This week we welcome Sagar Shah, a New York City-based guitarist and vocalist who spearheaded the music project Brown Sugar Band. Often collaborating with musicians from different genres and backgrounds, he organizes, performs and records jam sessions throughout New York. Sagar grew up in Kathmandu, Nepal, where he first received formal training as a guitarist in the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory. Shah’s versatility as a guitarist allows him to play in both western traditions and Indian classical scales. He moved to New York in 2017 for college. He is inspired and influenced by the likes of Ben Howard, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Ajoy Chakrabarty and Bob Marley.
“The band is composed of Sagar Shah (guitar), Bikhyat Shrestha (vocals), Dominick DeFazio (sax/flute) and Itai Karen (bass). We play original music that is inspired by various genres including jazz, funk, indie and folk,” he says.
Brown Sugar Band will be performing at FirstLive in Brooklyn on May 31, at 8:30 pm.
Listen to Brown Sugar Band here and follow them on Instagram.
