Jazzing up Mumbai

Mumbai girl Eesha Sukhis memories of growing up are those surrounding her brother Amar practising the clarinet at home Amar 55 whos been playing the saxophone and clarinet at various collaborations in the city for 18 years including with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra is more like their mother mdash a jazz lover thanks to her Goan roots Eesha 38 is like their late father the foodie who loved Bollywood So its fitting that when the siblings started a business and that too on family turf in Khar it had to be a performance spacecumcafeacute Amar manages the music and Eesha everything elseEesha and Amar SukhiThe Bluebop Cafeacute opens its doors to the public on Sunday When we meet them on a sunny afternoon they admit that the decision was a nobrainer though it took three years to execute impeccablyI wanted to give people a chance to hear and see something I believe is more authentic Theres an imbalance today as a lot of stuff gets passed off as jazz But for me jazz is the music which stemmed from the blues and then morphed into jazz after World War II New Orleans was a port which had a lot of marching bands during the war When the war ended the locals were allowed to keep the instruments and they later formed bands using them We want to focus on the golden era of jazz from the 1920s to 50s and 60s from blues to bebop along with classical as there is so much of it in jazz But no pop or Bollywoodreveals AmarEspresso martiniAnd thus when the lease of their familyowned Khar West space expired in 2015 Amar who also manages the family security firm and a software company put forth the idea to his sister who had finished 15 years in marketing Amar has been a guiding force careerwise When I realised I enjoyed working in FampB he said why not do thisrecalls EeshaBurrata saladThree years hence they are set to give Mumbai a heady dose of jazz on weekends The space will also host sporadic gigs through the week And like a true jazz experience where improvisation is key the space will also host curated jam sessions There are plans to also screen videos of jazz gigs for the week Ours is a selffunded venture We didnt want to get into partnerships as that may dilute the idea many good ideas have fallen due to partners fighting Besides we didnt want to make a compromise with our musicAmar tells us to which Eesha quickly adds And when its family theres a greater sense of emotional attachmentThe equation also makes the space feel more like home mdash which is what they are aiming for with washyrm maroon and wooden shashydes and a classic oldworld charmPepperoni pizzaThe acoustics have been smartly designed an advantage when a musician owns a performance space Mumbaibased Kapil Thirwani has designed the sound he has used specific material for the ceiling pillars and glass panels to ensure the acoustics remain uniform throughout the 7075seater space Theres an inhouse Korg keyboard a Pearl drumkit and an acoustic guitar for use We notice an electric guitar installed at the entrance of the kitchen Turns out its owned by none other than young head chef Saurabh Raturi whos a metal fan Its when we realise what we love most about this space mdash its for anyone and everyone who appreciates good soundThe electric guitar mounted on the kitchen wallTheir ItalianAmerican menu is an interesting spread tailored to blend with the theme of the venue Mumbai boy Raturi who likes prepping everything inhouse whips up a portion of wellspiced jerk chicken taco Rs 410 a comforting burrata salad Rs 480 and an oozing pepperoni pizza Rs 640 which we wash down with their heady espresso martini Rs 550 mixed by head bartender formerly at The Bombay Canteen Dinesh Mondkar They are still finalising the entire menu though their fare looks promising and gets the flavours spot on much like the ambience and musicTheir first public performance will feature Mumbaibased jazz duo Sonia and Harmeet on October 18At The Bluebop Cafe Satyam Building Khar West Opens on October 13 Timing 12 pm to 1 am Call 6236644Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates