Groove#3
Funk and jazz are genres that have always been commercially and creatively more viable in the southern half of the country. It has less to do with stereotyping and more to do with the general prevalence of similar strains of ethnic arts – like Carnatic and Hindustani – in the suburbia, that identify with the aesthetes of open jam improvs.
In Chennai and thereabouts, these skills are epitomized by Groove #3, the city’s most potent new jazz combine. They started off in January 2010 as a three-man jazz band (hence, the ‘3’ reference), with Naveen Samson on lead guitars, David Joseph on the drums and Dhivyan Ahimaz on the bass.
Dhivyan was eventually replaced by Napier Naveen Kumar, and the line-up was further reinforced with the full time arrivals of keyboardist Leon James and eclectic percussionist Allwyn Jeya Paul.
The band has reneged on the need for a permanent vocalist, instead choosing to spread their time with cued-in session vocalists – Our usual favourites being Benny Dayal and Harshitha Krishnan.
Benny Dayal is, obviously, a more proven name, Harshitha reserves her place for the reserves of soul in her voice, effortlessly replicating some timeless Aretha Franklin traditions in there.
In Chennai and thereabouts, these skills are epitomized by Groove #3, the city’s most potent new jazz combine. They started off in January 2010 as a three-man jazz band (hence, the ‘3’ reference), with Naveen Samson on lead guitars, David Joseph on the drums and Dhivyan Ahimaz on the bass.
Dhivyan was eventually replaced by Napier Naveen Kumar, and the line-up was further reinforced with the full time arrivals of keyboardist Leon James and eclectic percussionist Allwyn Jeya Paul.
The band has reneged on the need for a permanent vocalist, instead choosing to spread their time with cued-in session vocalists – Our usual favourites being Benny Dayal and Harshitha Krishnan.
Benny Dayal is, obviously, a more proven name, Harshitha reserves her place for the reserves of soul in her voice, effortlessly replicating some timeless Aretha Franklin traditions in there.
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