Indian musical elements and jazz are combined by Indian percussionist Kalyan Pathak of Naperville to create a unique sound that has earned this musician high praise. Pathak will demonstrate what the Chicago Tribune’s Howard Reich called his “fleet fingers virtuosity” at 8 p.m. Oct. 27 when the percussionist brings his Jazz Mata ensemble to Studio5 in Evanston.
Pathak will be playing what he calls a “hybrid kit. I have an Indian tabla, I have my small jazz kit, and I have a little hand drum.”
The other members of Jazz Mata are Elizabeth Basta (Pathak’s wife on voice and tanpura), Greg Ward II (saxophones), Andrew Lawrence (piano), Ben Dillinger (basses), and Andrew Sudhibhasilp (guitars).
The concert will celebrate the release of Pathak’s new album, “Dream with the Dreamers,” and will be recorded for WDCB’s “Chicago Jazz Live.”
Pathak’s notes describe the album as “a genre-defying masterpiece that blends the melodies of modern jazz, rock, Sufi, and Bhajan, creating a vibrant tapestry of sound that transcends linguistic and cultural boundaries.”
The album consists of nine original song by Pathak and his wife Basta, who collaborated with her husband on the lyrics, and sometimes on the music. “Sometimes we forget who wrote what,” Pathak admitted. Some of the pieces in the album are based on poetry or melodies of famous Indian poets or composers, but the lyrics and melodies are transformed by the pair.
Pathak’s fascination with percussion instruments began when he was around four years old.
“My dad had a little drum in the house that he used to play while he would sing,” Pathak related. “I discovered his drum and started playing real beats on it. I thought I was going to get a scolding from my father for touching his drum.”
Instead his father smiled and decided to sing along to Pathak’s drumming.
“By the time I was seven, I was taking official lessons in vocal tabla percussion,” Pathak said.
When he was 12, Pathak won first prize in an all-state musical competition open to players of any musical instrument up to the age of 19.
His father had a number of recordings so Pathak said that he grew up listening to Bach, Beethoven, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, and Louis Armstrong. “Everything mixed all together along with a lot of Indian music, classical and folkloric,” he said. “Growing up, I didn’t know the difference between the genres.”
That was the genesis of Pathak’s unique combination of styles in his songwriting and playing.
Pathak began performing jazz all over India but it wasn’t paying his bills so he began playing rock and roll and rock music on drum sets and percussion instruments.
“I was also doing recording sessions for Bollywood,” he reported. “I did more than 30 major motion picture songs and I did background music for many of those.”
Pathak decided that he needed to study more authentic jazz so he moved to the United States 31 years ago when he received a full scholarship from Chicago Musical College. He had other offers from schools in other cities but chose Chicago because there were around 20 jazz clubs in the city at the time; 10 of which had open jam sessions for students.
Pathak said that people sometimes question why he plays drums from all over the world. “It’s because in Chicago we have masters from every place,” he explained.
Pathak and his family moved to Naperville in 2018 for three reasons, he reported.
“When I landed in America 31 years ago, I was in Naperville for a month before I found accommodations at my college,” Pathak said.
Secondly, he and his wife decided to relocate to Naperville when their daughter was ready to start kindergarten. “Certain things about the school system attracted us,” he explained.
The percussionist’s third reason for choosing Naperville was that he has always taught percussion to students in Naperville.
He has continued to teach in Naperville while pursuing a fabled performing career, which has included playing percussion for Aretha Franklin, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, and the San Francisco Ballet, among many others.
Kalyan Pathak’s Jazz Mata
When: 8 p.m. Oct. 27
Where: Studio5, 1934 Dempster St., Evanston
Tickets: $25; $35 cabaret seating
Information: 847-328-6683; tickettailor.com/events/studio5performingartscenter
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
