Music beyond boundaries

The band that had Sheldon d’Silva on bass guitar and Gino Banks on drums,was accompanied by Gary Lawyer,renowned jazz vocalist. The two premiere jazz musicians were in the city to celebrate the inauguration of the expanded new venue of Landmark.

Lawyer was at his best,displaying his signature electric energy and constantly alternating between praising the Puneri crowd and urging them to actively participate in the singing in the most pleasant way possible. “I love coming to Pune. The audiences are always wonderful and you can always rely on finding the most exceptional rock and roll fans here”,the jazz singer beamed. To which Louiz Banks added,”The Pune response has always been great and this event was no exception”.

Talking about his new album Music for Romance,Banks says,”It is basically a fusion CD and as the title suggests,comprises of slow numbers for die-hard romantics. Collaborating with me on this album have been some of the country’s greats,including the likes of Shankar Mahadevan.”

Lawyer,in his turn,drew attention to the new track on his anthology,Save The Tiger,for which the National Geographic channel has filmed a video. “I personally feel strongly about this issue and would love to do my bit in any way possible. It is something extremely close to my heart”,says “Jim Morrison of India”,as some call Lawyer,about the Save The Tiger song,whose proceeds would directly benefit The Wildlife Conservatory Trust.

Talking about their interests in books Banks mentioned about his liking for biographies of fascinating personalities,especially those of famous music composers like Hungarian pianist Franz Liszt and Polish maestro Chopin. Lawyer on the other hand,professed his immense fondness for poetry and the works of Shakespeare,”I have been taking inspiration from poetry for lyrics since my school years. The classic genius of Wordsworth,Thomas Hardy and Matthew Arnold have had a profound impact on me”.

When quizzed about subsequent visits to the Peshwa city,Banks expressed a hopeful desire to return soon,though the perpetually uncompromising Lawyer admitted that there wasn’t a particular need to travel and perform gigs all across the country just for the sake of it,”I’m not in that situation where I have to run around much to raise awareness about my music and profile so I prefer taking things a little slow”.

On a parting note,the duo requested the Pune music lovers to purchase their album and strengthen the cause of Western music in India. ‘The genre is always welcome for support of any kind. And the acceptance will only enrich the art,” they say.