'I'll have jazz with that'

From blues and jazz brunches to jazz evenings, Indian pubs are serving up music with food.

On lazy Sunday afternoons, it's a pleasure to hit Haze, one of the more popular pubs in New Delhi. While people leisurely nibble on their food, washing it down with lots of beer, a jazz band caters to musically parched souls.

The party extends to members of these bands, not just performing but also interacting with the live audience, maybe teaching them a chord or two, prompting them to hum a few songs, or for that matter, sharing some musical tips and techniques.

Grilled prawns served with Miles Davis' numbers, martini mixed with Nat King Cole songs and ribbon pasta tossed with Louis Armstrong's classics; welcome to a world where you can gobble a large slice of jazz, blues, rock-n-roll and retro along with your regular fix of food and drink.

A well-established concept in the West, what with dedicated jazz bars and blues pubs hosting weekly musical brunches, India is just waking up to the strains of some good ol' melodies served fresh along with brunches and dinners.

Take Prive in Mumbai, a first of its kind, members-only club that even has its own booking facility. While each table boasts of its own personal butler and a mini bar, the club will also invite jazz bands to perform at the club.

The new initiative will kickstart in the coming week with Mumbai's premier jazz ensemble, Jazz Junction, which has a unique "floating singer/soloist" concept wherein a different singer and soloist is featured at every performance.

Not Just Jazz By The Bay "" previously called Jazz By The Bay "" another Mumbai-based pub, used to host "" along with salad, soup and pasta "" regular jazz music by some well-known Indian jazz bands. However, on popular demand, the pub gradually extended its repertoire to include other music forms too.

"We only promote jazz and blues and I won't dilute the idea by including other music forms," says Kiranjeet Sant, promoter of The Blues Club in New Delhi and the man behind Haze. Haze has organised three jazz brunches since July.

At Rs 500 per head, the charges include a buffet and drinks. There is a discount for students who can watch jazz performances for Rs 200. The next brunch will be on September 10, 2006, which will see Delhi-based jazz band HFT in performance.

In fact, Sant's initiative, The Blues Club "" incidentally the first of its kind in India "" has already registered 700 members. "We give out newsletters, keep our patrons informed on the forthcoming gigs, reserve tables and even offer discounts on food and drinks."

While Sant wants to offer unadulterated music, without compromising on the styles of music he wants to showcase, Ramnath Thakur from Bangalore's Unwind Centre, a music organisation aimed at promoting Western music, remembers attending a jazz afternoon at Java City, a cafe in Bangalore.

"It was perfect. We soaked in the music, the sun and the coffee." "A simple initiative," he feels, "India is waking up to this concept to combine music with brunches." Sant adds, "It's a learning experience, especially for music aficionados. We've got a great response and by all means we will continue our endeavour."

Till then we'll hum Louis Armstrong's "Struttin' in the barbecue".