Pulling off one, maybe two, large, successful,
international music festivals is probably within
the realm of possibility for any organizer if
they know what they're doing. This month, however,
Taichung city will be hosting its third jazz
festival, which officially makes this annual
event a city institution. Thanks to the vision
and hard work of city officials and private
organizers, the Taichung Jazz Festival is something
that music lovers from around the island and,
increasingly, from around the world can look
forward to.
With some improvements from last year, essential
attractions at this year's event remain the
same--three weeks of live jazz from an interesting
variety of international and homegrown artists.
Other elements include plenty of good food and
drink and, hopefully, a filling dose of Taichung's
typically beautiful warm, clear autumn weather.
This year's event will kick off on the weekend
of October 22-23 and continue over the next
two weekends, concluding on Sunday, November
6. Similar to last year, the main venue will
be Peoples' Square on GongYi Road, where the
large main stage will host evening concerts
by the festival's bigger names. Concurrently,
two smaller stages--located nearby along the
JingGuo Boulevard Parkway--will host other performances,
generally on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
The schedule in this magazine provides more
specific times, although these are subject to
last-minute changes. To double-check, log onto
the official festival website at http://www.jazzfestival.com.tw
or pick up a copy of the official festival guide
book.
Another popular returning element from last
year's festival is the creation of a "jazz
street" along the JingGuo Boulevard Parkway,
lined with over 30 attractive vendor booths
selling all manner of food and drink. To ease
the crowd congestion of last year's "Bourbon
Street", organizers are creating more open
spaces for visitors to eat and rest in.
Other events taking place elsewhere include
musical workshops and performances by visiting
musicians jazz concerts at the Taichung Winery
and Stock 20 art gallery. Finally, for those
who can't enough of jazz and want to enjoy it
in a more intimate setting, there will be a
series of later-evening "After Hours"
performances organized in local pubs like Grooveyard
after main evening concerts are over.
Below is a sampling of performing artists to
look out for. (Also read the p. 57 "In
Yer Ear" feature on Sheila Jordan.)
Bugge
Wesselfot
This pianist/composer/producer (whose first
name is pronounced "boogie") has earned
a reputation as a top Norwegian jazz artist.
In the early 1990s, he transitioned from more
traditional jazz roots to create a unique, fresh
blend of "future jazz" that is equally
accepted by fans of deep house, techno and ambient,
and traditional and experimental jazz purists.
Bugge has seen his unique brand of jazz embraced
by top global critics, who have compared him
to the likes of Miles Davis and Chick Corea.
His musical explorations into "outer limits
jazz" continue, with a recent London series
of concerts described as "a ride into the
realm of space travel, a trip to ambient and
electronic pastures brushed with the acoustic".
Chris
Babida Jazz Trio
Hong Kong-born Chris Babida has risen in three
decades to become a top Asian performing artist,
music director, producer, composer and arranger.
He has worked with countless musicians and written/produced
over 2,000 songs in genres that include classical,
pop, jazz, new age, alternative, Chinese instrumental
and Oriental crossover, and also written for
over 100 TV dramas and movies, and joined in
creating several musicals. Best known as a pianist,
he returned to his first love of jazz in 2002
and has performed widely in Taipei with famous
local artists. To promote jazz to younger local
listeners, he re-arranged 12 well-known pop
songs into various jazz styles in his well-received
2003 "Cafe Ballads" album. He continues
to perform these songs widely with his trio,
including drummer Wang Rei-feng and bassist
Jin Mu-yi.
Guan
Lin-chih
Taiwanese Guan Lin-chih has 20 years of experience
in performing and has been labeled by the local
media as the "Local Latin Jazz Queen".
Comfortable singing in English, Chinese, Taiwanese,
Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese and other languages,
not to mention Latin American-style jazz, Guan
displays a her rare, broad range and skills
as veteran musician. In 2002, she also joined
Godot Theater for a concert of Broadway musical
hits that included well-known local divas Tsai
Chin and Chi Yu.
Hip
Swing
This five-piece band includes saxophonist Toshiyuki,
pianist Nobuyuki, bassist Kinya, drummer A-ming
and guitarist Mas. Together they generate very
danceable acid jazz, with souful, funky, Bluesy
music that is reminescent of Jimmy Smith, Grant
Green and Stanley Turrentine.
Lewis
Nash Trio
An extremely versatile and talented drummer,
Lewis Nash has over the years played and recorded
with a vast range of jazz and non-jazz artists
that includes the likes of Dianna Krall, Stan
Getz, Betty Carter, Sonny Rollins, Milt Jackson,
Bette Mittler and Melissa Manchester. Although
he continues to perform widely, he also focuses
on his role as a teacher, with tenures at prestigious
institutions like the Julliard School of Music.
Lou
Rainone Jazz Band
New York-based jazz pianist Lou Rainone is no
stranger to Taiwan, having visited previously
in 2003 and 2004. Influenced by jazz greats
like Bud Powell, Bill Evans and Hank Jones,
he has developed a unique, swinging style of
his own, and has performed widely as a sideman
for jazz artists in the New York area. He has
also performed widely in North America, Europe
and Asia, and has released several CDs.
The
Metamorphosis Jazztet
This excellent, creative Taiwanese jazz ensemble
has performed more than 100 times around the
island since starting in 2001. Its members received
traditional jazz musical educations in the U.S.
and teamed up upon returning home. As part of
their pioneering role in popularizing jazz in
Taiwan, Metamorphosis has reinterpreted beloved
Taiwanese folk songs--such as "Jasmin Flower",
"Olive Tree" and "Small Town
Story"-in their music, mixing these melodies
with Latin flavors for something totally new
and refreshing.
Onyx
This four members of this Taiwan-based band
are split evenly between Taiwanese and Japanese.
This international collaboration, started in
November, 2004, has been a successful one as
members have generated a good synergy and put
their classical music backgrounds to good use
in composing and releasing many jazz works,
performed widely in Taipei.
Over
Tone Jazz Group
Organized by guitarist Liao Ji-wen, this band
started out playing nightclubs and Western restaurants
in a variety of musical styles, including Western
pop, Taiwanese/Chinese songs, country, Blues,
and Japanese songs. Liao, who studied at Berklee
College of Music, joined the TTV Band in 1986
and has widely performed for variety shows and
as an accompanist for high-profile events like
the Golden Horse and Golden Bell awards. Between
his five-piece jazz combo band and jazz studios,
his goal is to popularize jazz locally.
Peng
Yu-wen Jazz Experimental Ensemble
Female Taiwanese jazz pianist Peng Yu-wen leader
has played a very active role in the local jazz
scene as an excellent performer and composer
who uses a wide variety of influences to create
a unique fusion of Eastern and Western musical
influences. Peng also makes use of instruments
from both cultures for her performances in an
effort to express the spirit of music from East
and West and reflect Taiwan's own cultural and
lifestyle mix of these two. Through these efforts,
it is her hope to give cosmopolitan jazz a more
local flavor.
Serge
Forte Trio
Serge Forte was born in Tunis and currently
resides outside of Paris. Trained in classical
piano in France, he discovered and fell in love
with jazz at the age of 18. Since then, in addition
to teaching, he has released a number of Latin
jazz and other albums and performed widely with
a number of modern jazz greats. His latest album,
"Jazz'in Chopin", illustrates his
fusion of jazz and classical perfectly.
Yoshiko
Kishino Trio
Hailing from Tokyo, Yoshiko Kishino displayed
her innate musical talent from childhood, when
she was known as a piano prodigy. Graduating
from Tohhoh Music College with a strict classical
music education, she went on to organize a rock
band. While in university, she also won the
Yamaha Pop Music Competition's best keyboardist
category award twice, and was GRP Records' first
Japanese female singer. In 1999, her "Born
Beautiful" CD received high praise from
Swing Journal. Her classy music exudes a vibrant
energy and unlimited boundaries that listeners
fall in love with. With six albums to her credit,
Yoshiko is considered the top Japanese female
jazz pianist. She is accompanied by bassist
Nobuaki Kobayashi and drummer Manubu Fuji.
