NEW DELHI: His music, just like him, tends to pick up from the environment it thrives in. Through words wrapped around sonorous sounds, Karan Khosla and his ensemble, Karan Khosla Trio, present to the world, the perceptive messages from what they are surrounded by. With every opportunity, he flips a new chapter in music-making. His instrumental jazz outfit offers a bouquet of experiences, circling the core of reality as we see it. Nothing, he says, is a more honest representation of what he calls himself.
Preparing next for the twin concerts being presented by Teamwork Arts’ Jazz India Circuit (JIC) 2017-18, Delhi edition, here he’ll share the stage with drummer Dave Weckl, guitar prodigy Rhythm Shaw, John Law with his contemporary jazz, Alex Jønsson, a composer and a soloist; The Diaspora House, among other performers.
At the Jazz India Circuit, he and his team of musicians are putting up some new tunes, including a couple classic bebop tunes (the likes of Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker) but also some guitar oriented bop form the 60’s. “We have some great jazz-blues tunes by Kenny Burrell, who is a pillar of modern jazz blues guitar, and also recorded one of the most famous Blue Note records Midnight Blue. We have a tune by Oscar Pettiford, the late great bass player, arranger and composer who worked with Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and others, and helped make the upright bass a formidable solo instrument in the jazz ensemble,” says Khosla. In addition, two tunes by the late Wes Montgomery, one of his favourite guitar players, and a couple of more modern post-bop tunes by Wayne Shorter and John Scofield will be rendered.
Nothing is as unique as the sound of music, the artiste believes. While he has deep regard for other performing arts given the immense potential they have, and how much offer to the world, for him, music is truly unique in the way in offers immediacy and intimacy of thoughts. “For example, there are hundreds and thousands of songwriters all across the world who, everyday, to millions of people, express their feelings of love hate, cynicism, optimism, in the most powerful ways to the world, many of whom are unable to do so in their personal, daily lives, a good example of such incredible vulnerability is on the Mahogany Session,” he says.
Of the gamut of sounds he’s grown up on, American singer BB King’s music far supersedes anything he’s heard. The way the artiste stayed relevant through his time, despite believing in the simplicity of music, he made everything so fresh, meaningful and inspirational. Khosla believes that there is a time and place in one’s life as a musician when the act of making and performing music is less about showing the world what you can do, as it is about showing that world what you can truly give, just like his idol BB King.
Considering how music is important to cultures, it’s imperative each nation implores its people to be stakeholders in the promotion and preservation of the art form.
This system of organized sounds facilitates an intimate, yet profound opportunity to communicate. “Freedom of expression, through art and music is a good barometer of the health of a society, and I’m sure many such places exist. I hope India can become such a place, afterall, we have millions of people who are true patrons of the arts and enjoy, support fashion, art, music, theatre and film. But there is still room to create a safe place for artists, and those who support the arts,” he says, with a smile. And till it continues to be a bridge between an artiste and the society, it will find its way through not just our ears, but also our hearts.
Jazz India Circuit
Delhi Edition: February 18, at 6.30 pm, One Golden Mile. Entry: Tickets starting at `1,000 are available at Jazzindiacircuit.com