JeyarAj Jaysri@rAma Anjaneyar temple on Apr 07th,2014

[rajeshnat]

JeyarAj Jaysri@rAma Anjaneyar temple on Apr 07th,2014
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Veena : JeyarAj Jaysri
Mrudangam : MannarKoil J balAji
Ghatam : Nanganallur Swaminathan

Concert duration/Day : 1 hr and 45 mins+ /Monday
Concert Type : Nirvana (no concert to follow)
sabha/Hall : RAma Anjenaya trust/Rama Anjeneya temple, tambaram sanatorium
Crowd : max of 20

???
...
2. raghunAyakA (R,S) - hamsadhwani- HMB
4 mins swaras
3. rAmanukku mannan mudi- HIndOlam - AK

4. raghuvara nannu(R N S) - paNtuvarALi - T
5 mins neraval in manasuna
swaras for 8 mins

5. manavyAla (R)- nalinakAnthi - T
3 mins alapana

6A. pakkala nilapadi (R Taanam N S T) - kharaharapriya - T
11 mins alapana and 8 mins taanam
5 mins neraval and 6 mins swaras
6B. tani for 11 mins

7. speech for 12 mins
8. sri ramachandra ???? bhajan - yamunakalyani - tulsidas???
9. pavamAna

This is my second concert where I am hearig JeyarAj and jaysri. They have a strong lineage that dates back to the one of the veena's most associated trinity- Muthuswami Dikshitar . I did come late at around 07:35 pm , the concert may have started bit late than the scheduled 7 pm . I am assuming I had missed one number and I joined from second. As I entered i heard the last touches of hamsadhwani alapana . The krithi raghunayaka gave indeed a bright start with a touch of swaras which are bit slower than the usually fast opening swaras of hamsadhwani.

The HindOlam brimmed with so much life and I did enjoy it a lot .The sub main was a typical text book and authentic patantara of an antha kALathu MLV pantuvarAli . Jaysri played the alapana and there were no contours of Poorvi Kalyani or any of the prati madhyama adulteration , she stayed and as jeyarAj joined there was nice synchornization.

THe best of the day was indeed nalinakanthi , they took turns and really gave that meditative feel - what a raga is nalinakAnthi and what a krithi is manavyAla. I was expecting a dash of swaras but nalinakAnthi faded with the krithi.

The main was in kharaharapriya and another masterpiece of T - pakkala nilapadi was choosen . I enjoyed jeyarAj alapana and the krithi had a nice gayaki ang in both krithi and neraval . The swaras were bit too measured , i felt they could have played more.

The organizer spoke for the first half giving a lot of hope to me that he would end . But this being the last day of the concert he thanked every one of us and it was almost 12 mins gone . The last in yamunA kalyani was quite good , and I am not sure of the krithi.

Few things that did not work out that well to me:
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1. Taanam of veena is perhaps the most aesthetic piece to appreciate the toned naadam of veena . I felt the tone did not sink in me to appreciate.

2. While jaysri plays in a kacchidam style and jayaraj has more flamboyance and speed . With respect to the tone I could get more nicer sound with only jaysri , there was a touch of guitar/mandolin like tone in jayaraj whenever he played bit fast .

Last year I had a chance to hear mudikondan ramesh in the same hall. He played saraswati veena and I some how find the tone of that veena is certainly far better than the two radel veenas of J&J. I do know there has been enough visual writeup in words that came up in this forum thru many(inclusive of radhika of radel) but aurally the saraswathi veena tone is more intense and more deep to me . Perhaps J&J can try to play saraswati veena also for atleast concerts of chennai(considering the reality of carrying two veenas for their outstation concerts).

3. Most of the krithis were from T . May be they played one MD krithi before T . I certainly missed a MD krithi , being rama navami celebrations - i missed a meditative vilambit of MD . It would have been lovely if they had say played a mamava pattabhi rama krithi in manirangu or any other rama krithi. ALso a little more swaraprasthara magic would have been better.

The percussion team did blend very well . One of the most striking aspect of mannarkoil balaji is he shows a far higher camraderie when compared to many of the fellow mrudangam artist . A good rotation policy with ghatam and overall going with a higher sensitivity that is required for veena . There was also right mix of aggresion . I could not concentrate that much in tani as there was little excessive tala putting by jayaraj(he did use both hands ) .

All said and done J&J have an intense sampradaya touch and a very high shruthi adherance .rAmA being ishta devata of Thyagaraja took a front seat than their lineage of Muttuswami Dikshitar . They have really mastered in presenting duet concerts and they did not have any cross border problems that can usually come with few duets.

Overall a very good concert .

[arasi]

Rajesh,
I am glad you could make it to the concert.
I could not hear them or meet them during my last two visits to Chennai. They did once play in Bengaluru when I happened to be there, but I think the venue was not anywhere close to me.

Whenever I have heard them, they have mostly played MD's krutis (of course), and this would have been a change, listening to TyAgarAjA krutis.

I first heard them play in Naada Inbam (can't forget the concert because soon after that, we RasikAs met--2006? A memorable day).

In that concert, I remember Jaysri playing the saraswathi vINA and it sounded so well along with Jeyraj's Radel one.

[CRama]

Rajesh thank you for your succinct review as always. My two cents.
I am also not happy with the nadam of electronic veena. The nadam is muffled- not as sweet as the Saraswathi Veena. I have written the same in one of my earlier reviews of their concert. Sivaramakrishnan also has discussed with them this aspect. But they prefer Radel for its convenience in handling. At least in Chennai, they can use Saraswathi Veena. As Arasi has said, in one of the Veenothsav concerts, I heard Jayasree Jayaraj playing Saraswathi Veena and Jayaraj with Radel Veena. They complemented well. But nothing to beat the sweet tone of the Saraswathi Veena.

For a Rama Navami concert, Thyagaraja Kritis are most apt choice of any vidwan. Having heard hundreds of Rama Navami concerts in Bangalore, I immensely relish all Thyagraja kritis concerts for Rama Navami. I am going to Bangalore now. But my health nowadays do not permit me to go long distances to attend concerts in Bangalore. I should be happy with the reviews posted by our friends.

[veenajj]

Logging in after a very long time...after suddenly noticing our names here after a long time!! Good to see veena concerts being attended and discussed; the young lad featured in another thread here also seems to be quite a natural. God bless him.

Just wished to clarify, on both occasions mentioned by arasiji and Sri CRama respectively we have both used our Radel veenas only. If the traditional veena, it also is always both of us using the same thing, like we did for our concert in Hamsadhwani's Annual Series recently. We try and coordinate most of whatever we do musicwise, including the colour of our clothing

We also take this opportunity to invite those of you in Chennai for our next concert tomorrow, Sunday April 13th at 7 pm under the auspices of the Veena Balachander Trust at Narada Gana Sabha Mini Hall and give your feedback on the sound of the veenas that we will be trying out tomorrow.

Jeyaraaj and Jaysri

[arasi]

J&J,
Thanks for clarifying

Yes, the aesthetics in your playing shows in the way you coordinate in colors too!

Glad to know you are playing at NGS under the aegis of the Balachandar Trust. Hope rasikAs and musicians who are free tomorrow do come to listen to you. kindly share with us a piece or two, if it's agreeable to the sponsors and to the two of you.

[rajeshnat]

VeenaJJ
Did you play any number(s) before raghunAyakA (R,S) - hamsadhwani- T ?
Tx for clarifying.