Hidden Stories: A unique jazz club in Pune keeps the music alive

On March 2, the club had a listening experience ‘Vocal Jazz Odyssey’ featuring vocal harmony groups in jazz that have rarely received the attention they deserved. Last month’s session was an audio-visual presentation on jazz drums and how artists produce an array of percussion sounds using instruments ranging from brushes and mallets to cymbals and different drums. The year had started with another audio-visual presentation, on the legendary John McLaughlin. Before that, there were sessions on Quincy Jones, jazz guitars and the evolution of the jazz piano.

“As an art form, jazz is one of the richest in the performing arts in terms of the number of sub-genres of the music, the complexity of the styles and its evolution. There is a jazz tree that reflects the different sub-genres,” adds Ashwin.

Every jazz aficionado has a story about their experiences with the music. (Express Photo)

What a wonderful world

Ashwin was always fond of music, even at St Vincent’s High School in Camp where he studied. But it was when he went to College of Engineering, Pune (COEP) to study engineering that Ashwin, who had not listened to jazz until then, watched a few movies on the musical form, especially the 1959 film The Five Pennies about a jazz musician. “I went and got a couple of LPs from Poona Music House on Main Street. It is no longer there now. The LPs were about swing, a popular sub-genre in jazz. That is how my journey started,” he says.

A college friend told Ashwin about a Voice of America radio programme by Willis Conover that used to broadcast jazz every day. “My room partner bought a radio and we would fiddle with the dial and listen to the music over the static. I carried that on after college,” he says.

A young member of the club, Kevin Thomas Bhosle, says that he explored different music genres in his teenage years and “jazz music hit me like no other”. “I was quite keen on learning more about jazz and its rich history. That is when I found out about the club through their Facebook page and started attending their meets. I loved the concept of having live music at the meets. It helped me better understand the nuances of jazz music, and also get to know local jazz musicians in the scene,” he says.

Bhosle has been playing brass instruments since he was 10 and, initially, was only exposed to classical music. “I was hooked on jazz after hearing the jazz greats on the internet. I was greatly inspired when I first heard Roque Vaz, one of Pune’s finest jazz trumpeters, playing with Aubrey Dias, Ashdin Bharucha and Albert Dennis – together called ‘Impressions’,” he says.

On March 2, the club had a listening experience, “Vocal Jazz Odyssey” featuring vocal harmony groups in jazz that have rarely received the attention they deserved. (Express Photo)

Every jazz aficionado has a story about their experiences with the music. In 2002, a bunch of them got together to exchange music and listen to it together. That is how the Pune Jazz Club came into being as an initiative of a Vancouver-returned businessman Ahmed Ebrahim. “It was a simple concept because the music is not all that popular. The number of people who like it is few, and the number of jazz albums that are available is fewer,” says Ashwin.

In a sentimental mood

The club was a monthly fixture, with 100 people attending the meets at the Max Mueller Bhavan on Boat Club Road, for a few years before it tapered off. By 2012, Ebrahim had decided to close the club as few people were coming in. That is when a few jazz lovers, including Ashwin and Shisha Cafe founder Mehdi Niroomand, decided to reinvent and rebuild it. Pune Jazz Club became Pune Jazz and Blues Club. The renewed purpose became not only about sharing music but also spreading awareness about its themes, elements and nuances. They began to gather at a cultural centre, Gyaan Adab in Kalyani Nagar. Oceanic Sound, a musical equipment store, provided sound equipment for the Pune Jazz and Blues Club.

Jazz has a rich and deep history entwined with movements and social turmoil, including Black history. As it reached out to new listeners, the Pune Jazz and Blues Club embarked on its own winding journey that involved scouting for suitable locations, changing addresses and taking a pause during COVID. “Amid the lockdown, the club and its activities had vanished. I was eagerly missing the club activities and wanted to introduce everyone I met to this beautiful music. I did not see anyone apart from uncle Ashwin trying to take the club forward. I reached out to him and we decided to restart the club. He tasked me with preparing for a session. We got in touch with Mehdi Niroomand, who readily agreed to restart jazz club meetings at Shisha. We restarted the club activities in early 2023,” adds Bhosle.

Entry is free and an average session today draws around 20 participants. While most are aware of the genre and want to know more, there is a small core group of experienced jazz listeners too. “The important people we are looking for are the ones who are interested, know a little bit but would like to know more,” says Ashwin.

Bhosle adds that jazz music is considered boring and outdated but it is an ever-evolving genre that will never die. “The intent of the club is to share the beauty of jazz music with everyone and also simultaneously create a platform for local budding jazz artists to showcase their love for jazz. In the near future, we intend to bring many more engaging activities to our meets. Stay tuned for more,” he says.