John Mayer (composer) facts for kids
John Henry Basil Mayer (born October 28, 1930 – died March 9, 2004) was an amazing Indian composer. He was famous for mixing jazz music with traditional Indian sounds. He did this especially with his British group called Indo-Jazz Fusions. He worked closely with a saxophonist named Joe Harriott, who was from Jamaica.
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Early Life and Musical Journey
John Mayer was born in Calcutta, which was part of British India at the time. His father was Anglo-Indian, and his mother was Tamil.
He started his musical training in India. He studied with Phillipe Sandre in Calcutta and Melhi Mehta in Bombay. In 1952, he won a special scholarship. This allowed him to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London. There, he learned about composing music from Matyas Seiber. He also studied how music and religion were different in Eastern and Western cultures.
A Career in Music
After his studies, John Mayer became a violinist. He played with the London Philharmonic Orchestra from 1953 to 1958. Then, he joined the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from 1958 to 1965.
Even while playing in these orchestras, he was busy composing his own music. From 1952 onwards, he started blending different styles. He mixed classical Indian music with Western classical music. He also added jazz elements to create a unique sound.
One of his violin pieces was performed by the famous musician Yehudi Menuhin in 1955. Later, in 1967, his piece called Shanta Quintet was recorded. It featured a jazz sitar player named Diwan Motihar.
Indo-Jazz Fusions
The 1960s were a very important time for John Mayer. He worked a lot with Joe Harriott, the jazz musician from Jamaica. Together, they created the group Indo-Jazz Fusions. This group was quite big, with ten musicians. It had a jazz quintet (five jazz musicians) and five Indian musicians.
This new style of music became very popular. After some time, the band was brought back to life in the 1990s. It was then called John Mayer's Indo Jazz Fusions. His students, Richard Dray, Will Joss, and Simon Gray, helped restart it. Later, John Mayer himself led the band. His son, Jonathan Mayer, also played the sitar in the group. They continued to perform live until John's passing.
Music for Films and TV
John Mayer also composed music for movies. Some of his film scores include the music for Herostratus (1967) and Danger Route (1967).
You might even know some of his music without realizing it! The Joe Harriott-John Mayer Double Quintet created the catchy theme song for a BBC quiz show called Ask the Family. The song was named "Acka Raga" and was used from 1967 to 1984. John Mayer himself played the sitar in this famous theme tune.
Later Years and Legacy
From 1989 onwards, John Mayer lived in North London. He started teaching music composition at the Birmingham Conservatoire. In 1997, he even created a special course there for Indian music. He kept composing new pieces for orchestras and smaller groups. He also continued to record jazz-fusion albums.
John Mayer passed away in March 2004 after being involved in an accident in North London. He had two daughters, Lesli and Toni, with his first wife, Sheila. He also had two sons, Jahan and Jonathan, with his second wife, Gillian. His son, Jonathan Mayer, followed in his footsteps and is also a sitar player and composer.
John Mayer's unique blend of Indian, Western, and jazz music left a lasting impact on the world of music.
Images for kids
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John Mayer
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Gravestone in St Pancras and Islington Cemetery
