Page 48 - Seniors Today - May21 Issue
P. 48
Once Upon a Time | Music
Meet the Godfather
of Indian Jazz
It is not lightly that this title is given to jazz ace Louiz Banks, writes
Narendra Kusnur
Since its launch a decade ago, ace jazz pianist, many young musicians who are fantastic but
keyboardist and composer Louiz Banks has need the right direction,” he said in a recent
spent the last week of every April planning interview to this writer.
and curating the International Jazz Day Born Dumbar Bahadur Budapriti, Banks
celebrations in Mumbai. This year was no has always been hailed as the ‘Godfather
different, even though for the second time Of Indian Jazz’. As leader of groups like
in succession, it had to be an online event. Louiz Banks Brotherhood, Sangam, Silk,
On April 30 and May 1, jazz fans witnessed the Matrixx Trio, Ganga Shakti and Guitar
some fantastic performances presented Synergy, he has attracted jazz followers both
by Gigatainment, with seniors Banks, in India and abroad. As a pianist, he has also
Australian trumpeter James Morrison, dabbled in other fields, being part of music
American saxophonist George Brooks and director R.D. Burman’s team in the 1970s,
Mumbai singer Gary Lawyer leading a line- and doing prolific work in advertising jingles,
up otherwise dominated by youngsters. theatre, television and Indipop albums,
For Banks, Jazz Day has been a fruitful besides fusion shows with classical maestros
opportunity to give a platform to new talent. like flautist Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia and
“I’m constantly listening to youngsters who tabla exponent Ustad Zakir Hussain.
are very gifted and hard-working. They give For someone of his stature, Banks comes
me a kind of fresh energy, and help me write across as very down-to-earth and soft-
new things. It began with interacting with spoken. His conversation is precise, but
my son, drummer Gino, but I keep meeting yet he covers things in adequate detail.
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