Blues or ragtime, bop or jive, Jazz in any form is one of the finest forms of music. With The Leela Palace, TravelDine brings you the best of Jazz.
Talk about Jazz and the purists of one of the finest genres of music will tell you that there is nothing in the world that compares to it. In fact, just as rock is all-pervasive across eras and tastes, Jazz is the epitome of a great discerning taste. At the upcoming gathering of TravelDine, in association with The Leela Palace in Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai, the celebrations take on a groove-laden swing — as Jazz takes centerstage.
Headlining the concert is a trio that every jazz aficionado in the country — and those around the world — have adored. Driven by the legendary Pradyumna Singh Manot (aka Paddy), an institution in himself for Latin Jazz, The Paddy Trio will drive a resplendent evening with an unforgettable Jazz line-up. Joined by Aditya on the bass guitar and Bihu on drums, the November evening that The Paddy Trio will headline is perhaps one of the best ways to kick-off the nip of winter in the air.
For fans of Jazz, this marks a moment of reckoning for the genre in India. It tips a hat to how Jazz has played a major role in some of the most iconic scenes in the cultural arena. For instance, Jazz has been the cornerstone of some of the finest diners in the world — so much so that through the 20th century, for many decades, it is jazz that sets them apart.
For instance, in a recent chat, Anupam Dasgupta, General Manager of The Leela Palace, New Delhi broke into one of his favourite jazz songs when I asked him about the festival. It is this that personifies the love for the genre that its patrons have. To be sure, The Leela Palace New Delhi will be playing host to the first of the Traveldine and The Leela Jazz Nights.
Interestingly, it is also a genre that many aficionados discovered through their trysts with Hindustani classical music — just like Dasgupta.
The same applies for the world’s finest bars too. As you waltz through the end of a week, fans of the genre will tell you how Jazz often lends some of the best lyrics for the wide gamut of life. From the best poets to the greatest composers, some of the world’s finest storytellers have taken to Jazz to create the greatest music of all time. From the founding legends Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis to even modern artistes such as Kamasi Washington, each of them has held sway over the stories they’ve told and the melodies they’ve created… Each of them reminiscent of the warm, fuzzy interiors of a wood-paneled bar.
This winter, sway to some of the greatest renditions of Jazz — in as perfect an ambience as you can imagine.