MASALA JAZZ & SiriNamSingh Khalsa
MASALA is aTerminologyused in South Asian cuisine to mostly describe a Mixture of wonderful Spices. Not unlike the mixture of the many spices in Indian cooking, Masala, a Leverett based jazz group, is a mixture of many musicians and a fusion of musical expressions with a foundation in jazz and blues. At a recent performance at the Black Sheep Café in Amherst, you might have heard the band with Masala’s 14yr.old keyboardist and a guest 90 yr. old jazz trumpet player on the same stage!
SiriNamSingh Khalsa, the bands leader and originator wanted Masala to reflect family and the enjoyment of playing music. SiriNam’sthree decades of guitar playing was described in a Daily Hampshire Gazette Arts and Entertainment article as “a clean and melodic sound influenced by musicians such as Pat Matheny and Larry Carlton.” Depending on the venue you may hear the basic Masala duo of SiriNam and his 14 year old son, DharamBir, who plays a very spirited keyboard or an added drummer with his nephew, 15 yr. old Jahian Cooper Monize also from Leverett. On occasion SiriNam’spercussionist brother from NYC, Peter Vita will join them as well as Sam Gladstone (Dr. Sam) playing his jazz clarinet.
You can keep in touch with the bands schedule, see a video clip, and contact information on Facebook: Masala Jazz
