Monsoon Trio将首次运用现代西方乐器来演绎传统的Hindustani Raga音乐，为他们传统与精神所激发的新的CD，名字叫做Pranaam。该三重奏小组包括男高音和女高音萨克斯管Jonathan Kay，中音萨克斯管Andrew Kay和低音Veena的Justin Gray，以及临时假若的Tabla大师Ravi Naimpally，他们将在位于Harbourfront的美丽的多伦多音乐花园演奏，让听众在湖边的音乐声中着魔。
MONSOON TRIO’S PRANAAM DELVES DEEP INTO TRADITIONAL RAGAS PERFORMED ON WESTERN INSTRUMENTS
WHO: Monsoon Trio (Andrew Kay, Jonathan Kay, Justin Gray)
WHAT: RAGAS BY THE LAKE – The world premiere of Indian classical raga music on western instruments
WHERE: Harbourfront Centre, Toronto Music Garden, 475 Queens Quay West, Toronto
WHEN: Sunday, August 16 @ 4:00-5:00 pm
TICKETS: FREE!
Monsoon Trio performs classical Hindusthani ragas heard for the first time on modified western instruments, from their new traditional and spiritually inspirational CD PRANAAM. Trio members Jonathan Kay (tenor and soprano saxophone), Andrew Kay (alto saxophone) and Justin Gray (bass veena) plus guest tabla master Ravi Naimpally, will enchant listeners by the lake, at the beautiful Toronto Music Garden at Harbourfront, on Sunday, August 16. For more information please visit www.monsoontrio.com / www.monsoon-music.com / http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/summermusic/2015/events/index.cfm?id=7049&festival_id=211
Over the past eight years, Jonathan, Andrew and Justin have been studying traditional North Indian classical raga music in Kolkata, India, under their Guru, Pandit Shantanu Bhattacharyya. This unique journey has led to Justin designing and co-creating the bass veena – a modified fretless bass with additional supportive strings. Similarly, Jonathan has developed the shrutiphone – a modified non-tempered saxophone. The result of their mutual, intense study, is Monsoon Trio’s debut offering, Pranaam. Featuring tabla virtuoso Subhajyoti Guha, Pranaam is the first album to document the collective performance of vocal and instrumental styles of North Indian Classical music on modern western instruments. The term “pranaam” describes an offering of the highest respect as an act of complete surrender.
Born from the spiritual revelations of India’s rishis and yogis, ragas are musical entities experienced as states of vibrational consciousness. Expressed as intricate melodies in ever-changing layas (tempos), they create specific moods that harmonize with the unending interplay between nature’s cycles and life’s emotions. The artist develops a relation to the raga within himself or herself, and identifies their life’s movements through this music. The ragas offered on this album are considered by musicians and connoisseurs alike to be among the most penetrating and timeless. Pranaam contains five of the most prominent ragas of the Hindusthani music tradition; Bhairav, Shree, Jaijaiwanti, Malkauns and Bhairavi.
Since 2009, Monsoon Trio has recorded with and performed alongside many of India’s greatest classical music maestros including Bickram Ghosh, Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, Rashid Khan, Subhankar Banerjee, Subhajyoti Guha and their renowned Guru, Pandit Shantanu Bhattacharyya. The trio has also been featured at some of India’s most prestigious Indian classical music festivals, including The All-India Music Circle 2011 and The Salt Lake Silver Jubilee Music Festival 2011.
After the trio’s first trip to India in 2006, they created Monsoon, their six-piece band to explore an innovative blend of jazz and Indian classical music. Monsoon just released their acclaimed debut album Mandala and this summer will be touring Ontario with the full band featuring: Jonathan and Andrew Kay (saxophones, woodwinds), Justin Gray (basses), Ravi Naimpally (tablas), Derek Gray (drums, percussion), and Todd Pentney (keyboards).
UPCOMING DATES:
MONSOON TRIO CONCERTS:
August 16, 2015 – Summer Music in the Garden Series at Harbourfront • 4:00pm
November 7, 2015 – Aga Khan Museum • 8:00pm
ADDITIONAL MONSOON TOUR DATES:
August 1, 2015 – Newmarket Jazz Festival • 12:30pm
August 7, 2015 – Festival of India, Ottawa
August 15, 2015 – Markham Jazz Festival • 12:30pm
September 25, 2015 – Kitchener/Waterloo Jazz Room • 8:00pm
October 22, 2015 – Richard Bradshaw Theatre Concert Series • 12:00pm
November 7, 2015 – Aga Khan Museum • 9:00pm
August 7, 2015 – Festival of India, Ottawa (As Monsoon band)
August 16, 2015 – Markham Jazz Festival • 12:30pm (As Monsoon band)
August 16, 2015 – Summer Music in the Garden Series at Harbourfront • 4:00pm (As Monsoon Trio)
