Melodic Intersect Bring Indian Fusion to Annapolis Jazz & Roots Festival

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Melodic Intersect

Melodic Intersect

Weekend two of the Annapolis Jazz & Roots Festival features a superb international trio performing Indian fusion music. The world class musicians of Melodic Intersect seamlessly blend jazz, Indian classical, folk, rock and hip-hop music. This collaborative project was conceived in 2008 by tabla maestro Enayet Hossain, who envisioned bringing together some of the most accomplished Indian and Western musicians on the planet, blending different backgrounds, genres and styles.

As trailblazers in the world fusion genre, Melodic Intersect takes inspiration from legendary world fusion bands such as Shakti and John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra. Incredible musicianship and an innovative approach have led to extraordnary performances at top U.S. venues such as Lincoln Center, dates in many other countries, and chart topping world music albums.

Sitar player Hidayat Hussain Khan, is a maestro of the sitar and a versatile vocalist. His expertise in the gayaki ang, a unique approach to sitar playing intertwined with singing, showcases an art form passed down through generations. His father, Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan, belonged to the illustrious “Imdadkhani-Etawah Gharana,” a lineage of court musicians renowned for their vocal and instrumental skills. Khan has composed scores for film and graced countless classical and fusion concert stages across the globe. He has performed extensively in Europe, Asia and North America and collaborated with esteemed artists such as the Rolling Stones, Alicia Keys, Usher, Zakir Hussain, Pete Townshend, Will I Am, Jay Z, and Darryl Jones.

Tabla player Enayet Hossain is the son and student of Ustad Hamid Hossain, a renowned musician based in the U.S. The family includes a long line of prominent musicians, musicologists and educators. Enayet’s journey into the realm of tabla began at age six. His career takes him around the globe, performing in countless concerts and festivals with such esteemed musicians as Ustad Vilayat Khan, Pandit Jasraj, Shujaat Khan, Budhaditya Mukherjee, Salamat Ali Khan, Ghulam Mustafa and Ronu Majumdar. He appears on numerous recordings of Indian classical music and high charting jazz fusion albums.

Multi-instrumentalist Greg Hatza is best known as an American jazz organist. Fom Reading, Pennsylvania, he has made a significant impact on the music world. By age 16, he was performing professionally, spending four years at Lenny Moore’s club honing his craft. In the 1970s, he shifted his focus to electric keyboards. In the 1990s, inspired by Joey DeFrancesco, he rediscovered his love for the organ. He performs often at Keyston Korner and other Baltimore venues with The Greg Hatza ORGANizatio.

Greg Hatza has been an important educator in Maryland. He holds a degree in composition from Peabody Conservatory and a master’s degree from Towson State University. For many years after that he taught jazz, piano composition, improvisation, and music theory at Towson State University.

His musical prowess extends far beyond jazz and organ. For over 20 years, he has immersed himself in the study of Indian classical music, mastering instruments such as sitar and tabla. This profound knowledge and skill has made him a remarkable fusion artist, and he's been active in the world music scene since the 1970s. Were that not enough, he has also taught martial arts for many decades in Baltimore and Annapolis!