The NCPA International Jazz festival serves an excellent mix of the old and the new

The audience got variety, for sure. From smooth pop-jazz to energetic jazz-rock to old-school fare, the NCPA International Jazz Festival at Tata Theatre, Mumbai, (November 21 to 23) had something to cater to different tastes. The highlight, undoubtedly, was the performance by guitarist Mike Stern and drummer Dennis Chambers on the second day.

Both are renowned names, and naturally, the hall was packed. Mumbai’s jazz fans have had a taste of American guitarist Stern’s wizardry. He was the surprise highlight of the 1996 Jazz Yatra at the erstwhile Rang Bhavan, and later did a couple of shows with keyboardist Louiz Banks. Indian audiences would have seen Chambers when he accompanied the Latin-rock group — Santana — in Bengaluru and Noida in 2012.

The combination produced a 90-minute shower of magic. An added attraction was the presence of Stern’s wife Leni, a brilliant and a much-admired musician herself. With saxophonist Blaise Whittaker and young bassist Naom Tanzer, there was a good balance between rapidfire solos and subtle touch artistry. Beginning with Leni’s tune ‘Like a thief’, where she played the African string instrument ngoni, the group presented Stern’s newer pieces ‘Connections’ and ‘Echoes’, besides older gems such as ‘Wishing well’, with its catchy vocal parts, and the Jimi Hendrix beauty ‘Red house’. A band-jam took the energy to another level.

Compered by Brian Tellis, the festival began with New York pianist-vocalist Peter Cincotti, who played a mix of popular songs and originals. Though the music seemed too pop for the purists, Cincotti displayed his skills at the grand piano, while singing effortlessly. Accompanied by trumpeter Anthony Glausi, bassist Michael Olatuja and drummer Charles Goold, he began with Billy Joel’s ‘New York state of mind’, and followed it with the standards ‘I hate to see the sun go down’, ‘Sway’ and Cole Porter’s ‘I love Paris’, which to the shock of some, used an arrangement from the Britney Spears’s song ‘Toxic’.

Throughout the show, Cincotti narrated stories of how he recorded certain standards and wrote some of his own. ‘Angel town’ was about Hollywood culture (not Bollywood, he quipped), and ‘Another falling star’ was about people whose talent was wasted. ‘Ghost of my father’ was dedicated to his father, whom he lost at a young age.

Though the debonair-looking Cincotti received a fabulous response from many in the crowd, there were some who questioned whether his music was ideal to open a jazz festival. The musicians showed sincerity in their art, with Glausi in particular chipping in with some neat solos. As a songwriter, Cincotti showed depth.

Mike Stern and Dennis Chambers
| Photo Credit:
NARENDRA DANGIYA

On the second day, bassist-vocalist Nicki Parrott had a tough challenge, as she had to play before Stern came on. But she charmed the audience from the very first song, a rendition of Peggy Lee’s ‘I love being here with you’. The Johnny Hodges composition ‘Squatty roo’, a Burt Bacharach medley, the Brazilian number ‘Mas que nada’ and the Frank Sinatra-popularised ‘Fly me to the moon’, played unplanned on request, took one back to the golden era of jazz. Joni Mitchell’s ‘Both sides now’ evoked nostalgia and, in a total surprise, Parrott announced that she loved Indian film music, before confidently singing the Telugu ‘Srivalli’ from Pushpa: The Rise. She even mentioned composer Devi Sri Prasad and lyricist Chandrabose.

Born in Australia, Parrott moved to New York for further music studies. Her coordination between the double bass and vocals was perfect, and pianist Steve Russell, trumpeter Todd Hardy and drummer Dave Sanders chipped in with sparkling contributions.

Strangely, one saw only about 75 per cent attendance on the second day. Those who didn’t make it missed a stellar performance by American bassist Brian Bromberg, who used two formations. While the trio set-up featured pianist Tom Zink and drummer Charles Ruggiero, the full-band line-up additionally had saxophonist Doug Webb and trumpeter Lin Rountree.

Besides Bromberg’s ‘The hacha cha cha’ and ‘Boomerang’, the musicians played the Bill Evans standards ‘Waltz for debby’ and ‘My foolish heart’, the anthem ‘Autumn leaves’ and an interpretation of Cole Porter’s ‘What is this thing called love?’. The band members are rich in experience, with Bromberg having played with saxophonist Stan Getz. Their coordination was smooth, and they came up with good individual spells.

The festival was a treat for fans, and besides Stern’s scintillating performance, it was heartening to see two double-bass players in such fluid action. There was one unusual observation, though. Many musicians were in a tearing hurry to catch flights after the show. Perhaps, they needed a little more time in Mumbai.

Published – November 25, 2025 02:46 pm IST