Avataar (band)

Avataar is a Canadian jazz ensemble from Toronto, Ontario, whose album Worldview won the Juno Award for Jazz Album of the Year – Group at the Juno Awards of 2022.[1] Worldview was also earmarked by CJRT-FM as one of the 25 best jazz albums of 2021.[2]

Avataar
OriginToronto, Canada
GenresJazz
Years active2015–present
LabelsInSound Records
Members
  • Sundar Viswanathan
  • Michael Occhipinti
  • Justin Gray
  • Todd Pentney
  • Aaron Lightstone
  • Ravi Naimpally
  • Max Senitt
  • Felicity Williams
  • Giampaolo Scatozza

Led by saxophonist, flutist, composer and vocalist Sundar Viswanathan, the band performs a blend of jazz with world music styles such as Bossa Nova, Indian classical music and gamelan.[3] Viswanathan, a native of Sudbury, Ontario, is currently a professor of music at York University in Toronto, and has also played with the world music combo Jaffa Road.[4]

The group's debut album Petal was released in 2016.[5]

Other members of the band are vocalist Felicity Williams, tabla player Ravi Naimpally, guitarist Michael Occhipinti, bassist Justin Gray and drummers Giampaolo Scatozza and Max Senitt.[6]

References
  1. Holly Gordon, "Here are all the 2022 Juno Award winners". CBC Music, May 14, 2022.
  2. "Year in review: 25 of the best jazz albums of 2021". JAZZ.FM91. 2021-12-16. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  3. Mary Katherine Keown, "Q and A with Sudbury's Sundar Viswanathan". Sudbury Star, March 20, 2016.
  4. Justin Skinner, "Jaffa Road creates music that reflects diversity of Toronto". Toronto.com, May 27, 2012.
  5. "Avataar: Petal album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. February 12, 2016.
  6. "The Jazz Club returns for another season". Revelstoke Mountaineer, October 1, 2019.
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