Groovin' to the Blues

The second day of the Jazz & Blues Fest Dhaka continued to draw crowds, and put some Bangladeshi talent to the fore along with a captivating set by Louis Banks, the 'godfather of Indian jazz'. Before and after him, a Bangladeshi-French cellist duo, a formidable all-Bangladeshi blues group and a Californian blues-rock act took stage, as did Arnob and his band, in a surprise cameo appearance.

As a cool Friday evening brought out a considerable number of foreigners to the Army Museum field along with an ever-growing local following of world music, it was Bangladesh's Razef Khan and Malaysia-based French musician Florian Antier who opened the evening. In a style strikingly reminiscent of the sensational Croatian duo 2Cellos, they opened with a cello cover of AC/DC's “Thunderstruck”, and quickly moved on to Michael Jackson's “Smooth Criminal”. In an engaging demonstration of the versatility of the instrument, the duo then produced sounds of a typical bassist, rhythm guitarist and lead guitarist in a band with the cello, as well as demonstrating classical and modern playing techniques. Rihanna's “We Found Love” was next, followed by a medley of Nirvana classics “Lithium”, “Come As You Are” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.

Blues Brothers, a Bangaldeshi group consisting Dipto (guitars and vocals), Nahyan (guitars), Imran Rabbani (bass and harmonica), Pantha Kanai (drums) and Tashfee (vocals) were next on cue, and they made a formidable case for the practice of blues in Bangladesh. From BB King's “The Thrill is Gone”, Janis Joplin's version of “Summertime” (originally by George Greshwin), “Freight Train” (Elizabeth Cotten), “Chain of Fools” (Aretha Franklin) and Koko Taylor's “I'm a Woman”, the band was equally on point instrumentally and vocally. Tashfee's vocal in particular was a standout.

Before Louis Banks stepped on stage, Arnob took the stage for about 15 minutes (he was not a scheduled performer) with his ensemble of Buno (bass), Kushal (piano), Pantha Kanai (drums) and Saad (guitars). He sang “Amaye Dhore Rakho” as a tribute to the late Bishal Khair (who the festival is dedicated to), and then played a refreshingly bluesy version of a Chittagonian folk song, sung by Pantha Kanai.

Louis, along with his son Gino Banks on drums and Sheldon D'Silva on bass, dialed the evening back to some serious jazz. He opened his set with a track called “Always”, in the styling of great jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal. “Reflections on a Dull Day”, an adaptation of Beatles “Norwegian Wood” and most notably “Cultural Shock” brought forth the best of jazz music, with exquisite time signatures on the drums and some incredible playing on the six-string bass to complement Banks' impeccable melodies.

Kingbaby, a band from Los Angeles, California, closed the night with their brand of blues. All six of their songs had interesting jamming sections, including the originals “Butter Biscuit” and “Matt's Funk”. Their closing number, a very modern-sounding blues tune, featured some excellent solos on the piano and guitar.