High Harmony When West Meets East

With its startling ability to change shape, color and texture, music is a lot like an octopus or squid.  And, as we heard Tuesday night at Symphony Center, it can even morph into entirely new musical species.  Zakir Hussain, the extraordinary Indian tabla player, in partnership with bassist Dave Holland, blended two musical forms to create a stunning hybrid.  Dubbing the merging of jazz and Indian classical music CrossCurrents, they performed some of the most exciting music imaginable on Symphony Center’s modified for intimacy stage.

That jazz has been influenced by Indian classical music may be common knowledge. But the impact of jazz on Indian popular music is so little known that it might as well be a secret.  When the films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers began screening in Indian movies houses way back when, Bollywood was paying attention to the music as well as the storyline.  The majestic big band sounds and decidedly jazzy melodies that framed the films were immensely popular in the land of the tiger.  According to Hussain, many Indian musicians could easily relate to the improvisational flexibility of jazz.  Some began to incorporate a component that is a key element of jazz but alien to the music they played; harmony.  These musicians began to influence other musicians who were more ingrained in India’s popular music culture.  Jazz has now been absorbed enough into the subcontinent that it can be found woven into the region’s musical traditions.  Two of the its original enthusiasts, Louiz Banks and Sanjay Divecha, were performing with Hussain that evening.

Frequently the concert’s program states the song list will be announced from the stage.  That doesn’t happen very often and when you’re listening to completely unfamiliar music, you’re at a total loss in identifying what you’re hearing.  For the CrossCurrents performance, what’s undeniable is that you are experiencing something unique enough to be profound and beautiful enough to be considered quite rare.  Binding the harmonies of jazz to the mystery, beauty and drama of Indian classical music allowed both to stretch in wonderful new directions.

A virtuoso on the tabla, Hussain also lectures on music at both Princeton and Stanford.  His instrument, membraned drums played primarily with the palms and fingers, can offer higher and softer notes than standard drums but still deliver the thunder.  When you hear the sounds he conjures from his instrument, you both understand and feel the depth of his musical knowledge.  Downbeat’s critics poll voted him best percussionist in 2015.  It’s rare to see someone so at home and free in the midst of a performance.  And that sense of comfort on stage was shared by the other musicians and vocalist, Shankar Mahadevan.  Mahadevan, considered “one of the greatest Indian vocalist alive” gave fresh meaning to exquisite.  Meshing a voice that resonates from antiquity into the harmonic melodies was astounding to experience.  Insuring the fullness of this musical hybrid’s harmony was completely realized, Chris Potter’s phenomenal saxophone performance acted as one of the essential bridges tying the two worlds of CrossCurrents together.

With no intermission, they played nearly two and a half hours, testing the physical and schedule limits of some in the audience.  Those caught up in the band’s spell simply relished the breadth this inspired musical blend was able to achieve.  Time be damned.

Zakir Hussain and Dave Holland:  CrossCurrents

Symphony Center presents Jazz Series

May 1, 2018

Symphony Center

220 S. Michigan Ave.

Chicago, Il   60604