A mesmerizing evening unfolded as jazz enthusiasts from all over Bengaluru gathered at Fandom, Koramangala on Sunday, 16th March. The event featured the best of everything; A Pop-up shop that offered aficionados a collection of finely curated records showcasing the best of UK jazz, and a Listening Session/Live Interview with Joe Armon-Jones, On The Jungle Floor, and Saras.

The night began with a listening session that consisted of a selection of pieces from all over Joe’s extensive discography. The conversation that went alongside the listening session delved into Joe’s background, his craft, his community of musicians, and his journey as a songwriter. The conversation provided context to the tracks, deepening the connection for the listeners.

 

Joe talked about Maxwell Owin, his longtime collaborator and ex-flatmate, and the two albums they created together; “Idiom'' and “Archetype”. We got to unpack how the two albums, each with a distinct tone and sound, differed not just in their final outcome, but more importantly, in the approach that created them.

 

In his collaborations with various artists, four of whom he lived with, he started off by doing the jazz parts for them, while they took care of production.  These collaborations and exchanges opened new avenues for Joe in terms of genre influences. The mood set in as we listened to more tracks, and Joe talked about his collaboration with Georgia Anne Muldrow on “Yellow Dandelion”.

Following the listening session, we put the chairs away as Joe took to the keys and the guests got on their feet. The sounds flowing from the piano seemed to pull the guests in, as everyone started to gravitate towards Joe. For those of us closer to the stage, Joe’s every movement, his hands effortlessly navigating the keys, had us hooked.

After Joe’s riveting solo performance, he was joined on stage by Dhir Mody and Nathan Thomas, who took us on nothing short of a sonic journey, effortlessly improvising and switching lanes as they pleased. Once again, it was hard to look away as they weaved magic on stage. The guests swayed and danced to the music, and even urged them to continue beyond their time.

Every attendee walked away with a unique experience, and the night couldn’t have ended on a better note.