Play that again

Kitto has,for many years,been widely recognised as one of the exceptional figures in jazz in India. A purist,he strictly adheres to the authentic bebop style of jazz — characterised by fast tempo,exceptional instruments and improvisation — that was developed in the 1940s,something he believes jazz musicians in India do not widely do today. “The jazz scene in India has changed a lot since I started playing in the late ’70s,” he says. “Now you find they often incorporate the sitar and tabla in their music,and I’m not very familiar with that.” The Kolkata-based musician will open the show on October 14 with a performance by his group,the Carlton Kitto Jazz Ensemble.

The second session of the day will see a performance by Jon Faddis,an American jazz trumpet player,composer,conductor and educator. Faddis began playing trumpet at the age of eight and has continued playing ever since,doing a number of collaborations along the way,including with the trumpet legend,Dizzy Gillespie. The second day of the festival features Steve Turre,The Three Ladies of the Blues and the Cedar Walton Trio.

Steve Turre grew up in the San Francisco Bay area,where his involvement with jazz began at a young age. Today he’s recognised as one of the world’s foremost trombonist and seashellist,and has played with musical greats such as Dizzy Gillespie and Herbie Hancock.

Comprising Joan Faulkner,Joanne Bell,Harriet Lewis/Mary Thompson and the Gustav Csik Trio,The Three Ladies of the Blues are a group who play a brand of energetic jazz interspersed with blues. And closing the day is the Cedar Walton Trio,fronted by American pianist Cedar Walton who plays the genres of jazz-funk and hard bop — largely an extension of bebop.

The final day of the festival opens with a performance by The Beets Brothers,a Dutch trio consisting of brothers Marius on guitar,Alexander on the clarinet and Peter on the piano. After them,Sri Lankan artiste Harsha Makalande takes the stage with his group Khrome. Their brand of music consists of the piano played percussively with local drums.

An epic performance by Louis Hayes and the Cannonball Legacy will mark the end of the inaugural edition of Jazzmatazz. One of the most recorded jazz drummers in history,Louis Hayes and his Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band,play and record jazz of the 1950s and 1960s.