Recreating versatile women’s jazz from the 1950s and ‘60s

This Saturday, revisit the magic of classic jazz numbers like ‘My one and only love’ and ‘One note samba’, through the voice of Mumbai-based jazz singer Samantha Edwards.

This Saturday, revisit the magic of classic jazz numbers like ‘My one and only love’ and ‘One note samba’, through the voice of Mumbai-based jazz singer Samantha Edwards.

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The third edition of NCPA Legends, an annual music festival organised by the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), will pay tribute to five legendary women jazz vocalists from the 1950s and ’60s — Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae and Betty Carter.

The concert has been curated by NCPA Jazz Addicts, a group of city-based jazz enthusiasts.

“The Legends festival pays tribute to different musicians every year, this year we decided to focus on women jazz singers,” says Farrahnaz Irani, senior manager of international music at NCPA.

Before the 1950s, says Edwards, jazz was largely instrumental, until women, in the middle of the century, took centre stage with their versatile voices.

“Through the costumes, instruments and stage set-up, we plan to recreate the ’50s,” says Edwards.

The concert will also feature soloists such as Nayantara Bhatkal, Neha Bhujang and Samuel Berlie.