What happens when the warm, winding tones of jazz saxophone meet the ancient percussion of jori? You get something rare, an experience that is both meditative and thrillingly experimental.
This fusion is no accident. Jesse Bannister, born of mixed Indian and British heritage, has spent his career bridging musical worlds with daring intention. Trained under Pandit K. Sridhar, he has composed for the Hallé Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and City of London Sinfonia, and collaborated with luminaries including Talvin Singh, Bickram Ghosh and Aruna Sairam. His project In Tune draws together Indian classical music, orchestral composition, and sound healing into a single, cohesive vision, performed across England at the London Jazz Festival, Darbar, Bridgewater Hall, and the QEH.
Anchoring the rhythm is Jasdeep Singh, a dedicated jori exponent who is on a mission to restore this ancient double-headed drum to its rightful place at the heart of Indian classical music. Long used as an accompanying instrument, Jasdeep believes the jori deserves to be heard as a lead voice, rich in texture, expressive in tone, and steeped in centuries of tradition.
Where jazz breathes and tradition pulses, something extraordinary takes shape.
Additional Info
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Jesse Bannister saxophone
Jasdeep Singh jori -
A Season of Indian Classical Music
Darbar brings Indian classical music to St Martin-in-the-Fields with four concerts showcasing some of the UK’s finest performers. From the shimmering santoor to the expressive human voice, these concerts offer an accessible introduction to one of the world’s oldest living musical traditions.
Indian classical music is built on two core concepts: raga (melodic framework) and tala (rhythmic cycle). Unlike Western classical music, performances are largely improvised within these structures—musicians respond to the moment, the acoustic, and the audience. Each concert is unique.
Dates, Times & Book
St Martin-in-the-Fields
Sounds of India: Jesse Bannister and Jasdeep Singh
What happens when the warm, winding tones of jazz saxophone meet the ancient percussion of jori? You get something rare, an experience that is both meditative and thrillingly experimental.
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