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Three saxophonists, a crazy drummer and a killer upright bass player. That’s The Shuffle Demons for ya. The Canadian biggie, formed in 1984, is all set to return to Calcutta after eight years to perform at JazzFest 2014, supported by Congo Square (organised by Littlei), at Dalhousie Institute on November 30. The Juno-nominated band (awarded annually to Canadian artistes), with hits like Spadina Bus and Cheese On Bread to its credit, plays a cool mix of funk jazz, hard bop jazz and jazz rap, all held together with an eccentric wardrobe.
Before celebrating their 30th birthday in Calcutta, band members Richard Underhill, Perry White, Kelly Jefferson, George Koller and Stich Wynston take on a few questions from t2.
The group (with 3,800-plus gigs to its credit!) has this unique ability to engage audiences across age groups. What about your music that works even after being in the business for three decades?
Richard Underhill: I think it’s the energy, sincerity, skill and, most of all, willingness to take chances that keeps our audiences engaged, no matter the age. We are totally dedicated to playing exciting music and taking risks every time we play. Audiences can sense the energy behind this controlled chaos and love to come along for the ride. It’s like watching a tightrope performance. It is also the fact that in a very homogenised music industry we really stand out because of our unique, innovative, ground-breaking approach to music and performance. I think it is safe to say that they broke the mould when they made the Shuffle Demons. There is really nobody else like us. A true original and definitely beyond categorisation!
This will be your second visit to India (performed in Calcutta on January 7, 2006). What about the music community here do you enjoy most?
Richard: India has such a rich music tradition, from folk songs to Indian classical music to bhangra to Bollywood. We love that our audiences are so knowledgeable about music and have ears open to whatever we might throw at them. We’re eager to interact with some Indian performers again as well. In 2006 we jammed with some Rajasthani musicians in Delhi, so we hope there are more chances for cross-pollination this time around. We have made an online connection with Shibani Kashyap before our upcoming tour of India and are planning some exciting collaborations, which we hope will blossom into a fruitful and long-term musical relationship.
Does India add a dimension to your music, especially when one considers that your bassist George Koller is well versed in Indian stringed instruments?
Richard: Stich and I had the incredibly good fortune of studying the concepts of rhythm with south Indian mridangam and kanjira master Trichy Sankaran at York University here in Toronto. His teaching left me with a deep respect for rhythm and a keen insight into the Indian classical use of cadence or tihai. There are several examples of the use of this composing technique on our new record ClusterFunk. Earth Song and Sell Me This, both feature sections influenced by the tihai.
Stich Wynston: For myself, studying with Sankaran opened up a whole new musical world and left me with a deep love and appreciation for the beautiful intricacies and concepts of both melody and rhythm that are so prevalent in Indian classical music. I composed a song for the Shuffle Demons called Oliagosi as a way of paying tribute to the incredibly rich Indian classical musical tradition. We recorded this song on our Bop Rap CD but a dream come true for me would be for Shibani Kashyap to write some lyrics to Oliagosi in Hindi and for her to sing it and record it with us on the next Shuffle Demons CD.
George Koller: The study of Indian classical music has affected us all to some degree... whether it be my lifelong practice of Indian string instruments and singing, or the application of rhythmic cycles and cadences and patterns learned from our many teachers here of Indian origin...
The band took a break between 1997 and 2004. Musically, what are the changes that took place in that period?
Richard: During that period we all experimented and participated in diverse projects which allowed us to come back to the Shuffle Demons with fresh ideas. Ever since our reunion in 2004, we have been touring all over the world, meeting new people and experiencing different cultures and these experiences have spawned new ideas and musical concepts for us which we have incorporated into our repertoire.
Your big hit Spadina Bus from 1986 was about more than just a bus; it was the Spadina bus route along which a spectrum of multi-cultural influences can be heard. Have these influences seeped into your music?
Richard: We have always been very open and excited by the multicultural palette that is Toronto. We have the opportunity to play with so many different musical ensembles here in Toronto and this is very inspiring. I played a jam session called Afro Nite lead by a Mozambican bass player for 10 years and was exposed to so many great styles and performers from all over Africa.
Stich: I have played with musicians from almost every different cultural background imaginable in this melting pot known as Toronto and the influence of their cultures and artistic traditions and sensibilities have enriched my life greatly!
After all these years, do you get tired when people ask for that big hit, Spadina Bus, again and again?
Richard: We still love playing Spadina Bus, because it really gets people moving. There is a breakdown in the song where we march off the stage and into the audience, and for us this is still one of the best parts of the show because anything can, and usually does, happen and it’s so thrilling to play in the audience. It reminds us of our early street days where we did anything to excite the crowd and it still works. Sometimes when you’re up on a big stage, you lose that connection with the audience, and Spadina Bus brings it back for us every time.
You have a crazy wardrobe. Do your clothes and music go hand in hand?
Richard: It’s funny, because when we put on our crazy clothes, we kind of become cartoon characters. Dressing up gives us licence to act in a larger-than-life way and to do things that one wouldn’t normally do, so I think the clothes are a big part of the band. But the interesting thing about it is that it is not contrived in any way, shape or form. These are very real sides to our personalities and our makeup that come out when the Shuffle Demons perform.
Snap chat
Fashion regrets
Wish we had cooler clothes
sometimes... something not so hot… like shorts and shirts.
A constant nightmare
Not getting a visa in time or missing a flight!
Away from jazz, favourite five albums
Stich: Sting’s Ten Summoner’s Tales, Edgar Winter’s White Trash album Roadwork, Glenn Gouldperforming Schoenberg’s famous piano piece Opus 11, a traditional Afro-Cuban CD that I purchased in Cuba when we performed at the Havana International Jazz Festival, and Zakir Hussain’s Making Music album.
Where does the group get their coats stitched?
By some friends in the bustling community known as Kensington Market here in Toronto.
Jazzfest 2014 line-up
Nov 28
The Ska Vengers: India’s finest ska band promises an energetic gig. Be it the tongue-in-cheek Modi, A Message To You or the BDSM-themed Rough And Mean, the Delhi-based band has taken its art to a dizzying level. The Calcutta line-up will include famed trumpet player Kishore Sodha.
Malcolm Braff presents Greenwoman: Born in Brazil, grew up in Dakar (Senegal) and now based in Switzerland, Malcolm Braff will present his new project called Greenwoman, which resulted from his residency in India early this year.
Nov 29
Four On A Swing feat. Sumith Ramachandran: What can we say about Sumith? He is one of the best guitar players in India.
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The Bodhisattwa Trio feat. Monojit Datta: Well, you know Monojit Datta as Kochuda. He has inspired and entertained a generation of artistes with his Latin beats. He will join the jazz trio.
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Mishko M’ba and the Jaco Pastorius Tribute Band:
It will be a treat to hear the French musician, composer and producer pay tribute to the influential jazz musician Jaco Pastorius.
Nov 30
Tharichens Tentett: The band will celebrate its 15th anniversary on this tour. The 10-piece band, founded by Nicolai Tharichen with Michael Schiefel, performs compositions, mostly set on poems by Dorothy Parker, Lord Byron and Thomas Hardy.
The Shuffle Demons: They broke on to the Canadian music scene in 1984.
