Berklee jazz doubles Delhi dose

Delhi, unfortunately, not only has an ear for jazz, but a cheek that deserves to be slapped at times. On Thursday evening, the Aditya Balani Group (ABG) kick-started its India tour at Nu.delhi, a restaurant and bar by Q’BA.

Delhi, unfortunately, not only has an ear for jazz, but a cheek that deserves to be slapped at times. On Thursday evening, the Aditya Balani Group (ABG) kick-started its India tour at Nu.delhi, a restaurant and bar by Q’BA. The ABG comprises five students of Berklee College of Music who play an astonishingly good blend of lounge and progressive jazz. They are here to tour three cities: Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

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While the purpose of their tour is to spread their music, they are also here to conduct workshops, to promote and train contemporary Indian western music, and also scout for local talent.

Despite their undoubted gift and talent of music, the ABG, unknowingly almost performed two complete sets at Nu.delhi, till they finally realised they were performing for a private wedding party.

The party was a motley inebriated bunch who was more interested in jiving to George Michael’s painfully chirpy ballad Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, than listen to the choppy rhythms of the bass or the long haunting solos of a trumpet. The ABG on Saturday will perform again at the Haze Blues & Jazz Bar, Vasant Vihar — it doesn’t matter if you are or aren’t a jazz aficionado — the least you could do is give them a listen.