There are loads of magical memories and tones of nostalgic nuggets. One incident stands out to define the spirit of Blue Frog, Lower Parel, which is shutting down on Sunday, August 28, in search of newer locations in Mumbai.
City specials
Spin back to November 2009, when the annual Jazz Utsav was to be held at Priyadarshini Park on Napean Sea Road. For some bureaucratic reasons, it was cancelled at the last minute. Hundreds left in disappointment. Within an hour, many got calls or text messages saying that the festival has been shifted to Blue Frog that same evening.
For the next three days, the place was packed. Ashok Gulati, joint honorary secretary of organisers Capital Jazz, remembers, “The Blue Frog management instantly agreed. In fact, they convinced the scheduled artists about the change, and compensated them accordingly. The festival was a success, with performances by guitarist Wayne Krantz, bassist Anthony Jackson, trumpeter Eric Vloeiman and the group BeatleJazz.”
For both musicians and music lovers, Blue Frog at the Mathuradas Mills Compound has been the ideal destination. Yes, there have been other similar venues in the past, like Razzberry Rhinoceros in Juhu and Not Just Jazz By The Bay on Marine Drive. Today, the Hard Rock Café branches at Worli and Andheri cater to the rock fans.
Spanning the spectrum
For Blue Frog, three things stood out. One was the fact that various genres were accommodated. Secondly, it gave a platform to upcoming and less-known musicians. Finally, though, it was essentially a live music venue, it also had theatre shows, book readings and brunch events.
Sumer Vaswani, managing director of Blue Frog, says that in nine years of its existence, the place became a brand of its own. He adds: “The entire team is nostalgic about the flagship venue, but yet excited about the next chapter.”
The trick obviously was the way they managed their music. Says programming head Ruchika Tiku: “The aim was to give a platform for every kind of music, and cater to different audiences. For the younger listeners, we had electronica and metal. For the older generation, there was jazz and classic rock.”
Audience connect
The musicians have their own tales. Singer Gary Lawyer did Elvis Presley and Doors tributes, besides classic rock and evergreens nights. He says: “The sound was fantastic and the audience always interactive. In fact, the listeners knew the songs I would play, and sing along.”
Flautist Rakesh Chaurasia, who normally used to playing for Hindustani classical aficionados at large concert halls, performed with his fusion group Rakesh And Friends last year. He says: “The ambience was cosy and you could feel the connection with the audience who stood, danced and enjoyed the music. This ambience is missing in auditoriums.”
Delhi-based Sufi singer Dhruv Sangari has been a regular at the Lower Parel venue. He first played with the electro-acoustic Sufi ensemble Da-Saz, and then did two tributes to the late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. “Being an intimate set-up, I could directly connect with the listeners. In the case of Da-Saz, people enjoyed the music even though a lot of it was new. And for the Nusrat shows, there were his diehard fans who knew all his songs.”
Interestingly, some events were totally packed and others went fairly empty. From 2013, ace jazz keyboardist Louiz Banks has curated the International Jazz Day event at the venue. Each time, the crowds have been huge.
Likewise, shows by fusion-rock group Indian Ocean, blues band Soulmate, percussionist and producer Karsh Kale, electronic-fusion outfit MIDIval Punditz, DJs Nikhil Chinapa and Pearl, multi-instrumentalist Prem Joshua, Pakistani group Mekaal Hasan Band and Malian singer-guitarist Vieuz Farka Toure were crammed. Techno nights by unknown foreign acts, though priced higher, always attracted crowds
Strangely, a show by acclaimed Shillong singer Lou Majaw once went empty. At times, the IPL and soccer World Cup prevented large attendances.
The album launches at Blue Frog have always been popular, though. Those releasing their albums include singers Vivienne Pocha and Nandini Srikar, rock band Menwhopause, flautist Rajeev Raja and guitarist Sanjay Divecha. The music of the film, Peepli Live was launched there, too.
According to flautist Raja: “I have played there with all my three bands – classic rock and blues with Wanted Yesterday, jazz-funk with Junckt and fusion with the Rajeev Raja Combine. In fact, the Combine released my debut album at Blue Frog. Friends even came from other cities, and the response was tremendous.” Adds Pocha: “My album launch of ‘Inside My Head’ attracted a great response.”
Classic rock fans vividly remember the tribute to iconic Mumbai singer Nandu Bhende, who passed away in April 2014. Singers Bashir Shaikh, Debashish ‘Babu’ Banerji and Mihir Joshi played songs of Steppenwolf, Cream, Doors and Presley, while Bhende’s own band did a few Beatles numbers.
On the downside
There were some funny moments too. Initially, in the darkness, first-timers would get confused between the men’s and women’s restrooms, leading to embarrassing moments. Outside, one would spot people having pre-mixed drinks, as they felt the alcohol prices were too steep. Another common opinion was that the entry rates were erratic. At times, entry was free, on most occasions it was Rs. 350, and at some premium shows, it went up to Rs. 750 or even more.
The sound also varied. While it was good at the pit near the stage, those close to the bar behind rarely got the same effect.
Yet, the place had its devotees. For musicians, it was a regular venue. As flautist Raja says: “It was a location where musicians could play what they wanted to, irrespective of genre. And its followers were more like a community. It’s sad that they are shutting this place, but hopefully, the venues they are relocating to will give the same vibe.”
That sort of sums up the feeling of many Blue Frog loyalists.
The author is a freelance music writer
