Jazzing up the crowd

Delhiites recently got a chance to experience world-class jazz acts that featured artistes like Igor Butman, who was described as ‘the  greatest living Saxophonist’ by Bill Clinton.

He performed at a three-day Jazz festival ‘Jus Jazz 2012’ at Zorba at MG Road, along with other seven other international musicians incl­u­d­ing from New Orleans, the Mecca of Jazz. Among all, Russian national Igor Butman, who was trained by the remarkable musician and brilliant teacher Gennady Goldstein, was a star performer. The world-recognised Saxophonist won the hearts of the crowds as he started playing the musical instrument.

Igor’s skill is well recognised worldwide so much so that Bill Clinton praised him by calling Igor his ‘favourite living saxophone player’. In 2009 he launched his own jazz label called ‘Butman Music’. This was not the first time that he performed in the City. “I have performed earlier in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata. It is always a great experience. Audience was very good and I enjoyed playing here,” says Butman.

Ask him about his favourite jazz musicians, he replies, “All the musicians who invented jazz like the legendary Niel Armstrong and John Col­t­r­ane. I love playing with a lot of contemporary artists who are currently on the Jazz scene.”

Other Jazz artists who captured the audience with their performances include Sylvia Cuenca, a drummer who has contributed significantly to the New York jazz scene; Dee Daniels who critics attributed her voice to have a hypnotic quality; Russell Malone, a self-taught swing and bebop jazz guitarist; Steve Masakowski, who is considered to be one of the top jazz artists from New Orleans and has performed with Grammy Winning artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Nicholas Payton and Dianne Reeves at major festivals around the world; and Diane Witherspoon, singer, composer and producer who has a soulful sound that borrows elements of gospel and blues.

The festival was an initiation by ‘Jazz-Addicts’ – an association of jazz enthusiasts, association with an aim to utilise profits raised for education of underprivileged children.