Review Centre: Swing Bands

"There have been many jazz musicians – saxophonists John Coltrane and George Brooks to name a couple – who have been intrigued by the melodic and rhythmic complexities of Hindustani classical music. Saxophonist Rainer Pusch, how!ever, belongs to the rare breed of Western musicians who have been influenced by Carnatic music. The Carnatic connection came later, but jazz caught Pusch’s interest at an early age. As a 12-year-old learning the tenor sax, a “very bad teacher” scared him into quitting lessons and starting to jam with friends. “At the age of 14 I got into jazz,” he told us. “I heard the first album by [American free jazz saxophonist] Pharaoh Sanders and this album [Pharaoh’s First] kicked me in.” Pusch got completely hooked after his brother smuggled him into The Cave, a jazz club in Heidelberg. “They had jam sessions every Tuesday,” he said. “It was 1968, the time of free jazz, underground music and the hippie era. Heidelberg was the headquarters of the US army in Europe, and there were a lot of army clubs, where I found my first steady work.” Playing for Americans every Friday and Saturday was an ideal start. It was a stroke of luck that Pusch met his “first jazz guru”, saxophonist Pony Poindexter. “Pony Poindexter’s wife worked for the army and they were living in Mannheim at the time,” Pusch said. “Pony had already subbed for Charlie Parker in Billy Eckstine’s big band, recorded with [guitarist] Wes Montgomery, the vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, and many others.” Pusch started taking lessons from Poindexter and, after a while, they started performing together. Poindexter was instrumental, in helping Pusch further his jazz education by introducing him to other American musicians. “He knew everybody,” Pusch recalled. “Through him, I met Dexter Gordon. Art Blakey sat in with us when we played an outdoor gig.” Later, in 1977, Pusch stayed with Poindexter in New York, where he met the cream of the city’s jazz scene. “He invited Philly Joe Jones to stay for two weeks in our Lower East Side loft; I met Eddie Jefferson, Bob Berg, Junior Cook,” Pusch said. He also took lessons from George Coleman, who had briefly been part of Miles Davis’s band in the early ’60s. On his return to Germany, Pusch released his first album as leader of his own outfit. However, his connection to America persisted; he would return to earn a degree in jazz composition and arrangement from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, in 1983. Pusch’s first album Journey Agent, released in 1981, was an assimilation of the styles typical of hard bop and post-bop American musicians he had met during the past decade. On the album, his quartet, which included piano, double bass and drums, performed originals and a cover of “Mixing Pot” by Brazilian musician Hermeto Pascoal. Mostly mid-tempo numbers, the tunes ranged from the ballad-like “Scientific” and earthy “B-flat Blues” to funky, Latin-inflected “Mixing”. “I’m influenced by all the players I like to listen to,” Pusch said. “That’s the secret about jazz. It isn’t only music; it’s a philosophy of personal self-development built on tolerance and the art of living in the moment.” He has performed in a variety of formats: duo, trio, quartet and big bands. Pusch is also a composer and arranger who has scored symphonic pieces for films. Pusch’s first major Indian encounter was in the late-’90s, when he performed at the Avignon Theatre Festival in France. “It had a focus on India, and members of the Kalakshetra College of Dance and Music were performing,” he said. “I got in touch with them and decided to go to Chennai to study.” Pusch received a scholarship from ICCR and moved with his family to Chennai in 1996. He would remain there for more than two years, studying Carnatic vocal from S Rajaram and rhythms from V Selvaganesh. “I got into the movie business and performed for many music directors, inclu!ding AR Rahman,” he said. There have been Carnatic saxo!phonists, like Kadri Gopalnath, before him, but Pusch is probably the first Westerner to perform the traditional south Indian style on the sax. He has also arranged compositions by Thyagaraja, Mysore Vasudeva and others, using a rhythm section comprised of guitar, bass and drums. “We respect the raga, but put it in a harmonic frame,” he said. “It’s not the style, but the attitude of the musician that counts. The future of music, art and culture lies in a respectful, well-understood and lived fusion. Not in a commercial, fast food con-fusion.”"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"When you hear it on the subtly-simmering 'For Heaven's Sake' you know you're in the presence of a master improviser. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Dear Linge, Thanks for everything! Everybody loved the party and Siembra. The band was for sure one of the best things of the whole day. Please pass by greetings and gratitude to the whole band. Thanks Lucia"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Wonderful to hear live jazz from a group of young, spontaneous and polished performers. Great rapport between the players and with the audience. Loved the energetic and stylish scat singing and instrumental solos, and it’s doubly great to have been in the audience of a live recording."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you Beauty Shop Dolls for making our Christmas party magical. We had a blast! We loved everything about your show, it was classy and perfectly planned on theme. The dress changes were a beautiful touch, to an already fabulous performance (I especially loved the blue feathers 😊). Everyone in the office is still buzzing from the dance class too. Highly, highly recommended!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Our wedding wouldn’t be the same without Francesca (vocal), Alex (guitar) and Alessandro (double bass) from Kama Jazz&Bossa - they made our day unforgetable! We had our wedding reception at Hotel de Russie in Rome - their music matched the venue perfectly. Our guests were also impressed by their skills and obvious love for music - they both listened to them at aperitivo and danced when the party warmed up. So if you are looking for a band for a tasteful, elegant reception - you found it. Next time I will be in Rome I will look for them, just to enjoy their music and to bring back the best memories of my life. 20/10."

Reply by KĀMA Jazz&Bossa
Dear Wiola and Milosz, Thank you so much for your review. We are so happy to have contributed to making your wedding unforgettable. It was a pleasure to play for you and your guests in the beautiful setting of the Hotel de Russie. It will be a pleasure to meet you when you’ll return to Rome, Italy. We wish you a lifetime of love! KĀMA Jazz&Bossa

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thanks so much for coming to Knowsley and taking part in our Serious Nonsense Festival. Your performance was one of the highlights of the programme and we have had so much positive feedback from audience members and visitors. Dr Jazz were as popular as ever!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We booked the Brian White quartet for our wedding in June and they were absolutely brilliant! All our guests commented on how great the band were and they played a great mix of music in the two sets, which really got the party going. They were happy to accommodate any special requests we had, including playing in a slightly unusual venue in our case. Dealing with Brian was a pleasure from start to finish and everything was handled very professionally. I highly recommend Brian and his band for any event."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"It was a great night and everyone enjoyed it immensely. I'm sure those that came will do it again. So we must plan another one for the New Year!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Rome jazz trio band were absolutely amazing — we had so much fun! The music was beautifully romantic and at times wonderfully upbeat. Thank you so much!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Fantastici! Un trio pieno di energia, sorridenti, comunicativi"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Initially, we saw Joie de Vivre, in Winchester and thought how wonderful they would be performing at our wedding. We were not disappointed. Their repertoire of old French classic amourettes were beautifully delivered and extremely varied from Piaf to Brel . All our guests enjoyed listening and singing along as we danced early in the evening before dinner "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

" Totally matched our fairytale themed Greek-American wedding! Brilliant musicians!"

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"The trio’s performance was absolutely breathtaking and added a sense of elegance and sophistication to our wedding that exceeded all expectations."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Our contact at Agriturismo La Lucciolaia told us of Tea For Three as well as a few other bands. Once we listened to their music, we did not even listen to the others. They has a great combination of old and newer songs and a unique sound. We contacted Stefano and he could not have been more helpful. We had to reschedule our wedding 4 times over two years due to COVID and he was flexible in making the changes. Our wedding party was a mix of older and younger folks and so we were concerned that TF3’s style might not make everyone happy. We shouldn’t have worried…everyone loved the music. Our day went well and they were a big part of the success. Grazie Mille TF3 !"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: