MUMBAI: Popular jazz artistes Adil Manuel and Vasundhara Vidalur are all geared up to launch their debut album titled ‘Ampersand’, through a multi-city tour commencing on 19 April in Bangalore.
The album comprises of 10 tracks in the form of urban stories in one soulful rendition written and produced by the duo across a series of collaborations. Recorded live at Yash Raj Studios, the album marks the coming together of music communities across various cities, where mainstream ‘alternate’ and ‘underground’ music comes together to form a new sound.
It also features collaborations with some of India’s finest musicians ranging from Louiz Banks, Ranjit Barot, Loy Mendonsa, Sanjay Divecha, Zubin Balaporia and Anindo Bose. The album has been mastered by Chris Athens, who has also mastered albums by hugely successful international artists like AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, India Arie and Erykah Badu.
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It will be launched in each city with a live performance by the band, with the first being in Bangalore. The tour will culminate in May after performances in cities like Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai and Pune.
Boasting of being rooted in the urban Indian context, the tracks playfully document various aspects of city life from city mannerisms, stories of displacement, refugee settlements, history, crowds, judgments, the life of musicians and more in the English and French. The songs encompass various music genres including blues, jazz fusion, funk and soul.
The duo said, “This album is part of our ongoing efforts to keep bringing jazz and blues music closer to the mainstream. The album reflects a new urban lexicon emerging from the mindscape of India’s teeming metropolises, Delhi and Mumbai. We are extremely touched by the support we received from everyone in the music industry and Ampersand would not have been possible without all the people who have played such an integral role in its making.”
Formed in 2009, the duo has extensively worked with artists based in India and abroad, their focus has been the creation of new sounds and energies through collaboration exchange and cross influence. They also featured on shows like Dewarists. Besides Adil Manuel (guitar) and Vasundhara Vidalur (vocals), the band features Saurabh Suman (bass) and Sava Boyadzhiev (drums).
