Regency, he hopes to create a space for jazz in the city with his troupe, the Desi Piano Trio.
“It’s our tribute to my friend, the late Madhav Chari, who defined jazz in Chennai,” he reminisces. He’s also full of praise for the young musicians that play alongside him.
“Naveen and Kishor are far more talented than I am. They’re the future.”
Napier and Kishor just shake their heads; they’ve heard it before. It’s a mutual admiration society, apparently, with one driving force: the love for music.
Local connect
It’s intermission, and the musicians catch up with me between sets. “So obviously, this isn’t traditional jazz,” Srinivasan jokes. Some pieces are the opposite, even. For example, the Dhanasri Thillana that concluded the first set is a shout-out to Srinivasan and Kishor’s Carnatic roots.
“But, here’s the thing: jazz is a state of mind. It’s an attitude, regardless of genre or style. For us, it’s desi jazz. Our gift to Chennai, from us to you,” he signs off.
