It is highly unlikely that the name of Ryan Sadri will vanish from the tongues of jazz devotees anytime soon. Especially not after the memorable and extraordinary live performance at the Tata Theatre NCPA on Saturday evening. An advocate for jazz for many years, Sadri accompanied by his band The Soul City consisting of a few young cats, brought out the soul, funk and blues to a captive audience.

While the first part of the show had just 6 songs, the second part post the interval was much more socially charged and consisted of a few tributes and original pieces outliving the set playlist.

The poignant, Naima opened the evening superbly charging from the first note. Sadri, drummer Andrew Kanga, bassist Nathan Thomas and keyboardist Ron Cha kicked off well, moving to an original piece Crossroads composed by Ron Cha while he was studying at Berklee. Ace flautist and alto saxophonist along with Meera Fernandes on trumpet join in on this one and create a riot. On Green People vocalist Sarosh Nanavaty joins in with her soloing and fluid high notes. The tempo slows down with the Marcus Miller cover Free, followed by Ron Jack a composition by Ron and his Berklee friend Jack (hence the name) with Sarosh back on the mic. Sadly Nanavaty’s vocals were drowned by the horn section which seemed louder. Someone from the console should have noticed this anomaly. If Clayderman had Ballade Pour Adeline, Sadri had Song for Leah an original, slow jam ballad by Sadri, with Ron on keys, dedicated to his newborn daughter. A perfect setting to end the first set.

It’s always risky for a musician to debut new music to an unsuspecting audience, especially during opening night, and especially for Sadri who debuted at the NCPA. His risky attempt showed, at least during the first half of the set that he and his band warmed up everyone as they moved to the next set.

He was at ease with songs like Greasy G taking centre stage to perform the Joshua Redman cover. During the tune, Sadri and Ron exchanged harmonious riffs with one another. Kenny Garrett’s Sing a Song of Song, a rhythmically challenging tune was the perfect piece for showcasing Sadri sax in full glow. Dressed for the occasion in a black outfit, Nanavaty was the centre of attention as shared the spotlight with Shirish, Meera on Mine, the vocals now very much audible. Her powerhouse vocals was something you just couldn’t miss, and it was good Sadri and band gave her the space to take the lead.  On Crazy Race, Sadri took over and switched gears breaking out into a full fledged jam session with Ron by his side, bringing on some hard hitting solos. On the Billie Holiday God Bless the Child, the audience got involved in the performance by some unsolicited cat calls and cheers, especially in a solo during certain parts of the song. Rhys Sebastian a well known alto sax player known for his retro style Bollywood pieces, marked off well on Always There showcasing a full horn section with Meera, Shirish and Sadri. The quartet were a treat to watch, especially when Ron jumped around his keyboard and began a synth vocal effect much to the amazement of all around, a true performer to watch out for in the future. There was nothing but pure energy from the band led by the spontaneous Sadri as they closed out the show with the horn section echoing all around as they walked backstage. The night ended with Nanavaty calling on stage Esha to do a cover of Macy Gray’s classic I Try. Both gave a fitting tribute to a very meaningful song.  It is not my place to dictate style, but merely to comment upon what is deemed to be acceptable given the standards of the day, but it is as safe to say that jeans are most definitely not on. To comply with the modern era, you may want to try combining formal dress code with free and fun expression. Jazz is open to anything, as long as you dress a step above your audience. The bassist was probably in the wrong place with a P cap in a jazz setting, a Fedora hat would’ve been ideal for an auditorium performance. Meera looked cute in a blue sleeveless, with her statuesque physique and a shy, girl-next-door allure, while Nanavaty exhumed style, and portrayed a new template for how modern jazz divas should dress. As for the others, timeless modernity associated with the well-dressed jazz saxophonists of an era gone by should’ve been the order of the day.

Lastly it was Rynosax, and ideally Ryan should’ve been on centre stage. Understandably, he may’ve wanted to play alongside his peers, but when it’s his show, he should’ve been in the centre taking the shower of praise than leaving the centre stage bare on some songs.

Sadri will never forget his night at the NCPA and we can say with confidence, it won’t be his last.

By Verus Ferreira