LIJF 2024: Milap and LIJF presents The Attuned Quartet
Saturday, 24 February 2024 Time: 1pm
Omar Puente - electric violin
Jack Jennings - guitar
Gurdain Rayatt - tabla
Santi Jayashina - cello
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This ambitious new line up of Attuned is striving to develop its own approach to Indian Classical fusion. Placing a strong emphasis on the compositional elements of their material as well as improvisational prowess, they are approaching fusion in a different way to most artists in the subgenre. The diverse expertise and backgrounds of the group's members enable a vast collection of styles and traditions from across the world to be assimilated seamlessly.
Each composition is constructed in a very specific way, creating an intriguing environment for the improvisation to take place. The melodic material is based on Raags of North and South India, the harmonic elements are evolved precisely from these Raags to develop and enrich their character, without changing the essence of the music. While embodying the complex rhythms of Indian music, the overall landscape of the ensemble draws much from Latin, and Jazz traditions also. These contrasting rhythms, that are layered into the arrangements, flow together seamlessly and when executed with the sharpness and articulation of this group it has a real impact.
The Attuned Quartet will take audiences into a new understanding of what the potential of fusion really is and how this group is truly an ideal foundation for new forms of expression.
Electric violinist Omar Puente is one of the world's leading violinists and a well respected artist of the London Jazz and Latin music scene. Beginning his career in the late 80’s as the 1st chair violinist of the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra, he then toured American and Mexico with the ‘Jose Maria Vitier Jazz Band’ and moved on to play with leading members of the Buena Vista Social Club. In 1997 he moved to the UK and had a tremendous impact continuing to work with the best in business and making his name as a band leader and solo artist. He has played with Nigel Kennedy, Eddie Palmieri, and collaborated on a jazz project with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Among other well known musicians he has played with are guitarist John Williams, pianist Robert Mitchell, Jools Holland, Kirsty MacColl, Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo of the Buena Vista Social Club. Puente is a regular member of the band of saxophonist Courtney Pine, who produced his debut solo album From There to Here (2009).
Electric guitarist Jack Jennings is one the few professional guitarists who fully adapt Indian classical music to their instrument. He is a disciple of sitar virtuoso Roopa Panesar and Shakir Parvez Khan who have enabled him to develop a deeply rooted approach while exploring the potential of the guitar as a new voice within Indian Classical music. He appeared on Kuljit Bhamra’s album Raga & Tala, had a master-class residency alongside Pandit Sanju Sahai and Chandra Chakraborti and worked extensively with slide guitarist Manish Pingle, developing unique repertoire together and playing concerts all around the UK. As a composer his work ranges from classical guitar, Rock, Jazz and Indian Classical with his previous band Ashowka signed to Geoff Barrow (Portishead) label in Bristol. He is the principal composer of the Attuned Quartet and sees this group as the perfect vehicle for Indian music and other elements of world music to go hand in hand, forging new directions.
Tabla player Gurdain Rayatt is one of the leading tabla players in the country today performing regularly as an international artist. Trained by the tabla legend Guru Acharya Pandit Shankar Ghosh, Gurdain’s performances range from traditional classical music and dance through to cross-cultural and experimental fusion work. Hailing from the traditions of three major tabla gharanas (Benares, Punjab and Farukhabad), Gurdain has been blessed with the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest tabla players on the stage today including Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pandit Kumar Bose and Pandit Anindo Chatterjee. He has been fortunate to have toured, performed and collaborated with some of the most proficient performers currently onstage including Anoushka Shankar, Niladri Kumar, Kala Ramnath, Purbayan Chatterjee, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Pandit Kushal Das, Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya, Bernhard Schimpelsberger, Roopa Panesar, Jesse Bannister to name a few.
Cellist Santi Jayasinha is a highly sought after Jazz and World multi-instrumentalist and an extremely experienced educator. He has worked in all types of musical situations at the highest level in the Jazz, Latin, Brazilian, African and other World music fields. He has worked with legendary Cuban pianists Frank Emilio Fly, Ruben Gonzalez and Cachaito from the Buena Vista Club and with Chocolate Armenteros in New York. On the London scene he has worked with Jyotsna Srikanth, John Mayer’s Indo-Jazz Fusions, Gregori Schechter’s Klezmer Festival Band, Kuljit Bhamra, Gilad Atzmon, Tim Garland and Courtney Pine. On the folk scene he has recorded on Karen Tweed’s May Monday with Finnish and Swedish folk musicians, Bill Jones (three albums) and worked with a variety of Irish and Scottish folk musicians including at Salsa Celtica. Cello credits include recording on Linsday Cooper’s Sahara Dust, Mônica Vasconcelos’ Nois, touring with the Mike Westbrook Orchestra, Mulatu Astakte, Adriana Vasques, Clare Foster, and his own Brazil Cello Trio.