East Coast Jazz Movement returns with global artistes this week

Our city’s jazz calendar finds a whole new pulse this month as The East Coast Jazz Movement, Session II, presented by The MK Network in partnership with The Palomar, returns with an electric mix of artistes from Chile, Argentina, the Netherlands, and India.

If Session I introduced the initial spark of discovery, percussionist Manukrishnan says, “Session II builds on it by opening the room to more voices and possibilities.” Featuring Chilean vocalist Moa Guevara, Argentine pianist Gaby Echevarría, and Dutch saxophonist Maarten Visser, along with Aravind Murali and Manukrishnan, the evening is designed as a fluid, cross-cultural journey. 

Gaby describes the experience within the set. “The set will move between familiar and unexpected. We are playing jazz and Latin standards but not in a fixed or traditional format. A mix of something you recognise and something new that grows out of it.”

The chemistry between the artistes is shaped by contrast, not similarity. Manukrishnan reflects, “Maarten, Gaby, and Moa bring their own histories and vocabularies into the mix, and it creates a shared space that feels new each time.” He adds, “The differences do not create distance, but possibilities.”

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For Moa, the magic lies in the unexpected. “For me the most exciting part is the point where the music takes a turn that none of us expected.” For Gaby, jazz remains the most honest musical tongue. “Jazz gives room for risk and honesty in the moment. It lets you respond to what is happening right then without hiding. The language encourages movement and conversation.”

And if there is something the artistes hope listeners carry home, Moa states it simply. “I hope they carry the feeling of being inside a conversation and not just watching a performance. If the music leaves them with curiosity or a sense of connection with the artistes, that is enough.”

Rs 400 onwards. On November 22, 7.30 pm onwards. At The Spotted Deer, The Palomar, Akkarai.