Live: Grand Pianoramax @ Blue Frog

It’s a good bet to catch Blue Frog performers on Friday rather than Saturday (if the performer is playing both days of course). Saturdays are packed with too many people paying too little attention to the music. Fridays are comfortable, with just enough people and a weekend that beckons no work.

Grand Pianoramax is the project of acclaimed pianist Leo Tardin of Switzerland. He was joined by drummer Yoann Serra (France) and rapper/spoken word-er Blue Bird (from the States and it’s unlikely that that’s his real name). Blue Frog described the gig as

keyboards maestro Leo Tardin brings his live broken-beat/�phuture funk� project for the first time in Bombay, blending powerful analog-synth bass, syncopated keys, organic drumming and freestyle spoken word/rap

Exciting.

Head downstairs for the entire review, Indiecision, more pics and a great video of Blue Bird doing the whole “freestyle spoken word/rap” thing.

The gig started with Leo and Yoann doing some up-tempo jazz. Tardin is really very good, though hardly expressive, but the music does the talking. Serra was clinical on the skins. They were joined after the intro by Blue Bird whose freestyle garnered much applause with several Mumbai references and the regular thing that Americans do when they come to India – praise our ‘culture’ and diss American politics.

It was fun.

The gig was broken in two parts by a long break. The result was that the crowd thinned further, leaving less than 50 people in the club (including the annoying waiters). But by that time it was clear that inebriation had begun to kick in so things were cheery all ’round.

The band had energy and improvised well. Things may have been a little dull without Blue Bird but overall, the experience was great. Head there tonight it you can.

Indiecision: B