BRANDON — What do you get when traditional classical Indian music becomes fused with contemporary jazz by two highly acclaimed musicians? Piandia.
What?
Piandia, it’s a duo. And they’re playing at Brandon Music on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 7:30 p.m.
Boston based Berklee College professors and old friends John Funkhouser on piano and Jerry Leake on tabla will come together to perform ragas from North India. Ragas consist of at least five notes, and each raga provides the musician with a musical framework within which to improvise, an area in which Funkhouser and Leake excel.
“Musically we start with a seed and attempt to grow a tree,” Funkhouser explained. “We take our time and let the music gradually evolve and build, riding the wave from a peaceful meditation to a vibrant rhythmic crest merging back into the sea.”
Funkhouser performs with many groups as well as his own regular jazz trio and quartet and has appeared at major venues world-wide. He also performs regularly at Brandon Music with his jazz trio.
Leake leads the world-rock fusion band Cubist and is a co-founder of the Indo/Jazz Band Natraj. Natraj has delighted listeners throughout the U.S., Canada, India and West Africa since 1987.  Leake studied North Indian tabla with Rajeev Devasthali and Todd Nardin, and South Indian mrfangam/rhythm theory with T.K. Ramakrishman.
Tickets are $20 with a pre-concert dinner available for $25. Reservations are required for dinner and recommended for the show. Venue is BYOB. Call (802) 247-4295, email [email protected] or visit brandon-music.net for more info.