Take Five with Singer-Songwriter Arnab Sengupta

Meet Arnab Sengupta

Arnab Sengupta is a contemporary singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based out of Bangalore, India. Growing up in the eastern cities of India, Arnab has absorbed a plethora of diverse musical styles, both local and international, and has diligently pursued the study and performance of contemporary music for over 30 years, while arriving at his individual artistic expression as a composer/songwriter.

The harmonic sophistication of jazz music is the bedrock of his creation, though one can hear influences from rock and progressive rock styles in his music as well. If one were to pay close attention to his music, one would immediately notice a sense of deep and insightful lyricism that is prevalent throughout his songwriting, covering philosophical and spiritual musings about self-discovery, inner reflection and the pursuit of truth.

Arnab has recorded and released 4 albums as a singer-songwriter, with the 4th one—Truth Be Told having been released in August, 2023. All his albums are marked with a sense of harmonic adventurism and poetic imagination that is fresh and unique, unlike any other artist in the contemporary music scene.

He has also rendered his voice as a session artist for several prog rock and metal albums through his work on online session platforms like Airgigs ad Soundbetter.

Instruments:

Voice / piano / guitar.

Teachers and/or influences?

I was largely self-taught before I started taking professional voice and piano lessons in Pune, India in 2004, while working as a software engineer. I quit my day job thereafter and did a brief sojourn at the Berklee College of Music in 2007, studying Ear Training, Jazz Vocal Improvisation, Harmony and Arrangement. Upon my return to India, I moved to Bangalore, where I supported my musical pursuits with a job as a software tester, while still studying and nurturing contemporary music in my personal capacity. It was in 2017, that I got introduced to the great New York based jazz pianist and educator, Dave Frank through his book The Joy of Improvisation and that completely captured my attention and focus.

Thereafter, I have immersed himself in the learning and practice of jazz piano improvisation and have been taking weekly lessons with Dave Frank for the last 3 years. I consider this phase of my musical life as my musical rebirth and jazz piano improvisation under the able guidance of my teacher has brought me profound joy and fulfillment. It is no wonder that Dave remains my biggest influence and source of inspiration and motivation these past years. The connection that I share with Dave goes beyond just mere words.

Over the years, in my journey as a musician, I have enjoyed the works of Billy Joel, Sting, Steely Dan, Dream Theater, Yes, Porcupine Tree, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, Brad Mehldau, George Benson but as a songwriter I derive inspiration directly from my life and my spiritual journey, though the music of the aforementioned artists and many others would have obviously made a creative impression in my mind.

I do not actively listen to music unless I am learning a new song or composing myself. That keeps my mind empty in a way to delve into a totally new direction as a songwriter and composer.

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

I grew up in a family setting which was well endowed with music, literature, arts, philosophy and religion. My paternal aunt was a prominent Hindustani classical singer and many members from both the sides of my family were true connoisseurs of the arts. It was only natural for me to develop an artistic bent of mind from an early childhood which led to my active participation in musical and cultural pursuits in school. It was only in my eighth grade that I got deeply entrenched in Western contemporary music and started taking guitar lessons from my music teacher at school. At that moment, I somehow knew truly and deeply inside, that music was something that I would love to pursue and dedicate my life to. Since then, I haven't looked back. Though life has tested me several time and still continues to do so, my conviction to stay absolutely centered around my musical ambition has never been in question.

Your sound and approach to music.

As a singer, I have a male tenor voice that can often hit high Bs and Cs, sometimes all the way upto a D#. I have developed my singing voice through years of vocal training following the Marchesi Book of Vocal method which is a Western Classical vocal pedagogy developed by the prominent 19th century German mezzo-soprano vocal teacher, Mathilda Marchesi.

Because of my wide range and my ability to hit really high notes, I am also an in-demand rock, progressive rock and melodic metal singer on online session platforms like airgigs and soundbetter. My vocal articulation is crystal clear and my tone is smooth across registers, making it an absolutely pleasant experience for the listeners.

As a songwriter, I love to experiment with different song forms and harmonic progressions. I have developed a way to map out the melody of the song into unique chord structures that generate tension which might take the song into different directions harmonically, but the song eventually finds a way to get back into its place of rest. Of course, this has resulted in some of my earlier songs being too far out, but I have worked on my craft and refined it to ensure that the melodic backbone of the song is adhered to at all times. Almost everytime, I composes that melody first and then the words come in later. I have spent years transcribing by ear, the works of jazz giants like George Benson, Chick Corea, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, etc. and that has helped me develop a harmonic palette of chord structures which I extensively uses for my own songs.

Your teaching approach

I have extensive experience as a vocal coach and have trained aspirants of varied age groups and skill levels over my decade-long association with voice training. I largely follow the Marchesi Vocal method and employ exercises and techniques directly from the Marchesi exercise book. The focus areas for the development of the voice are: tone, intonation, diction, breath control, expression, dynamics, flexibility, phrasing and styistic interpretation. The approach is to firm up the rudimentaries and focus on building a steady foundation over time. I help the students understand the overall mechanics of singing so that they become self aware as singers. From time to time, I also cover the other areas of musical development like music theory, ear training, composition and songwriting and improvisation.

I haven't started teaching jazz piano improvisation but I am looking forward to sharing the wealth of knowledge that I have received from my teacher Dave Frank with other jazz piano aspirants,at an opportune time. Dave Frank is a direct protege of Lennie Tristano, so in effect I would be passing on the legacy of Lennie to my students that way.

Your dream band

My ideal band of all times is the Keith Jarrett trio with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette. It is for me and many others a match made for the Gods in heaven to enjoy music. Though I don't necessarily write original material only for a trio, a good trio would be the ideal place to start and then I could build it up by getting other musicians on board depending on the requirements of each song. But I doesn't prefer big ensembles. I would stretch as far as a quintet for some of my material and maybe a horn section for a few of my songs. I prefer intimate, close knit arrangements which enables me to keep my music more personal.

Your favorite recording in your discography and why?

My favourite album from my body of work is the new album—Truth Be Told. For me, it is the only album that I can listen to from start to finish on repeat (and have been doing so already) without being constantly critical about what I have created.

Of course, no album is perfect and perfection is a mirage, but when a composer listens to his/her own creation then they sometimes end up lost in the semantics of "how something could have been done better" and I have had my share of mental vicissitudes to deal with in this regard. But somehow for my 4th album—Truth Be Told everything has turned out to be very pleasant and enjoyable. There is not a moment of indiscretion while listening to the entire album. It has turned out quite seamless for the most part of it.

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

I am definitely giving the listeners a new perspective to contemporary songwriting. The musical elements of my music might be already en force through other artists, but my lyricism is extremely ingenuous in terms of the themes that I cover and expound upon. Modern music is largely shallow and facile when it comes to the use of the English language as a poetic medium. The choice of words and most often the lyrical imagination lacks depth, is inarticulate and hardly leaves the listener with something to ponder or reflect upon.

I am not out of time and place with my insistence on delivering something more meaningful. It is just a matter of time when listeners will seek it out.

Did you know...

I have an engineering degree in Electronic and Communications and have worked in the Information Technology industry with companies like Infosys Techologies (Indian MNC) and SAP (German product company) for over 10 years. I am also a regular practitioner of Vipassana meditation as taught by Sri Acharya SN Goenka. I like spiritual philosophy, especially the Advaita Vedanta school of thought and I really find the teachings of the modern nondualist teacher Sri Nisargadatta Maharaja to be particularly insightful and refreshing.

The first jazz album I bought was:

The first jazz album that I bought was Chick Corea and Return To Forever's Light as a Feather.

Desert Island picks:

Billy Joel: Greatest Hits
Chick Corea Electric Band: Chick Corea Electric Band
Brad Mehldau: The Art of the Trio Volume Three
Porcupine Tree: In Absentia

How would you describe the state of jazz today?

Most of the jazz music today is quite uninspiring. The level of virtuosity of the players have increased manifolds but the level of musical maturity has unfortunately regressed. The music is usually fast, incendiary and played to stimulate and sensationalize. It does not move me much. I don't know of many players who play with real feel. Brian Blade is definitely someone who plays with a lot of feel. But I don't find any emotional connect with the young jazz players unfortunately. Not too many players swing much these days. The real feel is in the development of the swing.

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

Getting back to the source of why jazz music became so endearing. Getting back to the swing, feeling the swing more would help. Everyone just wants to play fast. Jazz musicians need to think through their approach of delivering their music. It is an age-old wisdom in music that the best way to convey music to an audience is to develop it slowly and then take it to its heights. Jazz musicians need to develop more emotional connection with the music that they are creating and performing and that will get transferred to the listeners.

What is in the near future?

My immediate aim is to develop a long-term working-band and start playing my material live more often. I know how hard it is to keep a committed set of individuals together for the long haul. I have tried it earlier and have had many challenges. But now I have better ideas and am more prepared to see through that aspect and everything that it would entail. Musically as well, I am more confident with my own material and have a clearer idea on how I want to present it. Of course, I will keep writing new material and keep recording and releasing them on a regular basis.

What is your greatest fear when you perform?

I don't have a lot of performance anxiety. I have been performing on stage since my childhood, so I have enough experience in that regard. I have taken a break from active performance for the last couple of years to work on my jazz piano skills but now that I am more confident with it, I plan to start performing soon again. I will be a bit nervous at the beginning, but I am sure it will all settle down as I keep performing.

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

Well it changes. Currently it is a song from my latest release—Truth Be Told. The song is called "No Friend of Mine"

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

There is nothing else that I could have become, at least in this lifetime. If not a jazz musician, then definitely a rock/progressive rock vocalist.

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

It would be with the great Indian film maker—Satyajit Ray. Satyajit Ray was the greatest independent film maker of modern India. His body of work is just humongous. He was a true master of the cinema in being able to communicate with scripts and storylines that were engaging, entertaining as well as enlightening. Not only was he a film maker but also an equally accomplished novelist, artist and musician. He is probably one of the most intriguing minds from India in the last 50 odd years.

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

It would definitely be my first experience playing live music with my band in school. I have very clear memories of that day. I was in the 10th Grade and had managed to put up a full band comprising bassist, drummer and keyboardist, while I manned the guitars and the vocals. We rehearsed for about a month before putting up a show for the entire school in the massive school auditorium. We covered bands like Bad Company, Deep Purple, Scorpions, Bon Jovi. The thrill of that day still runs through my veins. I would gladly wish to relive that.

What does music mean to you?

There is an old adage in North Indian classical music that music in general can be divided into three broad categories—one that titillates the body, one that excites the mind and one that invigorates the soul. Everyone is free to choose what they want out of their musical experience. But whatever one chooses, one needs to be very mindful of the effect that choice might have in their lives. Music is an extremely powerful medium and it has the power to make a strong impact on an individual at multiple levels, hence once must choose wisely.

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