Karachi
was offered for one night only, a rare performance by
the star studded Kolachi Quartet who played live at
the historic PACC auditorium on the 18th of October
to a full house of critics, fans, music lovers and celebs
alike. With tickets sold out well in advance of this
performance, this promised to be one of the most anticipated
shows of the season.
The
evening of jazz fusion was held independently by the
quartet and the show brought to the spotlight maestros
Gumby, Abbas Premjee, Emu and Khalid at the Quartet’s
helm. The band introduced Zara as a guest singer. Zara,
belonging to the eastern classical school is perhaps
most popularly identified as having featured on the
Khuda Keh Liye soundtrack. The performance also introduced
vocalist Irfan, with his Sindhi folk background, who
can be heard on Abbas Premjee’s upcoming album
‘Elements’.
In
a unique performance showcasing western jazz and eastern
fusion, the Kolachi Quartet put together drums and percussion,
ala maestro Gumby, classical guitar from reclusive but
sensational Abbas Premjee, electronic piano and Keyboards
played by the stylish and scintillating Emu and the
popular and groovy Khalid Khan on Bass guitars. The
quartet played a set of original compositions along
with a couple of songs from Abbas’ album. The
only cover for the night was their rendition of Take
5 by the smoking Dave Brubeck which was done sans saxophone
but with great spirit – the opening notes got
everyone applauding in recognition.
On
speaking to the audience, the widely acknowledged highlights
of the evening were Emu’s jazzy keyboard solos,
Gumby’s outstanding drum solo on the second last
song Abbas’ skilled and beautifully composed acoustic
piece and Khalid’s jazzy bass solo. For a show
solely publicized by a facebook event and the power
of the word of mouth, the evening brought in the older
crowd, the young jazz lovers, the producers, record
label heads, directors, photographers, designers, models,
bands, musicians, media and music lovers. A cross section
of the hall revealed the likes of Sohail Javed, Ayesha
Omar, Faisel Rafi, Tanya Shafi, Amean Jan, Shallum,
Saima Mohsin, The Aunty Disco Project, Sami Shah and
Munib Nawaz. Over 50 people (including top industry
names) looking to buy tickets at the PACC, had to be
turned away from the door due to venue capacity.
The
Kolachi Quartet has its beginnings in late 2007, when
Gumby met with Abbas Premjee at a recording studio in
Karachi, after which the duo enjoyed a successive series
of jazz jams. Together they decided to formalize their
set up into one that introduced improvised performances
for jazz enthusiasts in Pakistan. Gumby and Abbas were
joined by acclaimed keyboardist Imran Momina (Emu) of
Fuzon fame and popular bassist Khalid Khan, and together
they have now come to be known, recognized and coveted
as The Kolachi Quartet. Each musician boasts an impressive
portfolio: Abbas for instance, has played guitar alongside
Buddy Collette in the LMU Jazz ensemble, and was featured
in master classes with world-renowned classical guitarists
Pepe Romero and Manuel Barrueco. Emu has toured extensively
nationally and internationally with Fuzon and is an
award winning keyboard player. Khalid has played with
bands such as Fuzon and Mizraab has also worked on solo
projects with Najam Shiraz and Faraz Anwar. Apart from
his mainstream work, Khalid is best known as the driving
force behind Aaroh’s music. Multi award winner
Gumby has shared stage at the Royal Albert Hall in London
with Abida Parveen and Sonu Nigham and has collaborated
with European jazz musicians at the World Performing
Arts Festival in Lahore and at several European Jazz
festivals. With a line up featuring such skilled musicians,
the Quartet incorporates Western jazz with Indian ragas
and rhythms creating a new sound that is unique to this
part of the world.
The
Kolachi Quartet have revealed they are looking forward
to bringing a further diversity of vocalists and jazz
fusion and plan to stage performances in Lahore as well.
|
|
