Pam Crain

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Honey blonde who hit the sweet spot With her throaty voice and smoky looks, Calcutta crooner Pam Crain, who passed away earlier this week, hit the groove Anjum Katyal

   Pam Crain. The name conjures up a slim, curvaceous honey blonde, who is dressed to kill in an impeccably fitted gown, hair styled just so, with distinctive high cheekbones and almond-shaped eyes sparkling with warmth and laughter. She was glamorous, every inch a diva. And could she sing! 
   As a crooner fronting some of the top bands on Calcutta’s nightlife hub, Park Street, Pam had to cover a popular repertoire, but her true metier — and her great passion — was jazz. Since the musicians with her felt the same, they broke into jazz at every opportunity. And a loyal band of aficionados showed up night after night to listen, request and applaud. Mocambo and The Blue Fox were some of the restaurants where she wove her magic for generations of Calcuttans. To those who were young in Calcutta through the ’60s and ’70s, Pam personified the heady attractions of Park Street nightlife with its swinging music scene, an essential rite of passage as they moved towards steady jobs and adulthood. Pam was the flavour of their youth. 
   In the early ’80s I once presented myself at her residence, portable cassette recorder in hand, to do a long interview for a popular magazine. She told me that she had just got back from a trip to Singapore where she’d gone to explore an alternative new method for a facelift “because frankly, I have so many tucks behind my ears that there’s no space for any more!” she said mischievously, laughing at herself. 
   I loved her immediately. She was open, generous, giving, with a childlike zest for life that kept her vivacious and engaged long after she gave up singing. She unstintingly shared her expertise with so many budding singers, offering guidance, painstakingly making tapes of singers and songs she felt you should listen to and learn from. 
   Pam was a consummate jazz musician. From the beginning of her career as a teenager in the mid-’50s (or, by some accounts, even earlier), she had the good fortune to play with very skilled jazz instrumentalists. It was a time when the Calcutta music scene was bursting at the seams with talent. Over the next few decades she performed with the leading jazz musicians of the country — Anto Menezes, Louiz Banks, Braz Gonsalves and Carlton Kitto, amongst others. And with them, she was one among equals. As a singer, she was deep in the groove, responsive to the complex jazz rhythms with every fibre of her being, her entries impeccably timed, with a stylish, sophisticated delivery that was controlled, delicate, and nuanced. Pam’s smoky voice was distinctive, and she used its throaty appeal to great effect. Ajoy Ray, one of the city’s diehard jazz fans, someone who grew up listening to Pam, says that she had an impressive range. Although, according to one of her great admirers, she was outstanding at singing ballads, I feel that she was also skilled at improvising and going beyond the melody. 
   Among her great influences were Carmen McRae and Betty Carter, both challenging, difficult vocalists who really explored the jazz idiom. Pam understood that a jazz band is a collective where everyone contributes equally, where the voice is one more instrument, adding textures and layers, weaving in and out, responding, and contributing to building the overall mood. This is where Pam’s strength lay — even the most clichéd old favourite would be given a fresh new twist by her. She was much, much more than a mere crooner.
   I remember hearing one of her last concerts, several years ago. What stood out for me was the sheer virtuosity, the years of experience that showed in her masterly timing, the way she played to her strengths, the sinuous phrasing, and her seamless rapport with the band. You knew you were in the presence of a seasoned artist. In her seventies, she went back for voice lessons, practising scales and breathing exercises all over again. Ajoy recalls that till the end of her days she sought out new singers and ideas in jazz, so that she could keep abreast of the latest trends. For her, it was truly all about the music. And she set standards of commitment, humility and hard work that are examples for any musician following in her footsteps. 
   Katyal is a singer, writer and translator. She has shared the stage with Pam Crain