The Sunny Jain Collective's breath of musical fresh air is entitled As Is, and features nine instrumental tracks which blend jazz, Indian music and a number of other influences to great effect. Jain, who wrote three of the cuts, is the drummer and leader, and he is supported by Rez Abbasi on guitar, Steve Welsh on saxophone and Gary Wang on acoustic bass. Welsh, for his part, is allotted a fair amount of melodic lead work, but Abbasi gets ample opportunities to display his abilities on both guitar and sitar guitar. Abbasi is a master at using space; his attention to, and interaction with, Jain's percussive forays leads to some wonderful musical results. The Abbasi-penned track "Blu Vindaloo" is a challenging work that stretches the entire band and features some creative improv. For an exotic twist to your jazz lunch, check out As Is - you won't be disappointed.
Sunny has been playing drums since age 10, and as a teenager, he performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and was a member of the 1992-93 New York State Jazz Ensemble. He has a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from Mason Gross School of the Arts. Sunny has performed with many of the world's top musicians and has been designated a Jazz Ambassador of the United States of America by the Department of State and the Kennedy Center. Rez, born in Karachi, Pakistan, was exposed to music at a young age, growing up with a father who was a semiprofessional vocalist of Indian/Pakistan popular song. He also has performed or recorded with a number of stellar musicians, and has made performance appearances at shows and venues such as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Ottawa Jazz Festival and the Kennedy Center.
Coming off a recent sold-out performance at "The Concert For Peace In South Asia" in New York City with rave reviews, a world tour is in the works for the Sunny Jain Collective.
Sunny Jain
United States
Web site: www.jainsounds.com