Keys to brilliance

Pianist Tom Schuman shares his experience of collaborating with Indian guitarist Abhay Nayampally among other things

- Narendra Kusnur

With its unique combination of jazz, rhythm and blues, funk and pop, American band Spyro Gyra has had a massive following among jazz listeners since the late 1970s. After playing on some tracks on the self-titled debut and follow-up album Morning Dance, Tom Schuman played keyboards on all tracks of the third album Catching The Sun, released in 1980.

Besides being an integral part of Spyro Gyra till he quit last year, Schuman has also released a string of solo albums. He has now tied up with Bengaluru-based Sandeep Chowta's Namma Music on his ninth solo venture I Am Schuman. The album contains 10 tracks, of which Comfortably Silences features Indian guitarist Abhay Nayampally, who describes the track as a composition of grace, nuance and unparalleled beauty. "I got to try a different approach to playing the Carnatic guitar, thinking in a way that's new to a typical Indian classical context and shaping it more in line with a contemporary jazz context," says Nayampally.

Schuman has a lot to say about his new album and his experience with Spyro Gyra.

Excerpts from the interview:

How long have you been working on I Am Schuman? How did you approach the compositions?