They find sharp balances between virtuosic turns and sensitivity. Chai Masters has found a solid group identity.
Joe Woodard
All about jazz, USA
Energetic, powerful and rousing.
Sarah Seidel
NDR
Subtly ticking, subliminally grooving, sometimes highly virtuosic; a lyrical dream music full of secret places of refuge.
Reinhard Köchl
Jazz thing
The poetic potential of the Chai Masters on their debut album Magic Realism is astounding
Georg Waßmuth
SWR2
Ambitious and successful.
Howard Mendel
Jazz Journalists Asssociation, USA
Their proficiency in different musical languages allows them to play anything they want, and that’s what they do. Because they can.
Mirian Arbalejo
NPR, Spain
Chai Masters conveys warmth and edge. I would travel a long way to see a band like this.
John Fenton
Jazz Journalists Association, New Zealand
The Chai Masters’ music is a celebration of narrative imagination. Their original compositions are inspired by one of the most unique literary movements of the last century: Magic Realism. Like a story that blurs the line between reality and fantasy, the repertoire is a framework where flamenco, film soundtracks and jazz intermingle. Complex rhythms are combined with evocative melodies, and merged into the textures and the lyricism of united horns and voice.
The band started brewing their music in 2018, in the Karnatic lab of Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Soon enough, merging their backgrounds together, they found a band chemistry, and started to refine their sound while performing in the Netherlands. They participated in several competitions, such as the Golden Jazz Trophy in Lille, France (finals), the Leiden Jazz Competition (finals), and the 7 Virtual Jazz Club Contest where they received 3rd prize, which gave them international exposure. A first EP was released during the lockdown, as well as a collaboration with renowned Spanish artist Antonio Lizana. Following its selection for the finals of Keep an Eye The Records 2022, the band released its debut album, Magic Realism, under Challenge Records. It has been selected Jazz Album of the Week by NDR (Germany) and received many more very positive reviews (Jazz thing, SWR2…).