'Our songs are inspired by visual storytelling'

They like to groove and make the audience move with them. City-based contemporary jazz band ‘Groovemeister’, which is influenced by R&B, jazz, blues and funk music, likes to be identified as an improvisation band.

Comprising Sudarshan Vedartham Sampath, Wesley Newton, Vijayganesh Panchanadhan, Legsang Sherpa and Siddharth Suresh, the group  loves to experiment with notes and tunes, as they reveal in a chat with Tini Sara Anien.

Why do you call yourselves ‘Groovemeister’?
Vijayganesh: We wanted to make grooves an important part of our music. ‘Groovemeister’  is German for ‘masters of groove’. Groove is a slightly abstract term
which makes people sit up and notice. We might not be masters of the groove yet
but we strive to achieve that goal.

What do you like- more originals or covers?
Sudarshan: We mainly play our own music but we also play covers which resonate with our soul and let us grow as individuals. Our popular original numbers include ‘Wayfarer’, ‘Coolade’, ‘Crazy One’, ‘Little Kicks’ and ‘It’s a Boy!’.

What inspires the creation of a song?
Wesley: We have a very visual way of composing our songs. Our songs are inspired by visual storytelling. Most of our music is instrumental and doesn’t necessarily 
convey a message.

Your biggest influences are...
Sudarshan: There are just too many to list out. If we had to name a few they would be Steely Dan, John Scofield, Herbie Hancock, Gilad Hekselman, Brain Blade, Charlie Hunter and Lettuce.

Music to the Music to the band is...
Legsang: Music is our life. It’s our source of wisdom and knowledge. All of us are involved in music as composers, performers and educators.

Some of your memorable performances...
Vijayganesh: We have performed across the city in spaces like BFlat and also
at Delhi’s ‘The Piano Man’ which got us a lot of attention. We have also been trying to create our own platforms by launching our ‘DIY Series’ that kicked off at ‘Artville Cafe’ recently.

What makes the band unique?
Sudarshan: We play music that only we can play as it comes from our core. We try to play music that moves the audience.

An unforgettable comment...
Wesley: One of the observations we often get is that we often become a part of the audience. We physically move around during our gigs and have beaming smiles on our faces, which spreads the joy.

A funny onstage incident ...
Vijayganesh: We always have a lot of fun, but funny incidents...(thinks). We cherish making mistakes. It’s a team effort and we enjoy whatever happens on stage.

What makes a great gig?
Legsang: A show where we are enjoying along with the audience and where people
can be seen smiling and dancing.

Is there an album in the pipeline?
Legsang: Yes, definitely. Things are in the process.