Kalakriti and the Lahoti Foundation joined hands with the French Embassy to present an evening of jazz fusion with Hindustani classical music, at Taj Banjara Lawns, Hyderabad, recently. The concert was part of the 5th annual Art and Culture Festival celebrating the memory of late Shri Krishnachandra B Lahoti.

The pieces of music emerged from an exclusive four-member group that united only a year ago for the Congo Square Jazz Festival in Kolkata. The lead vocalist is Indrani Mukherjee, trained under Pandit Arun Bhaduri and Bidushi Purnima Choudhury. Though aware of technicalities, she brought melancholy in her voice through the Sufi-like spiritual aloofness. Demure and traditional in attire, Indrani did not seem awkward in her Raag Desh tarana sublime in its fusion with a piano and trumpet. The ITC Sangeet Research Academy Scholarship she earned in 1996 seemed to have been well utilised.

A self proclaimed ‘citizen of the world’, though more saintly, was Brazil-born pianist Malcolm Braff. Described as an “Experimental project where European contemporary jazz meets Indian classical music,” the melodies carried intricate influences from the European palette. Early jazz, rock-n-roll affect Braff’s piano playing, although acutely western classical in nature. “I played at a church for many many years,” says the heavily-accented Malcolm. His father, a preacher, was also one to equip him with his skills on the black and white keys. When asked what kind of an audience he enjoyed, Malcolm jumped to “Every audience is new! Every audience is special!” The piano and tabla worked as a team to frame the melody rather than just escort.

Bright, young and talented Apurba Mukherjee hails from a musical lineage in Kolkata. His madhyalaya rupak echoed the guru-shishya tradition of listening and perfecting the ‘sur’ in percussion, unknown to western rhythms. An otherwise subdued co-player, Apurba took our breath away with a recitation of the paltas of rupak towards the end of the evening.

 Equally significant, yet never too intense, was the eminent French jazz artist Erik Trufazz on the trumpet. He clearly added modern finesse to the opus. Perhaps the most tranquil presence on stage, he ‘trumpeted’ as quite reverse to the clichéd idiom of stealing the limelight. Erik reminds you of an aged rock star who has internalised music to every degree.

The open air made tuning and managing acoustics somewhat unwieldy for sound engineer Paul Schneiter. But his maneouvres with the sound mixer made it joyful, though Apurba was rueful. The effect in turn, was cozy. Of the subtle emphasis on different portions of the performance, Schneiter must be praised. As an exercise in aesthetics, the fusion extravaganza left the listener crave for more.