On Sunday, May 3, the world-jazz ensemble Natraj brings its internationally-acclaimed blend of Indian classical music, West African music, and contemporary jazz to the Brighton Allston Congregational Church, 404 Washington Street, Brighton Center, MA. The concert begins at 3:00 p.m. and is part of the church’s concert series to benefit the renovations to the Community Supper kitchen. Tickets are $10 (general admission), $5 (students, seniors), and free (low income). For tickets and information, call (617) 254-4046; directions to the church, both by car and public transit, can be found at in the box to the left under "Learn more about us and the UCC." We are grateful to Citizens Bank for making free parking available in their parking lot next door.
From Boston to Toronto, and India to Ghana, Natraj has delighted listeners in clubs, concert halls, and festivals since 1987. Selected as Boston’s Best Jazz Band by the Improper Bostonian, Natraj captivates and excites audiences with its exotic textures, accessible melodies, and rhythmic energy. Natraj seamlessly melds the classical music of India, traditional music from West Africa, and contemporary jazz to create its own unique and infectious style. Hard-driving African grooves and graceful Indian ragas meet in the band’s expansive jazz conception. “A seamless blend of jazz and Indian music… delightfully unconventional…” — Jazziz.
Appearances include India’s JazzYatra and Prayojana International Music Festival; Ghana’s PANAFEST; the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto; and the Guelph Jazz Festival, Guelph, Canada. At its recent performance in the LearnQuest Music Festival, Natraj was featured with special guests, icons of Indian-classical bamboo flute, Shashank and Pt. Ronu Majumdar. Natraj has been featured on the nationally syndicated program, The World (PRI/BBC/WGBH-FM); Doordarshan (Indian National TV); Maine Things Considered (Maine Public Radio); South Asian Newsweek (CFMT-TV, Toronto); and Radio Mid-Day (Mumbai, India). “We heard the future of jazz... we heard the future of world music... a spellbinding tapestry... a jazz hybrid of celebration and reflection.” —Times of India.
In this concert, Natraj features the raga-influenced soprano saxophone of Phil Scarff; the warm, nimble solidity of bassist Michael Rivard; the tabla and multipercussion wizardry of Jerry Leake; and high-energy groove of drummer Bertram Lehmann.
