New York Jazz Artists Shubh Saran and Sungazer to Tour India This Month
While Saran is promoting his latest EP ‘Becoming,’ Sungazer released their second EP in January
Shubh Saran (left) and Sungazer will perform in five cities starting February 28th. Photo: Lauren Desberg (Saran); Liz Maney (Sungazer)
Since 2018, New York-based Indian guitarist and composer Shubh Saran has been coming to India for shows and workshops. While a full band tour last took place in 2018, he’s back for seconds this March, alongside electro-jazz duo Sungazer, which features popular bassist Adam Neely and drummer Shawn Crowder.
The two bands will perform in five cities between February 28th and March 6th, kicking things off at Seher’s Jaipur Jazz and Blues Festival. Performances and workshops include Mumbai, Goa, Gurugram and New Delhi this time around.
Saran, who has just released his new five-track EP Becoming, says, “I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to meet new people who have been checking out our music each time I’m back. There’s definitely a growing audience [in India] for the crossover kind of music that we make.” Sungazer will make their India debut this time around, and Neely says he’s “thrilled to play music there.” The bassist adds, “Hearing about Shubh’s last tour in India from him and his band and the overwhelmingly warm and positive reaction they had last time has gotten me pumped.”
Neely has known Saran since 2015, from their time playing private gigs and have gone on to work on different projects. The bassist and YouTuber recently deconstructed Saran’s live performance of the song “Slip” (off the guitarist’s 2017 album Hmayra) and spotted a 4/20 time signature. Neely adds about his tour mate, “He does a great job of honoring the sounds and traditions of many different styles of music, but manages to synthesize them in a way that whatever he plays sounds like Shubh Saran. That’s what I think is so appealing in his sound.”
While Sungazer will debut their second EP Sungazer vol. 2 live in India, they’ll also have Saran sit in and improvise over songs at the shows. Saran refers to this India tour as “Shubhgazer,” pointing to the “large traveling family of musicians who play in many of each other’s bands.” The guitarist-composer adds, “Within the total group, we represent members of at least half a dozen N.Y. based projects.” Joining them on tour are Sungazer drummer Crowder, Saran’s drummer Josh Bailey, saxophonists Jared Yee and Brian Plautz, keyboard player Christian Li and bassist Mark Minoogian. “The last song of the night is usually a big jam where we bring all the musicians on stage,” Saran adds.
While the guitarist has previously collaborated with Indian indie artists like Dhruv Visvanath, Shadow and Light and Pakshee, their upcoming tour barely leaves him with any time to fit in recording sessions. “But we do plan to have some musician friends sit in on a few songs for some of the shows,” Saran says.
Shubh Saran and Sungazer India Tour 2020
February 28th and 29th – Jaipur Jazz and Blues Festival (show)
March 2nd – G5A, Mumbai (show)
March 4th – Goa Jazz Academy, Goa (workshop)
March 4th – Goa Jazz Academy, Goa (show)
March 5th – Piano Man Jazz Club, Gurugram (workshop)
March 6th – 1AQ, New Delhi (Jazz India Circuit w/Bianca Gismonti Trio)
Watch the live video for “Storm” below.
