Sydney Festival show builds bridges, not walls

While some politicians are intent on erecting walls and securing borders, a group of musicians are doing the reverse by building bridges.

Shubha Mudgal starred with Sandy Evans in the Sydney Festival concert Bridge of Dreams. Picture: Raghav Pasricha

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While some politicians are intent on erecting walls and securing borders, a group of musicians are doing the reverse by building bridges and merging the worlds of jazz and Indian song in an exciting and uplifting Sydney Festival concert.

Bridge of Dreams featured top female Hindustani singer Shubha Mudgal alongside Australia’s finest saxophonist and composer Sandy Evans and Sydney’s superb Sirens Big Band in a wide-ranging program of songs. The concert also marked the launch of the album of the same name on Rufus Records.

The packed out show started with Dharti Ke Darbar, a song about the importance of the earth with an insistent marching beat from the tablas of Mudgal’s husband Aneesh Pradhan and his disciple Australian musician and regular Evans collaborator Bobby Singh.

The pivotal song of the night followed. Beam, Arch, Suspension was written by Evans and represents three bridges – each section quite different from the other linked by Mugdal’s vocals. This is a voice that conveys tragedy, joy, love, longing and world weariness with seamless ease.

Sandy Evans’ solos and duets were a highlight.

Some of Evan’s big band arrangements were reminiscent of the great Gil Evans, who worked in the 1950s and ’60s with Miles Davis.

BUOYANT

Most of the songs were composed some time ago by Mudgal and Pradhan or harmonium player Sudhir Nayak with Evans composing the jazz arrangements later.

Members of the Sirens Big Band – a group set up 10 years ago by bassist Jessica Dunn featuring women and trans musicians – were given plenty of solo spots throughout the evening.

The Sirens Big Band had opportunities to show their soloing skills. Picture: Chris Frape

Although trained as a classical Hindustani singer Mudgal explores other Indian genres, including “film music”, and Aji Jaaite lifted the mood in a Bollywood meets the Buena Vista Social Club way.

Also on the lighter side Joyous Rain is a buoyant number with some catchy piano from Zela Margossian, who also featured in her own solo composition, Gratitude, which led straight into Tabla Spiral. Here Pradhan and Singh duelled, first vocally then with their drums, raising one of the loudest ovations of the evening.

But the highlights were the moments when Evans and Mudgal intertwined – a soaring soprano sax solo in Imagining and Longing or Evans’ riffing flights on alto.

The album, which has got to be worth an ARIA nomination, is available from Rufus Records for $24 or at iTunes.

SYDNEY FESTIVAL

● CONCERT: Bridge of Dreams

● WHERE: City Recital Hall Angel Place

● WHEN: Saturday, January 12