It was raining music last night.

It was the Monsoon Regatta…and a fitting finale, an evening of Monsoon Jazz. The Sharik Hasan Quartet, no less. With the effervescent Philippe Lemm, the Jazz Drummer who is in love with his percussive companions and has no inhibitions in showing it. With Marco Zenini who with his expressive face and emotive fingers is known to ask audiences to ‘Cello…ik baar, phir say…ajnabi ban jaaye hum dono’. And of course Pawan Benjamin who shows you a million ways to make love to a saxophone.

And they put up a wonderful performance last night at the Marriott. Original Sharik Hasan compositions including one that a dear Bengali like me called “Tapar Tupur” after the monsoon. And a few classics including the almost pedestrian Take 5.

Yes, the Quartet was a lot of pleasure. But there was a preamble that was all about pride.

And yes, I am talking of the newly formed group/ensemble ‘Jazzed Friends’. Joe Koster, Dennis Augustine Powell, Raphaelle Courtay, Humayun Mirza, Triveni Sunkara, the inimitable Shaquella Jay and the unforgettable Kartik Kalyan…I do hope I have the names right.

While Shankar and Maya had indeed tried to give blossoming space to the Charminar Jazz Collective and others, the Jazz Bands often dispersed when their imported talent left for foreign lands. In fact it was but a year back when someone told Joe Koster and the Hyderabad Western Music Foundation that they did not think Hyderabad could put together any Jazz team of significance.

A year later they are proved wrong. An eight member team that is still growing. The brass section is showing signs of multiplication. Strings are being heard in many quarters. I can hear the violins…Astrid?

Yes, I felt pride when Jazzed Friends opened the show with four select numbers…and then let Sharik Hasan take centre stage. There was dignity and grace in the way they played for a short while. They knew that the crowds were waiting for the band from ‘New York’…but they decided to warm the cockles of the audience’s hearts by giving them a dose of mood music.

The band was appreciated, though I still feel that Shaquella’s Jazz Vocals were lost in the microphone. Joe Koster on his slidy instrument, George Hull on his never obtrusive Sax. And the oh so unassuming bassist who sat down in a corner and simply bassled. All of them were wonderful.

Congrats to the HWMF, the Hyderabad Western Music Foundation. Congrats to the team. Thanks also to Suheim Sheikh, the man behind the monsoon

A lovely evening…made lovelier with the delicious support of Kingfisher, Pitar’s and my very own favourite Blender’s Pride.