New York Jazz Sessions arrives in Guayaquil on October 27 and brings saxophonist Santosh Sharma

The saxophonist is originally from Seattle and lives in New York Santosh Sharma, together with the musical trio consisting of pianist Joan Sánchez, double bassist Giovanni Bermúdez and drummer Carlos Bravo, present in Guayaquil the third of the Jazz sessions in New York this Friday, October 27.

Review: Jazz from the first world with Joan Sánchez

Sánchez, organizer of the sessions, had already succeeded in the jazz New Yorker to our city in March of this year, with saxophonist Rico Jones, and in April with guitarist James Zito.

Speaking to this newspaper, Sánchez and Sharma say they met as students in the Big Apple, a place where, in their own words, the music scene jazz It sounds like nowhere else.

“There’s something special about New York, especially in terms of the energy it has, how that city vibrates. “The people there don’t hold back”explains Sharma, who was in Paris a few weeks ago and could tell the difference. “While this one is cool, it has a little less of the power you feel in New York.” It describes the deep ambition that those who pursue art have for the city of skyscrapers, where thousands of musicians arrive every year, eager to play, to distinguish themselves and to achieve a unique and personal style.

The ideal place for a young musician looking for this is Manhattan, the two friends say. “They are 18-year-old boys who come to universities to study and want to perform hard and push each other to become better,” the saxophonist summarizes his experience. “Musically it is very strong. He jazz is incredible”.

Sánchez confirms it: “I understood that at some point in my musical and personal development there is the highest level of competition, in performance and for the history of jazz”. Although the genre is famous for having originated in New Orleans, the Ecuadorian believes it reached its evolution in Chicago and New York., where development has never stopped. “That attracts many artists.” The result is a free sound, a state of improvisation that you don’t encounter in Europe (“where the level is incredible”).

Playing in a bar in Manhattan? “Something intimidating for me,” Sánchez admits. “When I had the opportunity to go on stage, I found two emotions: euphoria and fear, because you don’t know who is listening to you. You play for great musicians; you have to do it”. Don’t forget, he performed for legends like Ron Carter and Buster Williams.

For his part, Sharma is experiencing the challenge. There, he says, he can play harder and faster. “The sky is the limit; “You can make the most of it.” And he adds that, in his opinion, A young musician who is placed in such an environment reaches a very high level in just a few years.. That has been his quest. From the age of 3, this American with a Nepalese father was introduced to music with the percussion instrument of Indian origin called plate. From there he moved on to the piano, but he didn’t feel passionate about it until he had a saxophone at the age of 9. It was an immediate love, stimulated by the music that could be heard in his house: John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Joe Lovano, Ravi Coltrane… Shortly after he decided that since he was going to devote himself to music, he had to go to New York.

They bring all this to Guayaquil, with a different ambition. “There is no culture of it in Ecuador jazz so strong, and it’s okay. However, one of my wishes is to bring together musicians of Santosh’s level and those who have come before to introduce our community to the jazz From New York”, says Sánchez. “I treat these sessions with great discretion, because although we practice and play modern things, we have all studied the tradition, yes or yes.” Although the sound is very avant-garde, it has all the influence of the creators of the jazz.

And speaking of them, Sharma steps in to remind us that when Charlie Parker and company were recording, they were artists in their twenties. “And that youthful feeling remains in the music, “And that’s the nice thing about this genre,” says Sánchez: “It’s improvised, a beautiful expression of the freedom of the soul.”

In addition to classics with a renewed sound, the audience will hear original songs by Santosh Sharma on October 27 at 8:30 PM on Scene Zone, space located in Panama and Imbabura streets, in a traditional corner house, opposite the National Cocoa Museum (opens at 7:30 PM). Entrance fee: $25. The group will take advantage of their stay to get to know Ecuador and bring their music, together with their friends, to other cities.