ChaiTime with Jazz Saxophonist and Hindustani Classical Musician Phil Scarff - October 26, 2014

French poet Victor Hugo has said, “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent”. In this ChaiTime show, we will take you to the magical journey where the words will melt into music and music will fill the silence. We will be talking to, the renowned master Jazz saxophonist and Hindustani Classical Musician Phil Scarff and he is going to take us into the enchanting land of sur, taal,and raaga. Phil is a master jazz saxophonist who is pioneering the performance of North Indian classical music on soprano saxophone, exquisitely capturing the subtlety and depth of this music on this Western instrument. He also leads the acclaimed world-jazz ensemble, Natraj. Phil received extensive training in Hindustani music in Pune, India, from vocalist Pt. Shreeram Devasthali, leading sundari 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 has performed with icons of Indian classical music including Kadri Gopalnath, Ronu Majumdar, Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, Trichy Sankaran, Chitravina Ravikiran, and Shailesh Bhagwat; as well as African master drummers Godwin Agbeli, Abubakari Lunna, Nani Agbeli, and Lamine Toure. He has performed at many well known venues and festivals which include: Nehru Center and Bombay Gymkhana Club - Mumbai; Indian Council for Cultural Relations Theater - Delhi; Maharashtra Cultural Centre - Pune; Jazz Yatra – The Indian Jazz Festival, Prayojana International Music Festival; and Ghana’s PANAFEST. Phil is featured on 30 acclaimed CDs/DVDs, which include ‘Ragas from Dusk,’ and releases by Natraj, Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra and Saxophone Quartet, Sandy Prager and National Film Preservation Foundation. For more information on Phil Scarff, his music and upcoming performances please visit: http://www.philscarff.com http://www.natrajmusic.com To purchase recordings: http://www.cdbaby.com/philscarff http://www.cdbaby.com/natraj