Celebrating the best musicians from across the globe and their love for jazz, the fifth edition of Giants of Jazz, organised by the Piano Man Jazz Club, has an exciting lineup of 13 artists and 22 performances. The festival, which started earlier this week, gives you a chance to listen to the Grammy winning Brazilian band Ivan Santos to the Shuffling Demons from Canada.
"Jazz is 120 years of evolution of music. It is a form of music which is constantly evolving, based on the influencers that it encounters, with every one adding their own vocabulary," says Arjun Sagar Gupta, founder and owner of The Piano Man, adding, "Every artist that we have is bringing something different to the mix. And that’s the purpose of the festival, to create a focal point where people can listen to everyone around the world and we sustain that with concerts every day."
Having such an eclectic lineup isn’t a child’s play and Gupta explains us the multiple methodologies of creating the lineup. "All the jazz festivals happen in India at the same time, so, we link up our festival with it as it has the highest number of celebrities touring India, with all the embassies supporting these tours. We are part of the circuit and get a couple of artists through it. We also get artists through an organisation called Gatecrash, along with having our own network. With a permutation of these factors, the calendar is decided which takes at least six months. With the dates getting closer, the team shifts towards logistic management – how to efficiently manage each of the artists and ensuring a smooth run of the festival."
Talking about the current scenario of jazz in Delhi, Gupta believes that the acceptance and understanding the basic level of the music has expanded significantly. "We still have a long way to go. People often say that this form of music is not for us but they say it without knowledge of the music. So, the purpose of the venue is to give people a chance to decide whether they like it or not."
In the early 2000, Gupta used to play with his trio, the only jazz players in the city. Today, there is a community of 30-40 players. “It is not a big step up but it definitely is a significant one. So, the two essential requirements to build a culture are exposure & education,” adds Gupta.