Bandleader, Composer, Drummer, and Dhol Player Sunny Jain to Perform in Residency at Symphony Space

Symphony Space will welcome Sunny Jain (Red Baraat), one of the city's most acclaimed, versatile musicians, for a residency in which he'll perform three projects he has developed, each with its own themes, musical genres, and lineup of collaborators. The concerts take place in Symphony Space's Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater, January 28 - February 9, 2023.

The career of composer, drummer, dhol player, and thought leader Sunny Jain is a celebration of cultural diaspora: deep-rooted tradition that ripples outward, changing-and being changed by-the cultures it touches. He is best known for founding the band Red Baraat, a frenzied fusion of bhangra, hip-hop, jazz, rock, and sheer, unbridled energy.

Jain's Symphony Space music residency begins on Saturday, January 28, at 7:30pm with Jain's Wild Wild East, an eclectic evening of music that explores the meeting of east and west, Jain's identity as a first-generation South Asian-American, and his own family's immigration story. The music melds Bollywood, Spaghetti Westerns, Punjabi folk, jazz, and psychedelic surf guitar. Reviewing the Wild Wild East album-Jain's first in a decade, released by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings in 2020-Jon Pareles of The New York Times called the title track "furiously propulsive," and many have acclaimed the album as Jain's best work yet. Pitchfork wrote, "Many of these compositions are intellectually thrilling to unravel," noting its "shimmering walls of sound [that] feel like floating face-down in a pool and watching light patterns dance on the floor." The performance at Symphony Space features Ben Parag (vocals), Lynn Ligammari (tenor saxophone), Shubh Saran (guitar), and Almog Sharvit (bass), in addition to Sunny Jain (drumset, dhol).

On Saturday, February 4 at 7:30pm, the residency continues with American Lullabies, an exploration of the music of Jain's American experience that combines the soundtrack of his childhood (Jain Bhajans: devotional songs from the 6,000-year-old Indian religion, Jainism) with progressive rock and jazz. Jain is joined by Ganavya (vocals), Grey Mcmurray (guitar), and Shazad Ismaily (bass).

Concluding the residency, on Thursday, February 9, at 7:30pm, is Dholusion, in which Jain is joined by Yamini Kalluri (dancer), Adam O'Farrill (trumpet), and Eva Lawitts (bass), blending the Indian classical dance tradition of Kuchipudi with folk percussion and jazz. Based on musical improvisation, this project creates an entirely fresh sound.

More about Sunny Jain

2022 has been a banner year for Jain. He joined Planet Drum for their first show in 15 years, playing alongside drumming legends Mickey Hart (The Grateful Dead), Zakir Hussain, and Giovanni Hidalgo. He embarked on a milestone tour to Pakistan with his Wild Wild East band, after headlining the renowned Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington D.C. He debuted the 8-piece Bollywood Biggish Band at Lincoln Center, NYC, drawing close to 1,000 people for their "Celebrate Love" event. Jain also started developing his first musical theatrical piece called Love Force-commissioned by Joe's Pub New York Voices, and supported by National Endowment for the Arts and New York State Council on the Arts-after he was awarded the MAP Fund in 2021. All the while, Jain was globe-trotting with Red Baraat.

In 2021, Jain released Phoenix Rise, a collaborative effort featuring over 50 artists such as Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Michael League (Snarky Puppy), Adrian Quesada (Black Pumas), Endea Owens (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) and jam band darling Joe Russo. Accompanying the full digital album is a 72-page physical book that combines music, art, photography and planet-based recipes, all in the name of social justice. As executive producer and music producer, Jain partnered with Center for Constitutional Rights to fundraise and advocate for the work they do.

In 2019, Jain became musical director for the OBIE Award-winning theatrical show The Jungle. That same year, he also music-directed the large-scale celebration of Lincoln Center's 60th Anniversary and the St. Ann's Warehouse gala. In 2014, NPR commissioned Jain to premiere a piece for Make Music New York day. Jain's 100+ BPM convened more than 350 musicians on the steps of the Brooklyn Public Library, including drum lines from the New York Jets, New York Knicks, and Brooklyn Nets.

In 2005, Jain founded the boutique artist-booking agency, Jainsounds, to offer high-quality live music for events and functions for the South Asian-American community. His company created the first baraat brass band in the States, an 18th century Indian wedding tradition, as well as the unique Bollywood Jazz Ensemble. Since 2012, he curated Red Baraat Festival of Colors, a multi-city annual festival showcasing artists of the South Asian diaspora.

About Symphony Space

Symphony Space is a multi-disciplinary performing arts center where bold programming, presented in a uniquely warm and welcoming environment, forges indelible relationships between artists and audiences.

Symphony Space's fundamental mission is to connect art, ideas, and community through their performances and their commitment to literacy and education through the arts. Known for an array of ground-breaking programs, including Selected Shorts, their immersive Wall to Wall concerts, and their innovative Global Arts education initiative, Symphony Space presents a full slate of original, affordable (and free) programming within New York City and in communities throughout the country through tours, public radio broadcasts, podcasts, and virtual events. On their stages and in the classrooms they serve, Symphony Space fosters access to the arts through all the disciplines.

Symphony Space was founded in the belief that the arts bring people together, transcend barriers, and celebrate both our similarities and differences. Through adventurous and impactful performances, commissions, and conversations, Symphony Space continues to invigorate these guiding principles, harnessing the power of the arts to engage, inspire, and build community.

Symphony Space is located at 2537 Broadway at 95th Street.

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