India's Very Own Louis: Louiz Banks | Artist Shoutout

While Louiz Banks’ music has been loved by jazz aficionados for decades, the details of his life and work remained quite elusive. Did you know that he’s an avid painter, trumpeter and guitarist? Bet you didn’t know that.
On his birthday 11th February, Dambar Bahadur Budaprithi aka Louiz Banks who is responsible for creating the iconic Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, the Freedom Run, Raag Desh anthems, saw his musical journey become immortal in the form of an autobiography ‘Louiz Banks – A Symphony of Love’. The book on Louiz talks about not just how his father changed his Nepali name to Louiz (after jazz trumpet player Louis Armstrong) after his father himself adopted a vocational name of George Banks, but also Louiz’s life, both personal and professional.
Louiz Banks started his career as the leader of a music band in Darjeeling right at his teens playing the trumpet and piano in the clubs of Calcutta. One day his dad introduced him to the music of the great jazz pianist Oscar Peterson. “My life changed. I went crazy and wanted to play piano just like Peterson. I was discovering the real jazz stuff and I loved it” says Louiz over a telephonic chat.
Soon inspired by the ideals and jazz lessons imparted by his father, one of the country’s best trumpet players of the then India, Louiz learnt and mastered the subtle nuances of jazz. His name as the jazz band leader spread when he led one of the most famous Indian jazz bands of all time Louiz Banks Brotherhood in Park St. Calcutta in the early 70s. Down the years, he has played with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Mike Stern, Charlie Mariano, John McLaughlin, Dave Holland and many others. He also formed bands like Sangam and Silk. Besides still doing a lot of commerical work and performing new stuff with his band Crosscurrents, Louiz also works with a bunch of super talented youngsters who inspire and energise him. Above all this, the Godfather of Indian Jazz has been the everlasting light in the Jazz Movement in India, with Jazz Yatra, India's first ever jazz fest.
⬇ Louiz Banks - Lazy Afternoon Entertainment - Love Story:
⬇ Louiz Banks - A Jazz Player Joins Pancham:
⬇ Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram - Solo Piano Interpretation by Louiz Banks:
Read more : All That Jazz: Adrian D'souza