Jan 19 2025 to Jan 19 2025 7:30 p.m.

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

Join us for an intimate performance which will take the audience through a journey of songs and original compositions blending both Indian Classical and Jazz influences.

A Q&A session with the audience will follow.

MoonArra has been collaborating with musicians globally for fifteen years now, ever since its first major collaboration at the Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2009. From then on, they have worked with musicians in Europe – Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland, Italy and Hungary. Africa –Tangiers Morocco and USA.

This year marks the 7th year of their collaboration with Phil Scarff, an exponent of both jazz and Hindustani Classical on the saxophone. This time they are recording an album of original songs written and composed by Madhuri Jagadeesh based on Indian Classical influences with arrangements by Jagadeesh M.R and creative inputs by Phil Scarff and Jataveda Banerjee.
Artistes
Phil Scarff
Soprano Sax

Phil Scarff is a pioneer of the performance of North Indian classical music on soprano saxophone, and exquisitely captures the music’s subtlety and depth. His performance at the famed Tansen Samaroh, Gwalior, India, with Saskia Rao de Haas was “The highlight of the festival.” [Dainik Bhaskar]. Indian classical appearances include India’s Nehru Center and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (Mumbai); Saptak School of Music (Ahmedabad); Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture (Kolkata); ICCR Theater (Delhi); and Pt Chatur Lal Festival (virtual). Phil is a master jazz saxophonist, and leads world-jazz ensembles, Natraj and the Lewis Porter-Phil Scarff Group. World-jazz appearances include India’s JazzYatra, and Prayojana International Music Festival; Ghana’s PANAFEST; and Boston Globe Jazz Festival (USA). Phil is featured on over 40 acclaimed CDs/DVDs. He was named Best Instrumentalist in Foundations TV Red Carpet Awards (USA), and garnered New England Choice Awards for Art & Music. He is featured in the music video, “Vaishnav Jan To” (music director Dhruvit Shah), awarded “Best Music” in the Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival and “Best Music – Jury” in the Kolkata Shorts International Film Festival.

Phil has performed with icons of Indian classical music including Ronu Majumdar, Shashank, Kadri Gopalnath, Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, Trichy Sankaran, Chitravina Ravikiran; as well as African master drummers Godwin Agbeli, Abubakari Lunna, Nani Agbeli, and Lamine Toure. Phil performs and records with creative jazz ensembles including Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Composers Alliance, Filmprov, and OddSong.

Phil received extensive training Hindustani music in Pune, India, from vocalist Pt. Shreeram Devasthali, leading sundri artist Pt. Suryakant Khaladkar, and shehnai master Pt. Shyamrao Lonkar, and in Boston, USA, from sitar master Peter Row, and vocalists Kalpana Mazumdar and Warren Senders. Phil appeared on ‘The Morning Show’ on SAAM TV, India. All India Radio broadcast his Hindustani performance, under the auspices of the Sangeet Research Academy. He has received awards from Music Forum and Indo-US Cultural Council (Mumbai).

Phil has presented workshops at institutions such as New England Conservatory, Indian Musicological Society (Mumbai), Berklee College, Tufts Univ., Kalakshetra Foundation (Chennai, India), Univ. of North TX, Univ. of OK, Lawrence Univ., Bowdoin College, Dartmouth College, Guelph Jazz Festival, Univ. of RI, MIT, LearnQuest Festival, Boston Univ., Berks Jazz Fest, College Conservatory at Univ. of Cincinnati, and North American Saxophone Alliance conferences.
Jagadeesh M R
Guitars

Self taught guitar player, composer and founder of MoonArra, based in Bengaluru, India, Jagadeesh is an experienced guitarist performing with pop, rock, jazz and fusion ensembles for three decades. From a young age, Jagadeesh was exposed to Indian Classical sounds as well as Western Classical music. Jagadeesh also formally studied Carnatic Classical on the flute. Playing both nylon guitar and electric steel string guitar, he has been collaborating with musicians around the globe in jazz concerts and albums.

His interest in flamenco music led him to Spain where he spent a month studying under Juan Maria Paul in Sevilla. Jagadeesh also developed an interest in playing the Oud after a trip to Cairo, Egypt. As Head of Events at Radio Indigo (till 2008) Jagadeesh was instrumental in conceptualising a number of international quality concert events, reviving and putting together what is arguably Bangalore’s finest and one of India’s best Jazz Festivals – The Indigo & Blues Festival in 2007 – and in 2009 a 3 Day Jazz Festival at the UB City for the Bengaluru Habba.

Following up on this year’s highly successful International Jazz Day Bengaluru on April 29 & 30 2022 – The Indo German International Jazz Week an initiative, conceived during the pandemic, aims to spread the footprint of jazz between the two countries Germany & India. Globally Jazz stands for unity in diversity, spirit of creativity, celebration of the human spirit, fostering peace, harmony, goodwill, and to bring about a positive change in the environment.

Jagadeesh is the Director of the Bangalore School of Music, heading the Jazz & Contemporary Music Dept., Music Relations, concerts, events, programming, etc. Since the days of the Jazz Yatra, Jazz is getting increasingly popular in Bengaluru which has witnessed many jazz festivals and hosted many international jazz concerts over the years. The city is also seeing the rise and interest in jazz amongst many younger musicians and bands who have been participating in the Café Jazz Sessions, a monthly event initiated by The Bangalore School of Music, held at the Alliance Francaise to create a jazz scene where musicians connect with each other, audiences through performances, lecture demonstrations and jam sessions. Café Jazz has now completed 21 successful editions. Jagadeesh is also working on establishing a formal Jazz Education Course here in Bengaluru. Jagadeesh is an endorsee of Godin Guitars (Canada), a jury from India on the Global Seven Virtual Jazz Club and is the Regional Director India- IMMSANE.
Madhuri Jagadeesh
Vocals & Poetry

Madhuri Jagadeesh– Has got a Masters in World Literature.,Singer songwriter and co founder of MoonArra, Madhuri’s vocals has influences from all over the world, but rooted in India. She began singing in school operatas and small musical productions since she was eight years old. She’s also been singing professionally since she was eighteen. She’s always loved the open sound of jazz and finds it the most inclusive form of music and a universal mode of communication. Madhuri has found a niche in world music and is constantly looking to expand the scope and possibilities of this genre with new influences and sounds from around the world as she travels. Her other interests include fine arts, performing arts, applied arts and she’s been in the field of training, learning and development as a consultant and has conducted developmental programmes in corporates, corporations, organisations and institutions. She has an understanding of Indian Classical and Western Classical Music and uses both in her exploration of jazz and world music. A vocalist and songwriter, Madhuri has conceived and created significant concert productions for MoonArra such as Operaaga, Raagas Round Midnight, Women Aah Men, The Cosmic Tree. The second edition of Operaaga was also successfully produced in Italy (Milan and Bologna June 2023) in collaboration with Italian musician Nicola Baroni and his ensemble.

Madhuri was also recently featured in an interview with Swedish based musician Biggi Vinkeloe in the first edition of Turnaround Magazine, run by Washington based jazz musician Amy Bormet and her foundation Washington Women in Jazz. The edition also featured an interview with jazz icon Dee Dee Bridgewater. Madhuri was also featured on Joan Cartwright’s Women in Jazz Global radio podcast for women who perform and compose their own music and presented two of her compositions.
Adarsh Shenoy
Tabla

Adarsh started his training in Tabla at the tender age of 8 under Sri Nagaraj Rao Gaikwad, who built in him a strong foundation of the basics of the Delhi and Ajrada Gharanas. Later he undertook training in the Faroukhabad style under Pandit Rajgopal Kallurkar from the year 1999. At present he is receiving advanced lessons from Pt. Yogesh Samsi of Mumbai. Adarsh was fortunate to be born in a music loving family to Sri Satish and Smt. Shwetha Shenoy, who took immense interest in grounding into him the importance of music at a very early age. Adarsh’s musical inclination was further strengthened by his elder brother Sri Abhijith Shenoy who is a very able Hindustani Classical Vocalist. Adarsh constantly accompanies his brother in all his concerts and the duo have given over 500 concerts together and carved a niche for them in the Hindustani Music Circuit.

Adarsh entered the concert arena at a very young age and has been the preferred choice for many vocalists and instrumentalists. He was one of the youngest Tabla players to be awarded with a B-High grade by the All India Radio, Bangalore at the age of 18. He has given many programs on the Radio and TV. Adarsh is also a recipient of many scholarships like the CCRT scholarship from the Govt. of India, scholarship from the State govt. of Karnataka and the Sursagar Scholarship. He was awarded the Best Junior Tabla Player award by the Sri Rama Seva Mandali, Fort High School.

Adarsh has won various Tabla competitions at the school and college levels and was the winner of the Rotary Club music instrumental competitions for 4 years in a row during his school days. He has represented the Bangalore University at the south zone university competitions and was selected to represent the south zone at the nationals. He also been part of the Jain College Group Song team which has been the All India Champion at the National Level Group Song Competition organized by the Bharat Vikas Parishad. Adarsh has completed his Vidwath exam in Tabla from the Karnataka State Board and Sangeet Alankar from the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal of Maharashtra, all in high distinction. He is currently pursuing another Music course under the Khairagarh University. He was recently awarded All India 2nd Rank in his Sangeet Alankar exam.

Adarsh’s keen interest in innovation led him to foray into the fields of carnatic music and fusion music as well. He is currently undertaking training in the Carnatic talaa system under Vidwan Sri Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma, a very senior and respected Mridangam Artist from Bangalore. Adarsh is now a regular performer in various Taala vaadyas and ensembles and has been part of various groups like Laya Lahari, Layatharanga, Indo Canadian Band Lehera, Mangal Dhwani, RARE, Nandi Taala Vaadya, Karnataka School of Percussion etc to name a few. He has also successfully ventured into Fusion music and is the Founder member of a classical instrumental fusion band called Vidyouth, which comprises of young musicians from the Hindustani, Carnatic and Western forms of Music. He is part of fusion bands like The Prakash Sontakke Group, The Karthik Mani Group and others.

Adarsh has given many performances and has accompanied artists like Pt. Narsimhalu Wadavatti, Pt. Parmeshwar Hegde, Pt. Nandakishore Muley, Pt.Prakash Sontakke, Pt. Milind Date, Pramod Gaikwad, Pt.Prabhat Kumar, Pt. Santosh Nahar, Dr. Jayanth Kumar Das etc to name a few. He has also performed alongside prominent Carnatic Musicians like Vidwan Sriram Parasuram & Anuradha Sriram, Vidushi Aruna Sairam, Sri Yella Venkateshwara rao, Sri Shashank Subramanium, Mysore Manjunath and Nagaraj, Vidwan Bangalore V.Praveen, Vidushi Kanyakumari, Vidwan Sri N Amrit etc.

Adarsh is aslo the accompanist of choice for the younger generation of Hindustani Musicians like Sameer Rao, Suhas Mitra, Apratim Majumdar, Subranil Sarkar and many others. He has also been part of many jugalbandi concerts and has given Tabla solo recitals as well. Adarsh’s keen sense of rhythm and dexterity has been appreciated by connoisseurs of music, apart from young and old audiences alike. He has played alongside western musicians like Mike Herting, Mathias Shriefel & Peter Kroll Ploeger and some jazz and rock musicians like MoonArra, Amit Heri, Keith Peters, Bruce Lee Mani, Darshan Doshi, Manoj George & Rhzude in fusion shows.

Adarsh has performed at various prestigious platforms across the country and abroad, and has also extensively performed in most cities of Karnataka.
Jataveda Banerjee
Vocals & Creative Input

Composer, Lyricist, Vocalist Lyricist, and trained in Hindustani classical music Jataveda Banerjee has been performing for more than a decade with musicians, groups and has also composed music for animation feature films and live and recorded music for theatre. Jataveda has been performing with MoonArra since 2021 and has toured Europe with them.