Top global jazz musicians to play in capital

NEW DELHI - Jazz lovers in the capital have an exciting weekend in store. The 100 Pipers Jazz Utsav 2009 Saturday and Sunday will feature some of the biggest names in international jazz.

Saturday’s headline act will be a performance by Beatlejazz featuring Brian Melvin, Peter Barshay and David Kikoski — who have been on top of the US radio charts over the last two years.

The Eric Vloeimans Quartet and the Nils Olav Johansen Quartet will also perform Saturday at 6 p.m. at the FICCI auditorium.

The Sunday session will feature Wayne Krantz, Anthony Jackson, David Binney and Cliff Almond — often dubbed the four jazz superweights.

Brian Melvin of Beatlejazz is an internationally known drummer who has played and recorded with legends like Joe Henderson, Mike Stern, John Scofield, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Joe Lovano, Bobo Stenson, Toots Thielemans, Richard Bona, Bob Weir (”The Grateful Dead”) and Greg Allman (The Allman Brothers Band).

One of his main associations has been with the Hall of Fame bassist Jaco Pastorius.

They were good friends and made five historic recordings together — the most famous being the “Standards Zone” (Global Pacific Records) which was the number one jazz album for 15 weeks in the US, a statement from the organisers said.

Guitarist Krantz has recorded and toured with the popular Steely Band for live concerts of the album “Alive in America”. Krantz has also recorded with vocalist Donald Fagens for his standalone album “Morph the Cat”.

Bass guitar virtuoso Anthony Jackson is considered one of the masters of the instrument. His research into its origins led to the invention of the six-string contrabass, a couple of decades before five-string basses became popular.

He has also co-written Gamble & Huff and O’Jays’ hit single “For the Love of Money” from their platinum album “Ship Ahoy”, which sold more than a million copies.