VH! Jazz Masters Series

Earl Klugh & Bob James at the NCPA


It wasn’t much I was expecting as I arrived at the NCPA on Saturday evening. The Tata Theatre was looking resplendent with quiet dignity, as the sea waves came thrashing into its face at one end of Marine Drive in Mumbai. Certainly, the setting for one of the more exotic concert venues in this part of the world. However, a concert by the so-called pioneers of ‘smooth jazz’ was not sounding exactly awe-inspiring to your humble reviewer. The latest edition of the VH1 Jazz Masters series featured a concert by Earl Klugh and Bob James, with unknown element Patti Austin, backed by musicians from the Thelonious Monk Institute. The same series had brought such luminaries as Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter before, and is usually on the ball, so it is with mixed anticipation that I entered the plush interiors of what was arguably the city’s finest concert hall.

We started late. Not that many seemed to mind, as alcohol was flowing freely courtesy the sponsors, who encouraged you to enjoy responsibly. Finally, the band came in, and got straight into a promising sounding piece fronted on saxophone by Bobby Watson. Watson was trained formally at the University of Miami along with fellow students Pat Metheny (also from the Kansas City area), Jaco Pastorius and Bruce Hornsby. Watson claimed fame as member of The Jazz Messengers, and was a sought after sessions man who has played with Max Roach, Branford Marsalis, and fellow Messenger Wynton Marsalis.

Watson was a revelation. Throaty, grand old Jazzman, Watson also took up the self-confessed role of MC for the evening. After an introduction of the Thelonious Monk Institute, and interesting things they were doing there to propagate Jazz across America and the world (you can find out more about their programs at the TMI website at www.jazzinamerica.org), the James/Klugh duo came in with much fanfare and flourish. However, the grande entry was rendered rather dull by what followed, a weak rendition of Marcus Miller’s Mabuto. Patti Austin, the unknown factor in this edition of VH1 Jazz Masters, came in for the next track, and started with a lukewarm version of the standard Baby come to me. She also congratulated the audience on their grasp over the nuances of the English language, which the Bombay crowd treated with loud guffaws. She followed this up with a nice Gershwin double, where she segues between Love Walks In to Love is sweeping the country for one of the highlights of the evening.

Bob James took centre stage next, performing a track called Angela, which incidentally is also the theme from the popular TV show Taxi. The band was tepid, with the rhythm section playing clean lines, achieving an overall uncluttered sound, which was clinical, but boring. One had to struggle not to nod off in some of the passages, as not much seemed to be happening musically. Earl Klugh added some funk into the fray with his first set closer, a track called Dr. Lakumba. Incorporatin Latin elements, this track somewhat upped the ante, as we went into recess.

The second set definitely picked up where we had left off. The sinewy Limoncillo was another high point of the evening, fronted by Watson and backed by the TMI group. Klugh played some more of his smooth melody hits such as Carrie followed by Heart’s Train while Patti Austin came into her own on Round Midnight, delivering a powerful, cheeky version of the Thelonious Monk composition. In fact, even James was upbeat with the band breaking into a scatty version of Westchester Lake, which James described, perhaps aptly, as their ‘Bollywood’ number.

The Mumbai crowd seemed to lap it all up with great gusto, although I suppose many among them were braced already for what someone yelled across the aisle moments before the gig began to another- a little light music.

On that count, the evening kept its promise. As I filed out of the theatre amidst the usual South Bombay club set that usually frequent these do’s, I wondered how so many seemingly well-informed people could applaud middle-of-the-road ‘muzak’ so vociferously. It amused me to remember that jazz was a sanctuary of elitist taste, and large swathes of so-called jazz-lovers basically were not really there for the music. It was a social function, a club evening out, where one met old buddies, yelled a few yeah’s and wow’s, and pretend to be interested.

Here’s hoping that the next few installments of the VH1 Jazz Masters series are geared more towards the artistes and performers that are breaking new ground in an American institution called Jazz.