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Blues brings cheer
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Saturday Night Blues swept listeners off their feet with a mix of sentimental and peppy numbers
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HOOKED ON MELODY Jayantha and his band Photo: N. SRIDHARAN
Musicians, like cricketers, perform better on home turf. For Jayantha Dasgupta and his band Saturday Night Blues, the Leather Bar is as good as home turf. Last Friday, they were at ease with the crowd. Sharing a joke or two with known faces — which were many, because they've played here half-a-dozen times.
This cheerfulness rubbed off on to first-timer Tamar Osborn who was on the sax. Swirls of blues and jazz sounds swept the weekenders off their feet, as this merry combination presented songs that stretched from the delta blues of Robert Johnson ("Crossroads") and the more modern blues of Eric Clapton ("Me And The Devil Blues").
Excited response
For most, it was like listening to childhood stories. Although most of the narrative songs dwelt on misfortunes, they only perked up the partying lot. When Dasgupta was asking "Sally to slow down her Mustang" (the central idea in "Mustang Sally"), energy levels soared. One listener upset his neighbour's drink as he excitedly responded to the music.
Words from pulpits cautioning against the blues came to mind, along with Eric Clapton and "Me And the Devil Blues". Well, the song is about "walking with the devil". This one might have belonged to those types of blues that dwell on the sordid and promote the forbidden, but some of the 19 songs spoke of love and sentiment. No matter what the lyrics conveyed, the music endeared itself to the crowd. Especially because it came along with seasoned voices. And that's what Jayantha and Stuart G.J. Munro have.
Munro's musical journey is interesting. Even his birth. He was born in a caravan in Simla. Taught himself how to sing and play the bass guitar.
Tamar could not be missed as well. She's possesses indefatigable creative energy. This enables her to move on from sound to sound, style to style, and city to city. This saxophone-clarinet-flute artiste was until recently a resident DJ at the Zeta Bar, Hilton Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. But, she is better known as a jazz and classical musician.
PRINCE FREDERICK
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