Take Five with Bassist Anthony Muthurajah

Meet Anthony Muthurajah

Anthony Muthurajah is a Bahrain-born Sri Lankan bassist whose musical journey began at age 12 as a church band drummer. He later picked up the guitar and bass, and at 17, moved to Chennai, India, where he became immersed in the gospel scene. In 2010, he moved to Kuala Lumpur to study at the International College of Music, where he switched to bass guitar as his primary instrument.

By 2011, Anthony became an active session bassist, collaborating with notable artists in Malaysia, including Ning Baizura, Michael Veerapen, and Mokhtar Samba African Jazz Project. He later relocated to Doha, Qatar, where he worked with visiting artists and did a residency with Deborah Bond at Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha. In 2015, he moved to Dubai, where he performed on the world premiere of Ihab Darwish's "Waves of My Life" and increasingly focused on music education through online lessons and his YouTube channel.

Anthony has collaborated with artists like Steve Sidwell, Frederic Yonnet, Samvel Gasparyan, The Brand New Heavies, and The Supremes to name a few. His debut album, Road Not Taken, was released in 2019, followed by Perennial in 2021. He currently resides in New York City, continuing his career as an artist and educator.

Instruments:

Primary: bass guitar, fretless bass guitar
Secondary: electric guitar, drums

Teachers and/or influences?

Influences: Jaco Pastorius, Jeff Berlin, John Coltrane, Clifford Brown, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Matthew Garrison, Hadrien Feraud, Allan Holdsworth, Joe Zawinul, John Scofield.

I knew I wanted to be a musician when...

When I was three years old and I couldn't stop looking at the drummer in the church I grew up in.

Your sound and approach to music.

My sound and approach to music is to very simply "put the music first." That could mean multiple things of course, but it sometimes helps to think about music for what it is and not over complicate the thought process from an intellectual perspective exclusively. For me personally, I like to think of every style of music as a flavor profile and I want to be ready to be able to execute just about anything to do with that particular style. This is my primary thought process as a sideman. When it comes to my own music, I tend to avoid using my "instrument to present the music." I focus on the actual composition and let the song speak for itself in terms of what it actually needs (and doesn't need).

Your teaching approach

I believe we all process information differently, but the information (study materials) in and of itself is exactly the same. I like to keep things simple, establish a solid foundation with the most basic concepts and techniques to play music on our respective instrument(s). As a teacher, I think it is important to identify what a students needs to learn as opposed to what they want to learn. And much like any skillset, teaching is something that can be worked on and improved upon.

Your dream band

This is a tricky question! I have had the good fortune of working with the amazing Rez Abbasi on guitar over the last year and a half, so that's been great because he was definitely someone I had wanted to work with for a while! Besides him, I would love to work with Peter Erskine, Jack DeJohnette, Bill Stewart, John Scofield, Kevin Hays & many many more people. My "dream band" would be Rez Abbasi, Mahesh Balasooriya , Kenny Grohowski & Rudresh Mahanthappa.

Road story: Your best or worst experience

There are plenty of great experiences, but I would love to talk about my worst!

So, I "mimed" drums for a sold out arena show in the U.A.E, opening for one of the most popular bands on the planet (Not giving any more information than that haha). The artist expected me to play with the Spotify track with no in ear monitoring whatsoever. The arena was packed (20,000) people. I accidentally crashed on the wrong beat during the breakdown of one of the tunes and it was very very obvious that I was just miming along. I have never left a venue as quick as I did after this "show." I am shaking in disbelief as I type this haha.

Favorite venue

At the moment, it is definitely ShapeShifter Lab . Not only because it is owned and managed by my good friend and musical hero Matthew Garrison, but the space, acoustics, gear and management are great to work with. They really support independent artists like no other venue in NYC (in my personal opinion).

Your favorite recording in your discography and why?

This is a tricky one. I like Road Not Taken from a composition perspective, but I like Perennial more sonically speaking. So...if I had to pick one, it would be Road Not Taken.

What do you think is the most important thing you are contributing musically?

My most important contribution musically is for bass players to think beyond being functional bassists. Think and approach music artistically and find your own voice, to be your own artist. We could use more bass playing artists!

Did you know...

I never wanted to do music for a living. I am not kidding. I wanted to do either aeronautical engineer or automobile engineering once upon a time. Look at how that worked out hey!

The first jazz album I bought was:

Jaco Pastorius Word of Mouth

Music you are listening to now:

Jesse Van Ruller & Maarten Hogenhuis: Follow The Sound
John Scofield: Uncle John's Band (ECM Records)
Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Charlie (5Passion)
John Patitucci: Now (Concord Records)
Meshuggah: Koloss (Reigning Phoenix Music)

Desert Island picks:

Jaco Pastorius: Jaco Pastorius (Sony BMG)
Jaco Pastorius: Word of Mouth (Warner Records)
Weather Report: Heavy Weather (Sony Music)
Allan Holdsworth: Secrets (Manifesto Records)
Allan Holdsworth: The Sixteen Men of Tain (Manifesto Records)

How would you describe the state of jazz today?

I personally think that there is a lot more potential in jazz than there used to be, simply by way of volume of the number of musicians who are engaging in this art form around the world. Having said that, I believe it is necessary to study, embrace and embody the tradition of jazz, while exploring and expressing beyond a dogmatic approach to just playing "straight ahead jazz" exclusively.

What are some of the essential requirements to keep jazz alive and growing?

It is important to encourage and nurture young talent to study and understand the tradition, while also pushing to change and adapt the music to something that has more reach in a contemporary context. I also think modern technology needs to be taken into consideration with how we can further push the fire and drive that jazz has always had. I also think it is important to educate music audiences around the world. The general public has a rather misguided perception of Jazz in general and I think as jazz musicians, it would most certainly help our art if we can find a solution to draw a more consistent crowd to shows and festivals.

What is in the near future?

I am in currently writing new music for my third album (and a subsequent solo bass EP). The album which will feature a number of the finest musicians in NYC, with a core trio or quartet. Other than new music, I am also currently working on my next ebook, to add to my existing catalog of books.

What is your greatest fear when you perform?

Having to use the restroom (urgently). Yes, while this is very silly, it is a serious fear when I perform, regardless of the nature of the show. I had to excuse myself during a big show and it was easily the most nerve-wracking thing I've done till date. Hahaha.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

"Three Views of a Secret" by Jaco Pastorius.

What is your favorite song to whistle or sing in the shower?

While I have many tunes in rotation, the main song I can "sing" in the shower is "How Deep is Your Love" by Bee Gees.

By Day:

I'd probably be a team leader in a tech company, specifically financial tech.

If I weren't a jazz musician, I would be a:

Automobile engineer.

If I could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be and why?

Boy this is a tough one. I would be inclined to choose Jaco Pastorius because he just seems like he would've been the coolest guy. Full of life and definitely a very special character, who made some of the most beautiful music to ever exist in recorded history.

If I could go back in time and relive an experience, what would it be?

Listening to Jaco's debut record (titled Jaco Pastorius). It still blows my mind away exactly the same way (actually I'm more mind-blown with each listen) it did when I heard it for the first time.

What's the song or piece of music you wish you could hear again for the first time?

"Continuum" by Jaco Pastorius.

What is your favorite thing to do outside of music.

I enjoy cooking, a lot!

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