Wayne Krantz and Susmit Bose
Live in Concert
26 February 2010,
Dalhousie Institute

SUSMIT BOSE – DISSENT POET AND SINGER OF CHANGE 

Susmit Bose is India’s legendary urban folk musician, a “poet, singer and a common man” as he sings in one of his songs. To many who know him and his music, he is one of India’s earliest “singers of change” and interestingly, thirty years down the line, he still angst’s about the ills of today and celebrates the abstracts of the civilisation. Bose is also one of the only singers who held on to his own genre of balladeering in spite of many pressures from the industry and didn’t “cop out” to the more superficial demands of commercialization. So, in a manner of speaking, he stepped out of the orchestra to play solo with his acoustic guitar and harmonica, declaring mutiny on board this world’s ship whose course we are never allowed to direct. 

Bose has been called "India's foremost urban folk musician and a beacon to that genre." Surprisingly, despite the glitz and glamour that hogs much of media space, this well known voice of contemporary India captured the social conscience of the press with every national paper splashing him as "India's folk balladeer" and "man of causes."  Many young reporters that came to interview a "trendy" musician discovered a grey-bearded dissent poet and social activist whose lyrics were an amalgamation of the hard realities of today's political machinations and the more abstract and intangible minutiae of human relationships.  In his song “It’s time for a change” from the album “Be the Change” Susmit wrote: 

“It’s time for a change; it’s been such a long long time for a change

It’s time to turn our world right side up

It’s time to ask of ourselves and change the “what went wrongs”

It’s time for a change; a long time for a change” 

In another song “Certain Thoughts” in his 2005 album “Public Issue” Susmit wrote: 

“How do you speak of freedom?

When you, yourself is all in chains?

How do you see the Rainbow without the rain?” 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1971:    Self composed single “Winter Baby” reached Top 10 in EMI (International) list.

1972:    “Hum Honge Kameyab”, the now famous national anthem, with Hindi translation by Pt. Girija Shankar Mathur & musical arrangement by Anil Biswas, was heard for for the first at All India Road with Susmit Bose taking the lead vocals above a background choir.

1978:    Released “Train to Calcutta”, a self composed 12 song LP (including a Spanish traditional folk song), the first of its kind in India.

DISCOGRAPHY

Train to Calcutta (Vinyl): 1978

Man of Conscience (Cassette): 1990

Public Issue: 2005

Be the Change: 2007

Song of the Eternal Universe: 2008

Essentially Susmit Bose: 2009

Rock for Life: 2009

WAYNE KRANTZ (STEELY DAN, DONALD FAGEN, MICHAEL BRECKER)

Wayne Krantz is an innovative American musician, who is widely recognized as a technically advanced jazz fusion guitarist. He has played with top artists such as Steely Dan, John Zorn, Michael Brecker, Billy Cobham, and others, but currently has a solo act.

Krantz released his first album, Signals, in 1991, sporting an array of recognized jazz musicians such as Dennis Chambers, Leni Stern, Anthony Jackson, and others. However, in 1992, he formed a trio with bassist Lincoln Goines and drummer Zach Danziger, and recorded two albums with them; Long To Be Loose, in 1993, and a live album, 2 Drink Minimum, in 1995. In doing so, he began to play periodically at the 55 Bar, a diverse and premier jazz club in New York City. In 1996, Krantz released an acoustic album with Leni Stern, dubbed Separate Cages. Wayne formed a new trio in 1997, consisting of his ferocious guitar skills, complemented by Tim Lefebvre on electric bass and Keith Carlock on drums, new sounds that would change his music's style drastically. On June 28, 2007, Krantz played his final regular Thursday night gig at NYC's 55 Bar.

Krantz's contributed to Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen's newest release, Morph the Cat, and participated in touring with Fagen's band in early 2006. In another rare sideman role, Krantz is featured on tenor saxophonist Chris Potter's 2006 release, "Underground." Additionally, he is to return to the studio in 2006 to record a new solo album, to be followed by touring. It is unknown whether this new album will feature Wayne's existing trio. Even with a lack of a record company, and thus an absence of excessive advertisement and sponsorship, Krantz's music still receives acclaim and a worldwide underground fan base, strongest in the New York metropolitan area and Britain.

Wayne Krantz signed with hip music Label Abstract Logix to release his first studio record in over fifteen years. Krantz Carlock Lefebvre (2009) features the core trio of Keith Carlock on Drums and Tim Lefebvre on bass and Wayne on guitar.

"The stinging, percussive guitarist played swoon-worthy solos..." - The New York Times

"Boiling with guitar virtuosity." - The Guardian

"Astounding sense of phrasing, note choice and dramatic tension, with the integrity to stand the test of time." - Guitar Player

"Hold on to your hat." - Downbeat

KEITH CARLOCK (STING, STEELY DAN, JAMES TAYLOR)

In Modern Drummer's cover story on Keith (pictured right), Ken Micallef writes, "Since his arrival in New York City from Clinton via North Texas State University, Keith Carlock has scurried up the drumming food chain with an inventive style that is equal parts Zigaboo Modeliste fire, Jon Christensen finesse, and Bernard Purdie funk.... Keith Carlock's achievements prove that talent, skill, and determination is no respecter of locales."

Clinton, Mississippi is is where Keith Carlock was born and raised and where he started playing the drums at age 5. In High School, he joined the jazz band, show choir and drum corps. During that period he would also listen to a lot of rock, R&B and soul music - artists including Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind & Fire, and Tower of Power.

He would spend countless hours playing along to records from John Scofield, Michel Camilo and The Meters, to name a few. Keith also joined several top-40 bands. "I practiced all the time, so much that my parents built me a soundproof room in the garage. I began taking lessons with George Lawrence and later Quinous Johnson in Jackson, Mississippi. And they both turned me on to jazz and fusion."

After receiving music scholarships to Berklee, University of Miami and North Texas State, Keith chose to attend North Texas State University in Denton, Texas because he wanted to study with Ed Soph (pictured left). Of his experience with Ed, Keith says, "He completely changed my approach to the drums; thinking of the drums in a musical way instead of only being a timekeeper for songs. He's able to find your weaknesses. He teaches you how to play jazz standards on the drums, soloing concepts, and ways to get different sounds out of the drums. My technique changed drastically. I came from a drum corps background. I was in a really good high school band, but I wasn't loose. Soph helped me to loosen up by teaching me the 'Moeller' technique. Depending on the style and feel of music being played, I learned to change my technique to make the music hopefully feel better and have a flow."

Keith played professionally in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for several years after leaving UNT, eventually moving to NYC. In New York, Keith met Wayne Krantz and became part of his band, playing regular gigs at The 55 Bar. (Which he's continued to do for the past 6+ years.) Later the band started playing at the European jazz festivals and touring clubs in the states. Keith has recorded three CD's with Wayne. They are entitled "Greenwich Mean", "Your Basic Live" and "Your Basic live "06"....featuring Tim Lefevbre and Will Lee on bass. [Hear clips from some of the records in the music section.]

In New York, he started getting gigs with a wide variety of bands and artists, including David Johansen and The Harry Smiths. Keith has done live dates with David and the group in Europe and in the US. There's also a new release on the Chesky record label entitled "Shaker." [David Johansen was the lead singer with the New York Dolls, and later became Buster Poindexter.]

Keith played drums with the original Blues Brothers Band dating back to 1998. They've done many festivals and large concert halls all over the world in support of The Blues Brothers 2000 motion picture. This band includes Eddie Floyd, Tommy McDonnell, Steve Cropper, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Lou "Blue Lou" Marini, Alan Rubin, Birch Johnson, and Leon Pendarvis. Keith also plays with the Nuff Brothers Band in NYC from time to time.....which features the Blues Brothers horn section.

Keith has also toured with legendary singer/actor Harry Belafonte, Chris Botti, and with the late Grover Washington, Jr. He also plays around town with different groups including Leni Stern, Oz Noy, Richard Bona, and Francis Mbappe's FM Tribe.

It was at the NYC's famed jazz club, The 55 Bar, backing guitar great Wayne Krantz, where Steely Dan's Donald Fagen and Walter Becker came by to see the band play. (Wayne had toured with SD in 1996) Eventually Donald sat in with the band a few times and they offered Keith a shot at playing on the title track of their [then] new record, "Two Against Nature". [The album went on to win 4 Grammy's including 2001's "Album of the Year".]

Messrs. Fagen and Becker later asked Keith to play on their follow-up record, "Everything Must Go" where Keith played on every track, a first for any Steely Dan studio drummer. Then Keith got the call from Walter Becker to do the 2003 "Everything Must Go" Tour.

During the 2003 Steely Dan tour in support of "Everything Must Go", Sting learned about Keith via his representatives who were in the audience at the Roseland gig in New York City. Sting subsequently asked Keith to join his tour. Keith was on the road with Sting from October 2003 through February 2005.

Upon his return to NYC, Keith recorded Donald Fagen's critically acclaimed CD, "Morph the Cat," and toured with Donald in support of the album in March of 2006. He then spent the summer of 2006 touring with Steely Dan, and recording with Walter Becker for his second solo release entitled "Circus Money". Keith completed a world tour with Steely Dan in September 2007 followed by a tour with James Taylor in the fall of 2007. Keith is currently back on the road with Steely Dan for a summer 2008 tour. Please check the "tour page" for the current dates!!

In 2006, Keith was honored by being named "#2 Best All-Around Drummer" in Modern Drummer's Readers Poll, finishing second to the legendary Vinnie Colaiuta. 2007's poll results tagged Keith as "#2 Best Pop Drummer" and #3 Best All-Around Drummer (following only to Steve Gadd and Vinnie Colaiuta.) In 2008, Keith was honored with winning the "Pop" category and being voted 3rd "Best All-Around" in Modern Drummer's Readers Poll!

Keith also has recently recorded with Diana Ross, Leni Stern and Faith Hill.

Keith Carlock  was recently voted number 1 Pop drummer, number 1 Fusion drummer, and number 1 Best All-Around drummer in Modern Drummer's 2009 Readers Poll .

TIM LEFEBVRE

Tim Lefebvre (bass), one of the most skilled and sought after bass players in NY, lets loose with his driving, unexpected, and funky explorations of the low end. 

Tim has made appearances in Saturday Night Live’s house band over the last few years and his work has also been heard on The Apprentice, The Sopranos, The Late Show With David letterman, Dancing With The Stars, 30 Rock (NBC), Oceans 12, Oceans 13, The Departed, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, and Analyze That! He has appeared recently with John Mayer, Sting, Rudder, Wayne Krantz, Chris Potter, Patti Austin, Jamie Cullum, and Uri Caine's Bedrock with Zach Danziger. Recently, Tim has been seen on TV and touring with Chris Botti.