Radha Thomas

'As I Sing' From SubContinental Records is Radha Thomas's 7th album.

For those who aren't from India, and unfamiliar with her work, she is one of India’s leading and most widely recognized figures in jazz, vocalist Radha Thomas has been creating her unique sound for many decades. Transitioning from early rock & roll and Indian classical roots to present-day jazz as well as her own original compositions, Thomas loves bebop, especially vocalese, which she writes and sings a lot.

Thomas left India in the mid 70s, having been selected by Jazz India, a leading jazz promotion organization, to perform across Europe and go to NY to learn jazz. She lived, performed and recorded for almost 20 years in NYC. Some of the musicians with whom she’s performed or recorded with include Ryo Kawasaki, Michael Brecker, Anthony Jackson, Harvey Mason, Leon Pendarvis, Alex Blake, John Abercrombie in some of NYC’s most famous jazz clubs and concert halls. It also included an experimental trio with bassist Frank Tusa and Miles Davis alum Badal Roy, where Thomas was featured soloist.

When she returned to Bangalore, she was empaneled by ICCR (the Indian Council for Cultural Affairs, India’s key cultural agency) to be a jazz ambassador for India. She has performed with her own band ‘UNK The Radha Thomas Ensemble’ (I Only Have Eyes For You) and in a piano-and-voice format (Bangalore Blues) all over India.

More recently, when Covid struck, from her home in Bangalore, India, Thomas turned to the internet and virtual collaboration with jazz musicians world-wide. In a single year she recorded 52 jazz videos both with her original music and jazz standards along with some of the world’s most talented musicians from Russia, Poland, Italy, USA, Germany, England, India and India.

She hosted a weekly jazz show on Radio Indigo in Bangalore. She is also the author of several books, a dog rescue activist and host of the podcast ‘The Indie Dog.’

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Jazz has been an international music ever since recordings became widely available in the early 1920s. Radha Thomas, who was born in India but has also lived for extended periods in New York, serves as proof that world-class jazz artists come from every country where musical creativity is encouraged. She made a strong impression with her recordings Bangalore Blues and the EP Vocalese: A Tribute to Chet Baker, and now As I Sing, a set of duets with several different guitarists, is her latest accomplishment.

Radha has had several overlapping careers. Early in her life she sang with a very popular rock band (Human Bondage). She has been a journalist, written four books, hosted a weekly jazz radio show, led the Radha Thomas Ensemble, performed at many European jazz festivals, and in one year during the pandemic filmed and recorded 52 videos for the internet.

Duets can be the most difficult setting for singers for there is nowhere to hide, every note is important, and the contrast of sound with silence is an essential skill. Radha, who performed duets with pianist Aman Mahajan on Bangalore Blues, sounds quite comfortable yet stimulated by the guitarists on As I Sing. She has a soft and alluring voice, is an imaginative scat-singer with her own style, and is quite versatile. Whether it is performing heartfelt ballad singing (her aching long notes on Benny Golson’s “I Remember Clifford” are particularly memorable), creating melodic variations as on the second chorus of “It Could Happen To You,” or effortlessly handling the interval jumps on Fats Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz,” she clearly has her own voice.

'As I Sing' matches Radha on various songs with four different top-notch guitarists: Reg Schwager, Paul Meyers, Tom Dempsey and Peter McCann. Schwager, who was born in the Netherlands, has been one of Canada’s top guitarists during the past 40 years, working with everyone from Peter Appleyard and Rob McConnell to Diana Krall, Mel Torme and Chet Baker. Paul Meyers, a part of the New York jazz scene since 1980, has also worked with a long list of greats including such singers as Annie Ross, Jon Hendricks, Andy Bey, and Karrin Allyson. Tom Dempsey, who has recorded seven CDs as a leader, has performed with such notables as Wynton Marsalis, Paquito D’Rivera, George Coleman, and Kenny Barron, while Peter McCann has appeared on over 100 CDs, led seven of his own, and has had musical associations with many major jazz artists including Dave Liebman, Lee Konitz, Patti Austin, and the Maria Schneider Orchestra.

What each of these guitarists has in common is that, with their sophisticated chordings, inventive single-note lines, and impeccable timing, they function effortlessly on As I Sing as a one-man orchestra. Whether accompanying Radha, taking concise solos, or interacting with the singer, they each prove to be a perfect musical partner.

Radha Thomas is heard throughout this project at the peak of her creative powers. Performing a set of ten of her favorite standards, she makes each song her own. Among the highlights are her scatting on a partly-disguised rendition of “Summertime,” the charming interpretation of “It Could Happen To You,” the ease that she displays while singing the potentially tricky Clifford Brown melody “Daahoud,” a very appealing rendition of Artie Shaw’s “Moon Ray” with McCann, and her close interaction with Schwager on “Autumn Leaves,” although each performance is worthy in its own way.

As I Sing is well worth several listens.

Scott Yanow, jazz journalist/historian and author of 12 books including The Jazz Singers

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