Janata Dal (United) leader and former Rajya Sabha MP KC Tyagi on Tuesday announced his decision to quit the party, ANI reported. The development comes a day after JD(U) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was elected to the Rajya Sabha from the state. Kumar
The Uttar Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (UPMSP) is set to commence the evaluation process for the classes 10th and 12th examinations starting tomorrow, March 18. Over 54 lakh students had appeared for the examination this year. After the evaluation of UP Board exam papers is complete
Meta Platforms shares rose nearly 3% on Monday after a Reuters report that the social media giant plans to lay off 20% or more of its workforce to offset heavy spending on artificial intelligence and bet on productivity gains from the technology. If Meta settles on the 20% figure
AB de Villiers has proposed that MS Dhoni should elevate his batting position within the Chennai Super Kings lineup. On another note, Anil Kumble has endorsed the idea of integrating Sanju Samson into the team's leadership structure, praising his stellar form and rapport with supporters
Oncologist explains why women are more likely to get thyroid cancer, shares 5 warning signs: Voice changes, lump in neckHear from an oncologist on why women are more vulnerable to this type of cancer than men, and what are some signs that can help one stay alert. Published on: Mar 17
New Renault Duster: Renault has launched the all-new Duster in India at a starting price of Rs 10.49 lakh. The top-end variant goes up to Rs 18.49 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi. 2026 Renault Duster: Renault has launched the all-new Duster in India at a starting price of Rs 10.49 lakh
Sourav Ganguly joins TMC rumours: Sourav Ganguly has officially quashed rumours of his political entry ahead of West Bengal's upcoming Assembly elections. His office stated these claims are entirely baseless. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India is implementing robust
Former MP KC Tyagi quits JD(U)His exit comes amid shifting political currents within the JD(U) and its alliances, and is being viewed in political circles as an indication of possible churn within the party’s senior leadership Published on: Mar 17, 2026 6:01 PM IST By Sanjeev K Jha
Walking around Helsinki with Miles Davis: Download Central by Sanjoy Narayan
There is a flurry of early-morning snow at Eerikinkatu. It is 7.45 am. I pull my beanie lower, adjust my headphones and press play on my phone.
Right Off, from the Miles Davis album A Tribute to Jack Johnson, kicks in. John McLaughlin's guitar riff cuts through the white noise, Billy Cobham's drums hit like boots on packed ice, and I move towards Helsinki Central railway station.
There are albums that become companions; sonic architectures that mirrors and magnifies the physical surroundings through which we move. This one was recorded in 1970 and released in 1971. For the past five years, I have listened to it in Helsinki. …Jack Johnson, which turns 55 in February, correlates perfectly with the flowing lines and organic motifs of this city's architectural heart.
Miles was 44 when he recorded it, and already a shapeshifter. He had given the world Kind of Blue (1959) and the Second Great Quintet (Miles on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums).
Having released In a Silent Way (1969) and Bitches Brew (1970), he was in the midst of his most radical transformation: the electric period that would scandalise purists. While Bitches Brew gets the accolades and hushed reverence, …Jack Johnson is the superior achievement. Phew! There. I've said it.
The album consists of two extended pieces: Right Off and Yesternow. The main line-up featured McLaughlin on guitar, Cobham on drums, Michael Henderson on electric bass, Herbie Hancock on organ, and Steve Grossman on soprano saxophone — a rock band that Miles was shaping into something else entirely.
I cross the city's main thoroughfare, Mannerheimintie, as Miles enters with what may be the most defiant trumpet solo of his career. Helsinki Central station looms ahead, Eliel Saarinen's 1919 masterpiece with its massive Lantern Carriers standing on eternal watch. The station bridges Art Nouveau and Modernism with the same confidence that Miles was bringing to jazz-rock fusion: clean lines punctuated by moments of controlled ornamentation.
Where earlier Art Nouveau might have featured lavish decoration, Saarinen added restraint. It's what Miles was doing: taking the dense complexity of Bitches Brew and boiling it down to something leaner, meaner and more direct.
By the time I reach Suomitalo, Right Off is approaching its climax. Designed by Armas Lindgren and built with red Kokar granite in 1911, this office building and events venue — a masterpiece of late Finnish National Romanticism — has a castle-like presence with organic, flowing details. When Miles's solo peaks, the granite seems to pulse with the same energy as Cobham's drums.
Across Aleksanterinkatu stands the Pohjola Insurance Building, completed in 1901 by Gesellius, Lindgren & Saarinen, the architecture firm founded in 1896. Its facade is a fever dream of National Romantic excess: strange creatures, bears, lynxes and botanical motifs carved into stone. This is Art Nouveau at its most fantastical, the architectural equivalent of the album's producer Teo Macero's approach to music: different takes, even different bands stitched together into a coherent statement.
What makes …Jack Johnson stand out is its clarity and space. It is fierce, aggressive and rock-hard, yet you can hear everything — Miles's lines, McLaughlin's guitar, the bass pulse. It doesn't overwhelm; it invites. It is music one can walk to, think to, write to. And it works in every season.
Autumn in Helsinki arrives as a shock of orange, the leaves seeming to turn almost overnight and the light going amber and lying low. This is when Right Off reveals its full power, the track, inspired by Sly Stone's funk, mirroring this season's fiery violence.
Winter is when Yesternow comes into its own. Opening with a spaced-out feel, the track moves through multiple moods, featuring additional musicians: Bennie Maupin on bass clarinet, Chick Corea on piano, Jack DeJohnette on drums and Sonny Sharrock on guitar. As the snow comes by December and stays at least until March, a white silence transforms everything, and Yesternow sounds patient, deep and willing to wait.
Sometimes I walk through Old Church Park, also called the Plague Park, in this white silence. Over 1,000 plague victims from 1710 lie buried here. The 48 remaining gravestones lean in the snow, and Miles's muted trumpet closing Yesternow becomes the sound of memory and loss.
Spring is brief but explosive; once can almost hear the ice breaking. Macero's cut-and-paste approach mirrors its collage aesthetic. Patches of snow persist even as green shoots appear.
Summer is when the album becomes what it truly is: a celebration. Miles wrote about Jack Johnson's “mastery as a boxer, his affinity for fast cars, jazz, clothes, and beautiful women, his unreconstructed blackness”. When Helsinki explodes in colour, when the light never really leaves and the cafes overflow onto the pavements, the album becomes a soundtrack of defiance and joy.
Its versatility comes from its fundamental design; from the way Miles wanted to “put together the greatest rock and roll band you ever heard”, and very nearly succeeded. Like the architects who took medieval Finnish traditions and Art Nouveau innovations to create something distinctly their own, Miles took bebop's discipline, rock's raw power and funk's groove and forged them into something that hadn't existed before.
Miles has been gone for 34 years, but the music remains, in the grooves of vinyl, in digital files, and in the way it illuminates things: architecture, seasons, cities, lives. What a legacy to leave, in a beautiful world.
(Write to sanjoy.narayan@gmail.com. The views expressed are personal)
Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines
to 100 year archives.
Source: HindustanTimes
Related Posts: Another 4.0 Magnitude Quake Hits Himachal’s Chamba After Early Morning Tremor Cardiologist warns early morning walks in winters may increase heart attack risk Horrific early-morning accident on Hyderabad-Bengaluru highway The Science Behind Early-Morning Heart Attacks In The Younger Generation Himachal Pradesh Snow Alert 10cm snow in Lahaul-Spiti as severe heatwave grips Kangra & Mandi Washington DC to Maine – Major US cities brace for heavy snow this weekend Kashmir snow crisis disrupts life amid record accumulation Saudi Arabia Sees First Northern Snow In 30 Years Kishtwar Himalayas an important snow leopard habitat
Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri shared a decades-long friendship and creative partnership, marked by unwavering loyalty, mutual respect, and a shared passion for authentic, groundbreaking cinema. In the memoirs of Indian cinema, few friendships have been as legendary as that of Naseeruddin Shah and
1 days ago
The controversy surrounding the song ‘Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke’ from the Kannada movie KD: The Devil, featuring Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt, continues to intensify. After the song’s lyrical video went viral on social media, many netizens and celebrities slammed the song’s ‘vulgar’ lyrics
1 days ago
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will contest from Bhabanipur. She faces BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in a key electoral battle. The Trinamool Congress has released its candidate list for all 294 seats. The upcoming elections are crucial for Banerjee's political future
1 days ago
A number of festivals are lined up this week, including Eid-ul-Fitr, Chaitra Navratri and Gudi Padwa. As Muslims and Hindus alike look forward to these auspicious festivals, preparations are in full swing to mark the celebrations this year. This week’s festivities begin with Gudi Padwa and
1 days ago
Joan Laporta was reelected as the president of FC Barcelona for another five years after winning a leadership vote among members of the Spanish soccer powerhouse. Shortly after midnight in Barcelona, the club announced Laporta had won. His only rival, Víctor Font
1 days ago
The Odisha Congress on Tuesday suspended three of its MLAs for defying the party whip during the recently held Rajya Sabha elections, in a move aimed at enforcing discipline within the party. The suspended legislators — Ramesh Jena, Sofia Firdous and Dasarathi Gamang — were accused of
1 days ago
US President Donald Trump was cautioned ahead of military action against Iran that Tehran could retaliate against American allies in the Gulf, according to officials familiar with US intelligence assessments. Sources said pre-war briefings had identified Iranian retaliation as a likely scenario
1 days ago
Akshay Kumar opens up about spooky incident at home: ‘My son pointed at nothing and asked someone to leave…’As he returns to the horror-comedy genre, Akshay Kumar spoke about an eerie experience that once left him shaken Published on: Mar 17
1 days ago
“Micro dreaming games" are trending on social media, with many claiming they help anxious minds and people with insomnia fall asleep faster. The idea is gaining popularity largely because of how simple it sounds. For anyone who has spent hours staring at the ceiling
1 days ago
FM Sitharaman’s remarks come amid broader discussions on financial sector health, where overall MSME NPAs remain lower at around 3.6 per cent as of March 2025, compared to Mudra-specific figures. New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has reaffirmed the transformative role of the Pradhan
1 days ago
The liver is one of the most vital organs in the human body. From digesting the food we eat to filtering toxins from the blood, it performs hundreds of essential functions that keep the body running smoothly. However, modern lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits have led to a rise in serious
1 days ago
Vivo T5x 5G Price In India: The smartphone supports 5G, Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi, GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and a USB Type-C port. The phone also includes sensors like an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, e-compass, gyroscope, and proximity sensor
1 days ago
Mustard oil is one of those kitchen staples you rarely question. It sits on the shelf, gets heated till it smokes, and finds its way into everything from tadkas to pickles. But lately, there’s been a growing unease around what exactly is going into that bottle
1 days ago
The National Investigation Agency has arrested seven foreign citizens on charges of conspiring to carry out terrorist activities against India, ThePrint reported on Monday. While six of them are Ukrainians, one is from the United States, The Indian Express reported
1 days ago
As West Bengal gears up for assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress announced its candidate list, a critical exercise to maintain dominance after 15 years. The party focused on balancing experience with youth, analyzing local equations and feedback to counter anti-incumbency and ensure
1 days ago
Eid is a time of celebration, togetherness, and sharing delicious food with loved ones. This festive season, add a special touch to your Eid table with flavorful and nourishing recipes made with nuts, offering the perfect balance of taste, tradition, and festive indulgence
1 days ago
China announced emergency humanitarian assistance for Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq, aiming to alleviate the severe humanitarian crisis in the region. The foreign ministry expressed deep sympathy for affected populations, emphasizing the ongoing conflict's devastating impact
1 days ago
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested seven foreign nationals, six Ukrainians and one American for allegedly providing terrorist training to insurgent groups in Myanmar to carry out attacks in northeast India. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had a major breakthrough on March
1 days ago
If you love Korean cuisine, these K-dramas are a must-watchIf you love to savour Korean cuisines, these K-dramas featuring food as the main character are definitely a must-watch. Updated on: Mar 17, 2026 5:14 PM IST By Anukriti Srivastava Share via Copy link Korean dramas have taken the world by
1 days ago
A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Cuba early on Tuesday (March 17, 2026), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. The quake hit at a depth of 11.6 kilometers (7.2 miles) about 49 kilometers south-southwest of Cuba's easternmost municipality of Maisi at 12:28 a.m.
1 days ago
In the third week of the joint US-Israeli war against Iran, Donald Trump faces decisions that could define the rest of his presidency. But if the American commander-in-chief is grappling with a war of choice that seems in danger of spiralling in ways he can't control
1 days ago
‘I want Nayanthara’: AIADMK MP remarks while criticising Stalin at women safety rally stokes controversyWhile participating in the party's protest against the DMK dispensation in Villupuram , Shanmugam, a former state minister remarked "I want Nayanthara''. Published on: Mar 17
1 days ago
All Indian Cine Workers Association demands ban on Nora Fatehi song Sarke Chunar, FIR against producersThe All Indian Cine Workers Association has said that songs such as Sarke Chunar with vulgar and double-meaning content is unacceptable in Indian cinema. Mar 17, 2026
1 days ago
With the press of a button Rs 2,000 is being credited to each beneficiary farmers' account on 13 March 2026. New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi on Friday (13 March 2026) released the 22nd installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme in Guwahati, Assam
1 days ago
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz claimed on Tuesday that the Iranian security chief Ali Larijani has been killed. The Israeli defence minister’s statement came over two weeks after the United States and Israel launched an attack on the Iranian government on February 28
1 days ago
Congress expels Sofia Firdous, 2 other Odisha MLAs for voting for BJP in Rajya Sabha electionsSofia Firdous, a first-time MLA, showed disagreement with her party before voting, particularly over the decision to back the the Biju Janata Dal. Updated on: Mar 17
1 days ago
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) released the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) 2026 answer key last week. The objection window for the provisional answer key has closed, and candidates are eagerly awaiting their results. According to media reports
1 days ago
