Tabla Master Zakir Hussain To Play With Esteemed Jazz Bassist Dave Holland In Crosscurrents At Chan Centre

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 Concert Bridges Jazz and Indian Music’s Shared Influences & Intersections

 VANCOUVER – The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia (UBC) will present Crosscurrents, a collaboration by virtuoso musicians Zakir Hussain and Dave Holland on October 28at 8pm in the Chan Shun Concert Hall.

 Hussain, the world’s foremost tabla master,joins forces with Holland –bandleader, composer, and 2017 NEA Jazz Master bassist –alongside a stellar quintet including saxophonist Chris Potter and vocalist Shankar Mahadevan. Together, the ensemble willexplore the fascinating artistic intersections between jazz and Indian music,and bridge two genres seemingly worlds apart.

“We look forward to welcoming back audience favourite Zakir Hussain, and presenting Dave Holland for the first time,” says Joyce Hinton, Co-Managing Director of the Chan Centre.“These two are such brilliant and inspiring artists in their own right. Having the opportunity to host a ‘meeting of the minds’ between them is really an honour. There is a lot of shared ground between jazz and the music of India, which lays the groundwork for exciting musical experimentation.”

The Chicago Tribune has said,If there is such a thing as a tabla superstar, Indian virtuoso Zakir Hussain is it.” Hussainis internationally lauded as a leading percussionist, accomplished composer, a respected educator, and is considered a chief architect of the contemporary world music movement. Arevered tabla artist, his playing is distinguished by its exceptional musicality and dexterity, rooted in disciplined technical study. Hussain’s performances have elevated the profile of the tabla in India and abroad.

A child prodigy, Hussain begantouring the world by the age of twelve. Not long after he engaged in many collaborations, including with Yo-Yo Ma,George Harrison, Bela Fleck,Van Morrison, Edgar Meyer, and otherwell-known artists. As a composer, Hussain has scored numerous films by such directors asMerchant-Ivoryand Bernardo Bertolucci,and he recently premieredhis third concerto, Peshkar – the first-ever for tabla and orchestra –  in April 2017with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. Hussain is the recipient of countless awards and honors, including multiple GRAMMY awards and theNational Heritage Fellowship.

A scholar of tone and rhythm, bassist, composer, and bandleader Dave Holland is now in his fifth decade as a performer. Hailed as “One of the most sophisticated composers and arrangers in the jazz world” by the Boston Globe, Holland has evolved and expanded his art while constantly honing hisdistinctive voice. Since his debut in the mid-1960s with Miles Davis’ legendary Bitches Brew band, that voice has been heard with Spanish guitar legend Pepe Habichuela, accompanying the great vocalist Betty Carter in her last years,alongside Chick Corea in the avant-garde quartet Circle, andwith legends Stan Getz, Hank Jones, and Herbie Hancock. Holland is also a distinguished mentor totoday’s leading players such as Chris Potter, Kevin and Robin Eubanks, and Steve Coleman. A known figure in the history of modern jazz, Holland continues to defy expectation and push creative boundaries.

Performing as part ofCrosscurrentswill be New York’s acclaimed saxophonist Chris Potter. AGRAMMY-nominatedsoloistnamed “One of the most studied (and copied) saxophonists on the planet”by DownBeat magazine,  Potter’s impressive discography includes 15 albums as a leader and more than100 albums as a sideman. Alongside Potter will be Shankar Mahadevan. Considered among the greatest Indian vocalists performing today, and known as the voice of “every Tamil hero”, Mahadevan is also one of Bollywood’s most illustrious film composers.

Crosscurrents will also feature Louiz Banks (keyboards),nicknamed the “Godfather of Indian Jazz”who can be heard on the GRAMMY-nominated album Miles from India (2008); self-taught virtuoso Sanjay Divecha (guitar) who spent 15 years touring with such stars as Angelique Kidjo and Carlos Santana, and Gino Banks (drums) who has played with classical greats Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Ustad Rashid Khan, among others.

Chan Centre Connects Events (chancentre.com/connects)

A series of ancillary events programmed in conjunction with Chan Centre performances, exploring the role of arts and artists in society.

  • Film Screening: Katyar Kaljat Ghunsali – Thursday October 19, 2017, 7pm @ The Cinematheque (1131 Howe St.), Vancouver.

Presented by the Chan Centre in partnership with The Cinematheque, this musical drama tells of a longstanding rivalry between two Hindustani classical singers. Starring Mumbai-based singer Shankar Mahadevan.

 

  • Pre-Show Talk –Saturday, October 28, 2017, 7:15pm @ Royal Bank Cinema, The Chan Centre. UBC School of Music faculty member Fred Stride talks about the rich history of cross-cultural connections between jazz and the music of India.