John Mayer, born in Calcutta, was a world class musician and composer. His works are covered by many musicians across the globe. John Mayer, to this generation of Anglo Indians is unfortunately not well known. I was lucky enough to have a chat with his son Jonathan Mayer and asked him to share with us the story of John Mayer, his dad and the musician. This is the story of John Mayer, a Calcutta boy.
PepperWater: Tell us a little about John Mayer the person.
Jonathan Mayer: My Father was a happy man, by the time I was born he had achieved a tremendous amount of respect, accolade and stability. John Mayer was born in Calcutta in either 1929 or 1930 (birth certificate is missing), he studied at the Calcutta School Of Music under Phillipé Sandré and played regularly at The LightHouse Cinema as a Violinist.
In 1950 my Father won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London from The Bombay Madrigal Singers. On arriving at the RAM he discovered that his fees had been paid for but not his accommodation, he also realised that only one of his fours years of study had been paid. After the year had passed he was kicked out of the Royal Academy and instantly landed a job in The London Philharmonic Orchestra. Read more about John's carreer here.
My Father (although born in Calcutta) always classed London as his home, he had many passions - Western films, Boxing and of course music. Although music was a passion it was also a profession (for my mother also), we never stood around the piano singing songs or play to each other. And I certainly learnt a lot from that ethos, music should be taken seriously and not for granted.
When he died in 2004 I was in India on tour, my wife was pregnant with our first child. I got a phone call in the middle of the night from my wife informing me that my Dad had been knocked down while crossing the road and that he wasn't going the survive. I left straight away from Pondicherry to london, but couldn't get back in time to see him alive.
PW: What are some of his phrases that you remember and cherish as golden?
JM: Best quote ever "There's always someone better around the corner!" and "He who pays the piper plays the tunes"
PW: I'm sure he has performed umpteen number concerts, tell us a little about them.
JM: My father way an extremely versatile musician and was able to apply his trade in many different genres, his Violin playing was fantastic and his compositional orchestration beautiful. I would not be exaggerating if I said he had played all over the world.
PW: Calcutta Nagar is a record that was composed by your dad, what is it all about?
JM: Calcutta Nagar was written for my mother and describes the places within Calcutta that my father knew. The movement 'Calcutta Garana' refers to the Calcutta School Of Music and in written in C Major with simple thematic material....make your own judgement on why that is!
Watch Philip Sear play a few clips from Calcutta Nagar:
PW: You are, I would say, famous in many countries for your adaptaion of the sitar. Did you and your dad play together?
JM: I studied violin & piano form the age of 5 from my grandfather (who was co-leader of the RPO). By the age of 11 of became disinterested in music, I actually wanted to be an astrophysicist! At the age of 16, when I realised I was awfully at maths & physics, I started to become more involved in music especially listening. I started listening to my dad's Indo-Jazz recordings (Buy CD) and to one unreleased recording in particular called 'Dhammapada'. Dhammapada had sitar on it, I heard the sound of it and thought "...I want to play that!".
And so I started to learn the sitar in 1991, since then I have played with my father 100's of times with the re-formed Indo-Jazz Fusions band. I have also played my fathers works - Shanta Quintet (for sitar & string quartet), Phadma Phool (for sitar, tabla & flute). Recently I have been given an endorsement of a new instrument called the Pygmy Sitar. I play it on my debut solo album which will be out later this year on First Hand Records.
PW: Who are your musical influences - I am sure there are many being that you play varied styles of music, but can you name a few?
JM: I have 2 main musical influences, my Father & the sitarist Nikhil Banerjee. My aim to to take the sitar out of it's context to create a new sound world, in my upcoming album I play Bach arrangement on the sitar and collaborate with Jazz trumpeter Kenny Wheeler.
PW: I believe you have founded your own record company?
JM: Yes, in 2007 I set up a record company called First Hand Records with the intention of releasing my Father's music, since then the company have grown and our release schedule includes artist such as Shura Cherkassky & Adrian Boult. Please go to www.firsthandrecords.com for more of my father's music.
PW: I have to ask, what is your favourite Anglo-Indian or Indian meal?
JM: Chicken Tikka, Makhani Dhal & Chapati's....my favourite!
You can contact Jonathan Mayer at the First Hand Records website or his personal website. Other links are suggested reading for more about the Mayers and their rich impact on our culture.
Website of Jonathan mayer: www.jonathanmayer.co.uk
John Mayer the composer: www.johnmayercomposer.co.uk
First Hand Records: www.firsthandrecords.com
Buy Calcutta-Nagar from Amazon
Download individual tracks:
