Swedish band Jump4Joy certainly didn't mince words when they came up with the name. "We wanted to pinpoint the feeling in your body when you are filled with bubbles of joy spreading from the soles of your feet to the top of your head," says founding member-pianist-vocalist, Ulf Sandström. If you’ve watched some of the videos of the band performing live at various music festivals, be it in Paris, Moscow or Berlin, you will know that the high energy level of the group is certainly something to watch out for. Set to perform in Chennai for the first time on October 21 at the Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall, music lovers certainly have something to look forward to.Having been together for close to two decades, the group also comprises of bass player Surjo Benigh, drummer Kenneth Björnlund and Saxophonist Bo Gustafsson. Ulf explains, “Our genre is a pretty wide mix of New Orleans Rhythm'n'Blues, Boogie Woogie, Funk, Gospel and Soul. Also, maybe a touch of Jazz at times." With over 4,000 performances to their credit, it is clear that their inspiration comes from all over the globe. Ask them about Indian musicians that they listen to and the answer is spontaneous, "Pandit Ravi Shankar is known to most music lovers as an ambassador of Indian music and tabla player Suranjana Gosh has performed and recorded in Sweden, as has percussionist, Faizal Qureshi." Ulf quickly adds to the list, "Also, there is singer and composer Shankar Mahadevan." And although, Jump4Joy didn't get to stay for too long the last time they were here in India for the Delhi Jazz Festival, they certainly do have some stories to tell. "The audience was better than anything we have experienced, and we have experienced quite a portion of the world. We even met a polite elephant and played a flute for a cobra in a little box, we marvelled at the traffic and the sounds of the street — you are a live country!" Perhaps the most startling thing to note about the group is that they are proud to say that their music is “100 per cent guitar free”. No doubt, in this performance, swinging piano lines and sax solos will do all the talking.With influences that range as varied as Little Richard to The Beatles and Lady Gaga, this concert is bound to break every cliche in the book, and no doubt get your heels tapping; even if you do have two left feet! The Swedish band Jump4Joy will perform in Chennai on October 21 at the Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall, Harrington Road, 7.30pm.
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