Global Jazz legends to perform at Pune fest

Au00a0three-day Jazz extravaganza is making its way to the city. The Guide chatted up with the architect of the Jazz movement in the city, a businessman by profession and complete jazz enthusiast

Pune seems on the way to become the jazz capital considering the number of jazz-related events the city has been hosting of late. The Jazz Utsav is the now coming to the city after touring cities such as Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.u00a0



If you are talking of Jazz in the city, the name of Ahmed Ebrahim is bound to come up. He is the organiser of the Jazz Utsav and founded the city's Jazz club. "Jazz is my passion. I really don't know how to express 40 years of pleasure in words," he smiles.

Ebrahim's love for Jazz started way back in school at St Paul's in Darjeeling, thanks to his music appreciation class. That's when he first heard Duke Wellington and the rest is history. Before settling down in Pune, he spent some years in Canada. "I used to regularly attend Jazz festivals in Canada. After coming to Pune, I realized there were quite a few like-minded people here who loved Jazz but had no way of connecting with them," he added.

He started the Jazz club to provide a common meeting ground for jazz lovers and enthusiasts in the city where they could listen to music and share their experiences. Support came from Max Mueller Bhavan who offered their premises every third Sunday of the month.

The three-day Jazz Festival is the climax of their activities to promote this form of music in the city. The event will feature many legends from all over the world as well. The first day will be marked by a performance by Wanny Angerer (Latin Jazz) from Honduras, who is renowned for her powerful voice. Apart from that, there will be Nils Olav Johansen Quartet from Norway, Thaerichens Tentet from Germany and the Rafal Gorzycki EP Trio from Poland. "We also have the famous Saskia Laroo who is the female Miles Davis of Europe, Gary Lawyer and Louiz Banks," adds Ahmed enthusiastically.

At: Ishanya Amphitheatre.
From: November 20 to 22, 7 pm to 10 pm
Cost: Tickets available for Rs 600, Rs 500, Rs 400 and Rs 200. Available at Ishanya, Oceanic Music Store onu00a0 MG Road, JBL Store on East Street, DVD Express atu00a0 Aundh and FC Road, Videotron Gems and Jewellers at Koregaon Park.
Call: 26342658 / 26135757

Jazz Utsav Schedule
November 20
Wanny Angerer Quartet
Nils Olav Johansen Quartet

November 21
Rafal Gorzycki EP Trio
Thaerichens Tentet

November 22u00a0
Gary Lawyer with Louiz Banks Trio
Saskia Laroo