July 2019 ON Stagevolume 8 • issue 12 The Sax Factor An instrumental role in jazz THE MUSICAL MAHARAJA Notes from Mysore A GANDHIAN SONGBOOK The Mahatma lives on Cover Final.indd 1 17/06/19 3:45 PM NCPA Chairman Khushroo N. Suntook Editorial Director Radhakrishnan Nair Editor-in-Chief Oishani Mitra Contents Consulting Editor Vipasha Aloukik Pai Editorial Co-ordinator 08 Hilda Darukhanawalla Art Director Tanvi Shah Associate Art Director Hemali Limbachiya Advertising Anita Maria Pancras ([email protected]; 66223835) Tulsi Bavishi ([email protected]; 9833116584) Senior Digital Manager Jayesh V. Salvi Cover credit Shutterstock Produced by Editorial Office 4th Floor, Todi Building, Mathuradas Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai - 400013 Printer Features Spenta Multimedia, Peninsula Spenta, Mathuradas Mill Compound, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai – 400013 while his principles of truth and non- violence have been woven into songs Materials in ON Stage cannot be reproduced in 06 Reflections meant to be sung for a long time to part or whole without the written permission come. By Rajni Bakshi of the publisher. Views and opinions expressed On the three-language formula. in this magazine are not necessarily those of By Anil Dharker the publisher. All rights reserved. NCPA Booking Office 14 The King’s Register 2282 4567/6654 8135/6622 3724 08 From Sound to Signature www.ncpamumbai.com In the concluding part of a two-part It is impossible to sequester the sound of series, Nikhil Sardana explores the the saxophone from the sound of jazz. strangely uncelebrated story of Though not as ubiquitous as it once was, an Indian maharaja’s invaluable the saxophone, with its versatility, range and contribution to Western classical personality, will forever be linked with the music. golden age of jazz. By Anurag Tagat IMAGES GETTY 18 / ARCHIVES 12 Songs of Freedom A Fine Balance OCHS Among the Scheduled Tribes of Jharkhand, If someone from your family is a Gandhi remains a symbol of the common dedicated artiste, that fact shapes your MICHAEL man who fought for the common good, Contents.indd 4 18/06/19 3:48 PM 18 identity in a definite way. How turns ten, we take a look at does it work when the guru and its collaboration with the 34 shishya are related? We speak to NCPA through tremendous 22 three renowned dance gurus to performances presented over find out. By Sunayana Mohanty the years, and the noble aspiration behind them all. By 22 Sangitaa Advani Death of the Great American Dream 36 The story of the Lehman The East-West Encounter Brothers is a grand saga of When connoisseurs from various family and fortune, dreams and fields came together to discuss nightmares, capitalism and the propagation of creativity. collapse, and Sam Mendes’s production of The Lehman Trilogy depicts it all with just three 38 talented actors and a brilliant set Performing Arts: Film design. By Arwa Mamaji A monthly column that explores any and every aspect of the performing arts. This month, film 26 and theatre actor Meeta Vashisht The NCPA Gets a Nip and discusses the nuances of the real Tuck self and the ‘reel self ’. The process of upgrading our facilities at the NCPA has recently taken another step 40 forward under the supervision Archives: Odissi, Regenerated of Technical Director Nayan Kale In the last installment of a two- and his team. By Richard Nowell part series, Sunil Kothari traces MARK DOUET the origins of Odissi from the sculptures found in the ancient 28 temples of Orissa. Follow us on: The Music Makers: Volume 5 We take a closer look at some of facebook.com/NCPAMumbai the people who have been an 42 @NCPAMumbai integral part of the Symphony Programme Guide Orchestra of India. All of July’s events at the NCPA. NCPAMumbai 32 51 youtube.com/user/TheNCPAMumbai1 The Aesthetic What’s Next Philanthropists What to expect in the following We look forward to your feedback and suggestions. Please do drop us an As the Sahachari Foundation months email at [email protected]. Contents.indd 6 17/06/19 5:24 PM toFrom Signature Sound It is impossible to sequester the sound of the saxophone from the sound of jazz. Though not as ubiquitous as it once was, the saxophone, with its versatility, range and personality, will forever be linked with the golden age of jazz. By Anurag Tagat Sonny Rollins gained immense popularity with his breakthrough album Saxophone Colossus Saxophone.indd 8 18/06/19 11:53 AM he year is 1959, and composer Dave instrumentalists and composers ranging from Brubeck’s quartet has just released Coltrane and Parker to Branford Marsalis to test it in ‘Take Five’ which will go on to various musical experiments. become one of the most popular While some artistes had picked up the saxophone jazz songs in music history. Behind after the clarinet (including its inventor), Parker began the success of the unmistakably playing the instrument at the young age of 11, going cool melody is the alto saxophone, played by Paul on to become one of the key figures of saxophone- TDesmond, who also composed the track. Though it led jazz and bebop. While Hawkins and Young were will take about two years before ‘Take Five’ starts tenor saxophonists, Parker took to alto saxophone climbing the music charts, the lasting popularity and (regarded as a lighter, higher register variant) and legacy of the song, and indeed that of the Desmond created ‘Ornithology’ in the 1940s, taking from the alto, will make the sound of the sax synonymous with jazz classic ‘How High the Moon’. Although Parker, the sound of jazz. aka Bird, was first influenced by blues, the composer and saxophonist introduced a sort of craziness to Take one sax-led jazz, which arguably emboldened the likes Preceding Desmond and ‘Take Five’ were jazz of Rollins and Coltrane to walk on the wild side pioneers such as Coleman Hawkins, John Coltrane, with tones, melodies and a mélange of other styles Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, Charlie Parker and of music. many more. For an instrument that was created in Rollins, who was nicknamed ‘Newk’ because of his Paris by a Belgian instrument maker named Adolphe facial resemblance to Brooklyn Dodgers star pitcher Sax, the saxophone moved from military bands and Don Newcombe, released Saxophone Colossus in orchestras in the early part of the 20th century, to 1956 to rave reviews. The album – which, incidentally, get its time under the spotlight as a primary element lends its name to the upcoming jazz concert at the of American music by the 1920s. NCPA – is cited as one of the great jazz albums of all While Time Out, the album with ‘Take Five’ on its time. Soon after, Rollins took the Cole Porter song track list, holds the distinction of being one of the ‘You Do Something To Me’ and put it on his album highest-selling jazz records of all time, if we turn the The Bridge in 1962, playing brilliantly with space and calendar pages back a few years, we come to 1939 groove. The saxophonist went on to create inimitable It is important to remember that the saxophone was perhaps at first considered an odd mutation of the woodwind family – primarily because it was made of brass when Hawkins presented ‘Body and Soul’, a standard jazz standards such as ‘Summertime’, ‘Doxy’ and that was originally written in 1930. Hawkins replaced ‘Mack the Knife’, which are regarded as some of the actor-singer Gertrude Lawrence’s voice with an best songs that you can listen to and as well as learn easygoing, focused saxophone lead that perhaps from, if you’re picking up the sax. leaned into a bit of bebop, before the style became Coltrane, on the other hand, was the man widely well-known. The tenor saxophonist also made famous credited with popularising free jazz along with ‘I Can’t Get Started’, his wistful but charming range Coleman. History will always remember Coltrane’s making it a standard that was later recorded by the soulful, clear-as-day rendition of ‘My Favorite likes of Rollins and Stan Getz. Things’ as one of the more famous jazz standards. One of the best-known love songs of all time, A 13-minute version of the song from The Sound of ‘There Will Never Be Another You’ caught on during Music can instantly change moods, but if you keep the 1950s when Nat King Cole sang it, but it was listening, Coltrane’s own technique comes through, Hawkins’s contemporary in tenor sax – Lester Young taking the happy vibes melody and riffing on it – who put together a less ‘mainstream’ version of with virtuoso intent. It is arguably a wild ride, but the standard, one that may have helped shape the not necessarily from start to finish, considering it coming of modern jazz, letting the drums and guitar takes a while for Coltrane to build that comfortable shine in their own space. rapport with the listener before introducing the true, somewhat chaotic range of the sax. Even songs like Reeds like jazz ‘Impressions’ ease the listener in at first, and dig IMAGES It is important to remember that the saxophone its heels into an energetic rhythm that no musician was perhaps at first considered an odd mutation would probably stop improvising upon over and over. GETTY / of the woodwind family – primarily because it was made of brass. The reed is what brings it closer to New directions REDFERNS the woodwind instruments more than brass bands, Improvisation in jazz was not new by any means in / although saxophones gained major popularity the 1950s and 1960s, but when Coleman, Coltrane, REDFERN in orchestras and brass bands before finding Rollins, Getz and Wayne Shorter took it up with the soloists.