The Life & Career Of Louiz Banks: Godfather Of Indian Jazz

Much like his music, the 76-year-old pianist’s own journey has been full of extraordinary improvisation

- David Britto

In the early Eighties, veteran Indian jazz pianist Louiz Banks visited the United States for a holiday. While he was in Washington D.C., he got word that the legendary American jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie was playing a gig in town, so he headed to the venue with a friend to catch the show. “The place was packed,” recalls Banks. “I noticed there was no piano player.” Banks would later find out that Gillespie’s pianist was unwell that night. When Gillespie took a break in between sets, Banks approached the trumpeter for a chat and mentioned that he was a jazz pianist from India. “Dizzy was looking at me and said, ‘Jazz pianist from India!’ He couldn’t believe it,” says Banks.

When Gillespie returned to the stage, he announced, “There is a guest in the house who is a jazz pianist from India. I want him to come and play with us.” “Suddenly, to play with Dizzy out of nowhere—without rehearsal—I didn’t know what to do,” Banks says. “Literally, my knees were knocking against each other and my heart was thumping.” Gillespie asked the pianist if he was familiar with the jazz standard “Stella by Starlight.” Luckily, Banks was. “I played through the second set with him and it went off great,” says Banks.