Ella Fitzgerald to Sara Vaughan: This Mumbai weekend concert will celebrate female jazz icons

(From left) Avishek Dey and Shreya Bhattacharya perform together at a previous event

Through the years of its evolution, jazz has relied on instrumentalists for scintillating scales and histrionics. Yet, it is the brilliance of vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Nancy Wilson and Carmen McRae that set the jazz standard benchmarks.

"They shaped jazz music and singers," says Shreya Bhattacharya (right), who will lead the vocals for the performance, An Ode to Jazz Divas, on Sunday at Girgaum. With a complete orchestra led by Avishek Dey (bass), Clement Rooney (keys), Amandeep Singh (guitar), Shirish Malhotra (flute/saxophone), Jarryd Rodrigues (saxophone) among them, it focuses on the quality and harmonics that are often lost amid instrumentation.

"The female singers set a direction of vocal improvisation that is outstanding. As singers, they were the epitome of how one can be the frontman and improvise as well," Bhattacharya explains.

The set list of 90 minutes will capture these standards set by some of the best female jazz vocalists in the genre, reveals bassist Avishek Dey. "We always wanted to have a big band, with its brass and horn section. We have been working dedicatedly on the horn part, two part-harmonies to make it sound bigger on the stage," he explains. There are no fusion elements to the performance. "We are returning to the roots with straight traditional jazz, Latin jazz and bebop," Dey clarifies.

Ella Fitzgerald. Pic courtesy/Instagram

It might just be the perfect conclusion to a rainy weekend to hear Ella Fitzgerald's version of On green dolphin street echoing through the halls of Royal Opera House.

On July 9; 7 pm
At Royal Opera House, Matthew Road, Charni Road East, Girgaum.
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Cost Rs 300 onwards