Chris Yates on behalf of Jazz Northeast, nominated the unique and stimulating band Free Spirits, led by Lewis Watson (saxophone) and supported by Dharambir Singh (Sitar), Bhupinder Singh Chaggar (tabla & electric percussion) and Neil Harland (double & electric bass). These four virtuoso musicians bring together the worlds of jazz, rock, pop, folk and classical Indian music to explore the boundaries of Eastern and Western musical culture, resulting in rich creative composition and inventive improvisation.
Dharambir Singh (Sitar)
Years as a disciple of the maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan from an early age led to Dharambir today being accepted as one of the worlds finest exponents of the sitar. Not afraid to step away from his traditional roots he has delighted not only traditional Indian audiences but his associations with Western artists are widely recognised.
Dharambir is a NESTA fellow and an adviser on the M.Mus. (Hons.) Indian Music degree programme at the Bhavan, London.
Appearances with Sheila Chandra, Shiva Nova, Marcus Stockhausen and Martin Speake together with his contribution to the soundtrack of Michael Palin’s BBC programme “Around the World in 80 days” are just some of his standout collaborations.
Discography:
- Raga Nova - with Jesse Bannister, Sukhvinder Singh and RN Prakesh (Arc Music)
- The Journey - with Martin Speake and Sarvar Sabri (Sanctuary Records)
- Mangal - with Kousic Sen
- Dharambir Singh - Sitar (Keda Records)
Lewis Watson (Soprano and Tenor Saxophone)
A dynamic and authoritive player, Lewis has worked as a professional musician for 30 years and has established a rich portfolio. Working in a variety of contexts including television and festivals, Lewis has developed a style that is unique and compelling: and is recognised amongst his peers as one of the more accomplished saxophone players of his generation.
Lewis continues to compose music for both large and small ensembles and for collaborative projects including ‘The Bergen Connection’ and ‘Free Spirits’. He also writes for his own quartet and in resent years has worked with Alan Barnes, Don Weller, Steve Waterman and John Surman.
Lewis is a featured soloist with the voice of the North Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of the acclaimed composer John Warren, and appears on the recent recordings of “Chain Reaction” and “Park Bench Story”, both released on the Jazz Action label. He is currently on tour with The Northern Undergound Orchestra directed by saxophonist Tim Garland and appears on the CD “Due North” also available on the Jazz Action label.
Bhupinder Singh Chaggar (Tabla and Electric Percussion)
Bhupinder, the youngest member of Free Sprits is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the UK’s most accomplished and dedicated players of his instrument.
At the age of 17 he became the disciple of renowned tabla maestro Pandit Sharda Sahai Ji. He completed his studies at the Leeds College of Music gaining a BSc Honours in Music Technology. Subsequently he has taken time out to teach jazz and tabla studies.
In 2003, his Guru Ji bestowed the greatest honour that a Guru can on his disciple when they played to a full house in the Purcell Room. Later that year he played a concert in Benares, India in front of his peers.
As well as performing in both the Western and Indian improvising traditions he now incorporates more contemporary influences through his use of electric percussion. Bhupinder has many performance credits to his name, having played several times at all the major UK and European venues and festivals as far a field as India.
Collaborations:
- Flamenco guitarist Eduardo Neibla
- Portuguese percussion maestro Rui Jumar
- Soul Singer Jocelyn Brown
- Samay with Jesse Bannister
- Mercury nominees Black Star Line
Neil Harland (Acoustic and Electric Bass)
Newcastle based Neil is probably one of the busiest bassists around. He has been involved with some great musicians covering a wide range of styles and has toured extensively both in the UK and Europe.
Neil often works as a highly regarded session musician and has recorded with diverse artists including Revolver (Warners Spain), Joe cocker (EMI), Revo (London), and The Lanterns (Sony). He can also be heard on recent albums by Chris Stout “Devils Advocate” and features on “The Bairns” Album by Rachel Unthank and the Winterset.
He has recorded four of his own albums and a live DVD recorded with top UK slide guitarist Johnny Dickenson.
Neil has appeared at a number of Music Festivals including “T in the Park” and “The V Festival” plus radio and TV Programmes such as “Later with Jools Holland” and “Top of the Pops”.
http://www.jazzaction.co.uk/freespirits.htm