Bass Camp

A class 11 student at Mumbai’s MJ Pacholia Junior College for Commerce,Dey is one of the youngest bassists in the country and was filling in the large shoes of Rushad Mistry,the bassist from Indus Creed,a regular at most Coke Studio performances. A fixture in jazz percussionist Ranjit Barot gigs,she has also performed with Louiz Banks,tabla maestro Zakir Hussain and legendary guitarist John McLaughlin. “It has been an enriching and exciting experience. As for Coke Studio,I knew it was a commercial venture but the music I experienced had me converted about being in it,” says Dey,sounding older than most her age.

Dey began to hold a four-string Fender when she was three. “I would sit on my father’s lap and he would try to teach me basics at an early age,” she says about her father Sujoy Dey,who is a bass player himself. Since she grew up in a Bengali household,slides played by John Entwistle,Jaco Pastorious and pianist Bill Evans were accompanied by tones of Indian classical ragas by default. “Jazz and Indian classical music are similar when it comes to improvisation,so my influences are varied. I also want to be a versatile musician and sit with my guitar everyday for five-six hours to practice various combinations,” says Dey,who now plays a five-string Ibanez.

She was also seen in Hitesh Sonik’s Coke Studio @ MTV episode,her bass tones sounding bright while in collaboration with the Noora sisters. “I mostly look for clarity in bass notes when collaborating with any artiste and like to improvise accordingly,” says a confident Dey,who is also busy giving finishing touches to her own instrumental album that will release later this year.

Talking about opportunities available for indie musicians today,Dey thinks that things are no longer the same. “Now,there are so many ways to get noticed. A grainy homemade video on YouTube can get you into shows like Coke Studio,” says Dey,who also performed in a slew of episodes of MTV Unplugged.

With two gigs lined up at Blue Frog,Mumbai,this month,Dey will soon travel with her album and wants to work on collaborative projects with international artistes. She calls coming across McLaughlin as her most exciting experience so far. “I would see him from a distance. I could never muster the strength to talk to him. He is a wonderful guy,” says Dey,who worked with the English guitarist on Ranjit Barot’s album Bada Boom.