A blast from the past with vintage soundwaves

CHENNAI: The jazz and pop band Second Coming, in association with the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, brought listeners a night of swinging sounds, making for a great way to spend a mellow Saturday night.“We just thought, we always wanted to have a musical night where people could come and sit around and enjoy the wine and the alcohol and just get some snack food,” said Spenta Bhote, marketing communications manager of the Marriott Hotel.She also said that it was an effort on behalf of the hotel to try to bring jazz music back into the city and to offer a venue for performing musicians. Although it’s not the first place one would expect to find an electric atmosphere for a band, Rhapsody at the Marriott was a great venue with a stellar attitude. The five-star bar was a dark, but friendly space and the lights from the chandelier reflecting of the green tiles,  instilled a warm, cozy ambiance, reminiscent of American speakeasies of the 1930s. Although the audience was slow to respond, the band still kicked out a lot of energy from the start of their set to get them moving. The overall chemistry of the band was great. Their blend was good and the musicians really had fun. They were a talented group — well-rehearsed and interacted well, but they couldn’t have done it without the expert work of the sound crew.Nearly every member of the band sang a few tunes, each selecting songs that fit their voice perfectly, especially when it came to the Beatles covers when one could have sworn, it was John Lennon himself!“I think there’s a lot of energy. There is some jazz that goes over most people’s heads, so you mix it up properly and play some good jazz and some pop. Something about this place has a nice energy to it.” Said said Reji Varghese, the lead singer of the band.The band even incorporated a carnatic singer who added an awesome ingredient to their cover of Take Five and a unique rendition of Summertime.After rounding off the night with the BJ Thomas’ hit, Rain Drops Keep Fallin’ on my Head, their diverse set of the Beatles, Elton John and numerous jazz standards proved that the group certainly had an awesome repertoire.