In one of those infrequent delayed starts at Jio World Centre’s The Cube on 18^th July, “Stories In Tunes by Neil Mukherjee” commenced to an unfortunately rare non-full house auditorium and expectedly, by the end of the proceedings from the amazing composer-guitarist, those who missed out were obvious losers.

Joining Neil on stage, following a solo performance based on raag kedar, were, at periodic intervals, three accomplished musicians who arrived in support: Sayar Mitra, a versatile bassist and educator, who has performed across various genres including jazz, R&B, folk, and classical, having collaborated with artists such as Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and the late Ustad Zakir Hussain; pianist Aditya Jayakar,with his distinctive jazz-funk textures, and high-energy improvisation; and showy drummer Shravan Samsi, who bridges Indian classical and Western rhythmic traditions learnt through the mentorship of Ranjit Barot and Pt. Yogesh Samsi. 

Among various highlights of the evening was Kolkata the key Constantinople, inspired by a story read by Neil,a song on which drummer Shravan displayed his immense talent of maintaining a beat balance on the ever changing tempos.Another brilliant composition was Thru The Sands, which contained obvious Middle Eastern influences, and featured a fabulous and an appropriately gentle piano interlude from Aditya. Then there was the comparatively percussion heavy, African-influenced Proteas, based on the national flower of South Africa and, what Neil apparently learnt from a geologist, also grows alongside the Mumbai-Goa highway because of the great continental divide, which featured a brief solo from bassist Sayar.

Within the high ways of the instrumental music being showcased, a little bit of downer occurred during the concert as Neil turned to vocals, with bassist Sayar providing harmonies, on songs ranging from Bengali to English. However, when the band indulged in a Punjabi song called Chal Bulleya, courtesy guest vocalist Radhika Sood Nayak who Neil described as his “employer”, the performance perked up. The track, written by Bulleh Shah, speaks about visiting a place where everyone is blind and, hence, no one is identifiedby caste, with Radhika doing justice to the sounds of Sufi with her effective, clear voice.

The 90-minute performance ended with an encore of It Could Be Rain, based on various monsoon ragas, a fitting conclusion to the musical talent of Neil, whose storied tunes, influenced by flamenco, jazz, blues, rock, Latin, and Afro, presented a vibrant set shaped by stories, sounds, and spontaneity.

For those yet not aware of the genius of Neil Mukherjee, he has worked with renowned composers like Shankar-Ehsaan (who was present for the event)-Loy, as well as A.R. Rahman. Neil's musical journey also includes training in Carnatic music in Chennai and, hence, his compositions often reflect its obvious influences, and he was once a member of Krosswindz, a popular Kolkata-based band, appropriately responsible for a musical change. 

Reviewed By Parag Kamani

Parag Kamani has been part of the media and entertainment industry across 35 years, having worked for licensors such as Warner Music and EMI/Virgin in music, as well as Warner Bros, Universal Pictures, and Paramount Pictures in the field of films. Parag continues pursuing his passion as a profession.