reviews - festival reviews

MIRI INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

Sarawak, Malaysia, Borneo. May 14-15 2010.

The Miri International Jazz Festival, featured 8 bands performing over two evenings in an open air setting at the rear of the Parkcity Everly Hotel, only 5 minutes drive from Miri. Miri is a resort town and oil town servicing rigs out in the South China Sea. It is located 27 kilometres from the Sultanate of Brunei and a 2 hour flight from Kuala Lumpur.
Now in its 5th year the Festival, organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board, was started following a very successful annual Rainforest World Music Festival now in its 12th year held in July near Kuching. The Artistic Director of that event, Randy Raine-Reush, also put together this year's Jazz Festival program. The Festival is still in its development phase with more changes to come next year with the aim of expanding the audience and increasing tourism to the area.
The international music and tourism media were out in force with around fifty in attendance for the event. Press conferences were held each morning of the festival with ready access to band leaders.
On Friday May 14 Mellow Motif, from Thailand, were the first to take to the open air stage with vocalist/jazz educator Natasha Patamapong and her quartet presenting a selection of jazz standards with some innovative twists. An up tempo version of On The Street Where You Live, started the set, then a Latin Lady is a Tramp, a swinging Joy Spring, a frantic Happy Talk, and a Brazilian O Pato. Airmail Special, the Ella Fitzgerald scat rendition, before an encore of Night and Day got the Festival off to a memorable start.
By contrast the next band led by guitarist Jeremy Tordjman, from Switzerland, was more onto the jazz/rock fusion mode. A searing Smoke that Groove, a slower Mr Cool and Nostalgia of the Future, and an electronic fuzz induced Mr Fuzz, the title track of Tordjman's latest CD, showed Tordjman's influences including guitarists Allan Holdsworth, Mike Stern, Frank Gambale as well as Jimmie Hendrix.
Norbert Sussemihl's New Orleans All Stars, a six piece dixieland line-up, featuring musicians from Germany, USA and Denmark took to the stage. They started the set with a New Orleans feel on Second Line and Hop Stop Blues, followed by Lover Come Back to Me and later Takin' a Chance on Love, with a mainstream feel. Sweet Emma and Cuban Beat Calypso, added to the variety of rhythms played. A Dixieland favourite High Society, the popular funeral tune Didn't He Ramble and an encore of Fats Domino's I'm Walkin' closed a varied and most entertaining set.
Michael Shrieve's Spellbinders from Seatle, USA, provided another switch in style. Shrieve played drums with Santana at Woodstock and the band reflected his background with an exhibition of driving drumming, pulsating Hammond B3, muted trumpet and funky bass lines. The jazz fusion mix had the audience movin' and groovin' through to the encore of Jungle Strut.
On Saturday May 15 the winds blew in a heavy surf from the South China Sea with weather more suited to a surf carnival than a jazz festival. By the time the first band got to the stage rain had settled in. Indonesian band Simak Dialog were first onto the stage with a fusion of Indonesian rhythms, from traditional drums, gongs from three percussionists accompanied by piano, guitar and bass in a contemporary style. Almost in the World music category. The crowd gradually moved toward the stage, responding to the infectious rhythms, unperturbed by the rain, armed with umbrellas, plastic coats.
Amina Figarova and her Sextet, from Holland was next an the stand. With a front line of flute trumpet/flugel and tenor saxophone, the band played originals by Amina Figarova a very forceful pianist. Ensemble passages stating the head were in unison, but all provided inspired solos.
Brazilian violinist Ricardo Herz, a dynamic performer played a selection of tunes from composers such as Dominguinhos/Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento, Edo Lubo/Capinam and Garoto, as well as his own compositions Mourinho, Samba Funk and Sete Anões with his quartet. His energetic solo improvisation using electronic loops was most impressive.
The rain stopped as the headline act, The James Cotton Blues Band from USA, came on to the stage. Grammy award winner James 'Superharp' Cotton, a blues harmonica player who was raised by Sonny Boy Williamson, toured with Howlin' Wolf as a teenager and played with Muddy Waters, later forming his own band. Guitarist/vocalist Thomas Holland was the anchorman with some fine guitar work and vocals on Let the Good Times Roll and a slow blues before introducing Cotton to the stage. Cotton and the band then wowed the audience with some full on blues and roots followed by some good old Rock Roll on Got My Mojo Working and Hucklebuck which had the enthusiastic audience joining in.
In a Grand Finale several of the musicians from the other bands joined James Cotton and his band on stage jamming on a blues for about half an hour bringing to an end an exiting night's performance. A firework display put the final touch to a stunning two day festival. Around 6,000 people were expected to attend the Festival with many coming from Brunei, Sabah, Kuching and Kuala Lumpur as well as many overseas visitors.
The Festival presented an eclectic program of jazz, blues, fusion and contemporary styles with well thought out programming of bands for style and content making for a very successful event in an idyllic setting. Both nights had great sound and lighting with 3 large video screens making for top viewing of close-ups wherever you were around the extensive hotel grounds. The organising committee did a sterling job of bringing all the musicians, media and technical crew to this far outpost in the middle of the South China Sea. The Hotel management and staff should also be congratulated for providing top class accommodation, service and meals. Thanks also go to the Sarawak Tourism Board for making the trip possible.

If you want to check out the bands go to www.mirijazzfestival.com

Reviewed by Don Brow - Editor Jazzscene

Jazz in the Pines 2010 Norfolk Island

Have you ever considered the trip to Norfolk Island for Jazz in the Pines? My wife Julie and I had thought we might visit Norfolk Island because its history is so fascinating (the descendants of the Bounty mutineers live there, having relocated from Pitcairn Island in 1856), but adding jazz to the package was irresistible. The line-up featured Julie Wilson, an outstanding jazz vocalist from Newcastle and Ray Woolf, a legendary entertainer from New Zealand. Julie sang mostly in the Diana Krall/Norah Jones style, but with some novel arrangements and originals. Her open and engaging interaction with the audience made her an instant favourite Ray was firmly in the Sinatra/Bennett/Darin cabaret style, a difficult choice given he was backed by a trio, and at times the absence of a power big band was noticeable. However, his vast experience as a performer was evident and shades of Las Vegas surfaced.

For us, the groups were the highlight. The Terence Koo Trio (Terence Koo keyboards, Andrew Wallace bass, Rob Coxon drums) backed Julie Wilson and performed its own sets. The group covered a range of styles, but at all times were swinging, subtle and tuneful. These musicians are well known in the Newcastle area.
The Mike Walker Trio (Mike Walker keyboards, Pete McGregor bass, Bruce King drums) had the demanding task of backing Ray Woolf, but handled the it well. They are clearly exceptional musicians, well known in NZ, and we would like to have heard them on their own.
The Rick Robertson Trio (Rick Robertson, a former Norfolk Islander, sax and vocals, Gerard Masters, keyboard and vocals, Ian Mussington drums) provided a harder edge, delving into funk, fusion and the delights of Charlie Parker. Gerard Masters provided bass/piano through a keyboard split, giving the group the sound of four pieces.
Total Fire Band (Adelaide's Bill Polain, trombone and vocals, the brilliant Peter Hooper banjo, and the equally accomplished Dan Gordon tuba) was a real surprise. The band appeared at the airport, on the back of a truck in the main street, at cafes and main venues, providing a remarkably interesting and varied program with such a limited range of instruments. Bill did Adelaide proud as the only South Australian based musician.
A jam session on Wednesday (with magnificent fish fry included) enabled the bands to mix and match, with some interesting results. Ray Woolf in particular seemed to enjoy the freedom of this laid back time, but all performers thrived.

The program was concluded with a virtuoso solo performance by pianist/vocalist Gerard Masters on the last night. Unfortunately the crowd was not large for this event in the Ferny Lane Theatre, but was an absolute delight. Gerard took us on a whirlwind tour of musical styles, all featuring his amazing improvisational skills. At times, I felt musicality was subservient to inventive genius, but the range of Gerard's talents kept the audience enthralled.

We were very happy with the jazz package. Most events included light meals, and the program was not so heavy that we couldn't enjoy the other attractions of the island. The organisers attempted to get balance into the program, but no doubt cost prevented the hiring of large groups. The island is heavily dependent on tourism, so this and other festivals (opera, country) are vital to the island's economy.
The ambience of the island is very casual. Everyone waves or says hello, the speed limit is 50kph (with no seat belts!) and the shopping, especially for high quality shoes and knitwear at reasonable prices, is outstanding.

Next year's program (Dec 4-9) will feature Galapagos Duck, Hot Club Sandwich, Andy Firth Quartet, The Jazz Factory, and Funky Do Das. You can check all these groups out on the net, but Galapagos Duck will be the major drawcard.

Julie and I can thoroughly recommend this week in Norfolk Island. It is something special and a nice little treat just before Christmas.
The people of Norfolk Island will welcome you.

Reviewer Geoff Appelt

Manly International Jazz Festival, Sydney, Australia - 2002

Jazz Festivals proliferate from coast-to-coast and fortunate are we for this fact, but it does make it increasingly difficult to decide in which the hard won time and finances should be invested. One not to he missed is the Manly International Jazz Festival, celebrating it's 25th anniversary this year with a programme comprising seventy performances by five hundred musicians on five stages. Then there were the fringe events in several clubs, restaurants, hotels and churches, plus roving bands and the sometimes exemplary street corner sessions that were hard to go past. Add the unsurpassed ambience of Manly, with its food, beverages and assorted traders and you have what is certainly a Five Senses Feast of a Festival.
All styles of jazz music are sensibly programmed so that either eclectic or insular tastes can be indulged without missing too much of the audio attractions and the best of the bands are programmed on more than one day. The international bands were outstanding, with special mention made of the 20-piece Big Wing Jazz Orchestra from Japan and the Enrico Crivellaro Trio from Italy, both of whom pulled massive crowds to their sets. The former were making their third visit to Manly and delighted their audience with a programme of tightly arranged, swinging music derived from various eras. Of particular comment were their fine pianist, torchy vocalist and "the battle of the tenors". Enrico Crivellaro is an exciting young musician who was recently voted Best Swing Guitarist of the Year. His trio were completed by a stunning Hammond B3 organist and a drummer who is surely the exemplar for all drummers playing today. Jazz, Blues and R'n'B to delight the soul, (see their CD revue page 4 of this issue).
Traditional jazz was well represented by many bands, including the Fifth Avenue Jazz Band from the USA, the Louisiana Shakers from Melbourne and the New Wolverine Jazz Orchestra from Sydney. The Zenith New Orleans Jazz Band, also from Sydney, have recently returned from a tour of the Americas, where they were unbelievably asked, "what sort of music is it that you are playing"! Don Burrows and Bob Barnard were taking care of business as they always do so well, while modernists were in the good hands of such us "the legend", Bernie McGann, Errol Buddle and Wanderlust. When the 10-piece called Sandunga swung into their Cuban and Latin-American arrangements, there wasn't a foot not prompted to rhythmic movement and many instant fans would have taken the ferry to the 10th Fiesta for more of the same exciting music at Darling Harbour. School bands were featured at the harbour end of The Corso and several of these included the future musicians of Australian Jazz - Praise be!
Don't let another October long-weekend go by without booking an unparalleled holiday in the City of Excitement, with the Manly International Jazz Festival high on your agenda. Congratulations to the Committee and sponsors. You've got it right.

Reviewer, Ron Spain

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