During the lockdown, Bengaluru-based singer Radha Thomas wondered what to do — there were no live shows, and recording studios had shut down. That was when she discovered the app iReal Pro, which helps musicians practise with a virtual band. “Till then, technology and I hated each other. But I realised the benefits of this app, as I could create and program jazz standards the way I wanted,” Radha says.
Soon she was in touch with guitarists from different regions. “Back in the 1970s, I was inspired by the duets of singer Ella Fitzgerald and guitarist Joe Pass. I wanted to do something on those lines, collaborating with different guitarists on some of my favourite tunes. Thanks to the app, my compositions were in place. That’s how my latest album ‘As I Sing’ came about,” she says.
The album will be released worldwide on March 15. The guitarists comprise Canadian Reg Schwager (who has played with singer-pianist Diana Krall), Pete McCann (who has accompanied American vocal group Manhattan Transfer), and virtuosos Tom Dempsey and Paul Meyers. The musicians worked from their own studios.
Interestingly, sound engineer Yura Romaniv is based in Ukraine. Says Thomas, “He mixed and mastered under the worst circumstances. Since his country is in a war situation, it was difficult to seize moments of quiet. But working in bits and places, from a safe place, he completed his job.”
Eclectic mix
For the 10-track album, Radha has chosen a mix of popular hits and rare personal favourites. Thus, there are known numbers like the evergreen ‘Autumn Leaves’ and George Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’. Other standards include Benny Golson’s ‘I Remember Clifford’, Artie Shaw’s ‘Moon Ray’ and Fats Waller’s ‘The Jitterbug Waltz’. Says Radha , “Whichever song I chose, I wanted to do it in my way, and not as rendered before. With the app, I could make that happen.”
‘As I Sing’ comes nearly four years after her previous record ‘Bangalore Blues’, with pianist Aman Mahajan. “The album was released just before the lockdown began. We had a lot of plans for live shows but everything went haywire. The album received good reviews,” Radha says.
On ‘Bangalore Blues’, Radha wrote all the lyrics for ‘Bangalore Blues’, and both she and Mahajan worked on the compositions. “We had worked for 10 years before that, and he was part of ‘UNK: The Radha Thomas Ensemble’. We had released the album ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’, and thus we shared a comfort level while working as a duo.”
Music initiation
Author of the books Men On My Mind, More Men On My Mind and The Cauliflower Diet, Radha Thomas is happy with the way her music career has evolved. Her first love was jazz, but she’s also studied Indian classical vocal at the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya under Pt. Kumar Gandharva, and dhrupad from Zia Fariduddin Dagar. She began her career, even while she was in her teens, with the Bengaluru band ‘The Human Bondage’. Later, she shifted to New York for 20 years, playing with saxophonist Michael Brecker, guitarist John Scofield and drummer Harvey Mason, besides appearing on two albums by Japanese guitarist Ryo Kawasaki. After her return to India, she has been active on the local jazz scene.
“I have started loving technology now. As a singer, I am constantly thinking of new songs. Earlier, I would forget many, but today I diligently record tunes the moment I think of something. I don’t have any formal practice schedule but this humming and recording keeps my voice in shape,” she says. She’s clearly enjoying the fresh approach.
