So many artistes try their hand at fusing different styles of music these days that the novelty of the art seems to be wearing off. But very few of this group actually have a knack for fusion — the result being that several 'fusion' projects, in recent years, have come to resemble haphazardly mixed rhythms and genres.
Perhaps for this reason, George Brooks — who has been experimenting with two very diverse styles of music for years —has always remained a class apart.
The artiste — who plays the saxophone — has been exploring the interface between Indian classical music and jazz for decades, creating music which is refreshing and intriguing at the same time.
And although this may seem inconceivable at first, he explains that the styles of music have certain commonalities that he capitalises on.
"The biggest similarity is that with both these genres, artistes have to improve on stage. There are, of course, certain set parameters — but we have to use our imagination and the inspiration of the moment as well. This is probably why jazz and Indian classical artistes have been interacting for over 50 years now, ever since western musicians first came to this country," he says.
However, that doesn't mean that he doesn't face his share of challenges when it comes to fusing music. "Both genres have a different perspective on rhythm," he admits, adding, "in the sa re ga ma system of Indian classic music, the sa — what we call the tonic note — remains constant. But in western classical music, it changes. This is a small adjustment that a western musician has to keep in mind when playing with Indian artistes."
Speaking of which, his interaction with prominent names in the Indian music scene has been a long one.
He studied under master vocalist Pran Nath and went on to work with personalities like Zakir Hussain.
"Most of them were very open to fusion music — but it's not always so easy, because Indian instruments are made in a different way — they aren't built to change keys. I write music that appreciates this fact and so do they," he states.
But although the maestro has a deep appreciation for Indian classical music, he doesn't share the same reverence for popular tunes of the time — predominantly from the film industry.
"There are, of course, some musicians in Bollywood who are doing great things. But the sad thing is that I meet musicians who play instruments like the saxophone, violin and cello — and they are almost never used in the film industry. It's sad for both the musician as well as the music," he laments.
"Of course, computers can generate sounds which musicians use in very clever ways — but I would like to see more acoustic music. I'm old-fashioned," he adds with a smile.
George recently performed in the City, along with percussion ensemble Asima and Samatma, an instrumental group.
"I have a few friends in Bangalore who are great musicians. I know very little about the rock scene — but there are some great Carnatic vocalists here," he sums up.
Perhaps for this reason, George Brooks — who has been experimenting with two very diverse styles of music for years —has always remained a class apart.
The artiste — who plays the saxophone — has been exploring the interface between Indian classical music and jazz for decades, creating music which is refreshing and intriguing at the same time.
And although this may seem inconceivable at first, he explains that the styles of music have certain commonalities that he capitalises on.
"The biggest similarity is that with both these genres, artistes have to improve on stage. There are, of course, certain set parameters — but we have to use our imagination and the inspiration of the moment as well. This is probably why jazz and Indian classical artistes have been interacting for over 50 years now, ever since western musicians first came to this country," he says.
However, that doesn't mean that he doesn't face his share of challenges when it comes to fusing music. "Both genres have a different perspective on rhythm," he admits, adding, "in the sa re ga ma system of Indian classic music, the sa — what we call the tonic note — remains constant. But in western classical music, it changes. This is a small adjustment that a western musician has to keep in mind when playing with Indian artistes."
Speaking of which, his interaction with prominent names in the Indian music scene has been a long one.
He studied under master vocalist Pran Nath and went on to work with personalities like Zakir Hussain.
"Most of them were very open to fusion music — but it's not always so easy, because Indian instruments are made in a different way — they aren't built to change keys. I write music that appreciates this fact and so do they," he states.
But although the maestro has a deep appreciation for Indian classical music, he doesn't share the same reverence for popular tunes of the time — predominantly from the film industry.
"There are, of course, some musicians in Bollywood who are doing great things. But the sad thing is that I meet musicians who play instruments like the saxophone, violin and cello — and they are almost never used in the film industry. It's sad for both the musician as well as the music," he laments.
"Of course, computers can generate sounds which musicians use in very clever ways — but I would like to see more acoustic music. I'm old-fashioned," he adds with a smile.
George recently performed in the City, along with percussion ensemble Asima and Samatma, an instrumental group.
"I have a few friends in Bangalore who are great musicians. I know very little about the rock scene — but there are some great Carnatic vocalists here," he sums up.