PeNaNg IsLaNd JaZz FeStIvAl, 2o06
Bayview Beach Resort, Batu Ferringghi, Penang

From left: Tasha, Kak Aida, Me & Lokman (far right) with the talented Mr. Tompi !!

Okay, this is kind of a delayed posting.. this Penang Island Jazz Festival (PJF) was held earlier this month but it’s worth reporting coz I had lotsa fun.. the whole festival was totally awesome & it’s worth every penny.. well, I actually went to this festival to watch Tompi perform.. but it turns out that the whole act was amazing.. in case u guys don’t know, Tompi is an Indonesian Jazz act whom I really admire.. ever since I watched him perform with Dayang at A Nite Of Soulful Stars for a Hari Raya show, I’ve been star-struck.. his vocals are amazing.. his style of music & his songs are wonderful..!

Java 5 from Germany doing their thang..!!

Alrighty.. this PJF was held for 4 days.. there were workshops, mini-shows, jam sessions etc for the 1st 2 days.. and followed by the grand performances for the next 2 nights.. i went there on the 3rd day (Saturday) with Lokman.. Kak aida, Abg fred & Tasha came only on the 2nd day.. when we arrived on the 1st nite, Fairuz Hussein was performing.. she sang a couple of songs from her album and also famous cover tunes.. Fairuz is an extremely great vocalist and performer.. then we have a band from Sweden.. i forgot their name but they play standard jazz tunes, original & covers.. their music was realy tight but i'm not reallt a fan.. up next was a Korean trio which consists of 2 electric guitar players and a drummer.. they play fusion modern jazz.. their music is a contrast to the previous band from Sweden.. where they are not like any other convensional jazz musicians but they are more aggressive & experimental with their sound.. I totally love their style of music.. very refreshing..

Java 5 (pic above) from Germany continued to wow the crowd.. this group consists of 4 vocalist and 1 drummer.. the interesting thing about this group is that, their vocals are also their instruments.. they cana imitate the sounds of a trumpet, violin, sax and the bass with their vocals convincingly..!! and their song choices really caught the crowd's attention.. their songs tells story be it love story or even the funny ones.. one particular performance that the people really love was the lion song.. the bass vocalist imitates the voice of a tiger and that was really funny & impressive too..! they were the 1st act that recieved a standing ovation from the audience and they really deserved it.. the final act for the night was Koh the Saxman (pic left) from Thailand.. I didn't have high expectations for the saxman, but i was totally blown away.. i really didn't think i would enjoy it coz i'm more into vocal performances.. but boy, Mr Koh really know how to work the crowd and get them all hyped up.. his saxaphone playing was brilliant.. his music was fresh, modern and very ear-friendly.. i love every inch of his performance.. Mr. Koh really changed my view of the saxaphone and the music it produced.. totally mind blowing.. Koh the Saxman rawwkk..! End of nite 1.

From left: Lokman, Me, Abg Fred, Kak Aida & Tasha at my house in Penang.

The 2nd nite was more interesting coz there was Tompi.. hehe.. Kak Aida & family arrived at my house that morning.. so we had some leasure time during the day.. we reached Batu Feringghi that afternoon.. after taking some nap & rests, we decided to have some walk by the beach.. there local people doing business of jetski services, parachutes, horse-riding etc.. and believe it or not, me & Lokman tried the parachutes.. haha.. yup, that’s me & Lokman up there in the sky.. hehe.. it was an interesting experience I tell ya.. freaky at 1st, but once u get up there, trust me it’s a wonderful feeling u don’t want it to end..!! So after all that bersiar2 di tepi pantai, masa utk hiburan.. hehe.. we went there with high anticipation.. ye la, x sabar2 nak tgk Tompi perform..!!

Most of the performers for this 2^nd night were amazing.. the Roger Wang and Farid Ali duo (pic below) was very interesting.. Roger Wang is one of the most talented guitarist we have in Malaysia.. people might know him from the duo group with Mia Palencia.. while Farid Ali is the talented Gambus player.. he also plays the guitar.. and he sings too..!! the combination of this two talented musicians brings something different to the table.. in one song, they fuse modern jazz and traditional zapin music together making the sound very unique and refreshing.. their take of P.Ramlee’s beautiful song, Getaran Jiwa was mesmerizing.. Farid Ali’s vocals were enchanting.. then we have John ‘Kaizan’ Neptune from United States.. one of Lokman’s favourite.. not really mine though.. John plays traditional Japanese instrument like the bamboo flute and accompanied by his band.. he even demonstrated an instrument which he invented himself.. I forgot what it’s called but it’s pretty interesting..

Farid Ali (left) and Roger Wang playing beautiful music..

And then we have the much awaited Tompi, accompanied by Idang Rasjidi Quartet from Indonesia.. the quartet plays very tight music, and Tompi’s rich vocals just completes the whole sound.. they play standard jazz tune like Ain’t No Sunshine and Fever, and also originals.. and Tompi’s vocal, boy.. awesome..!! wait till u hear him sketch.. brathtaking..!! The final performance of the night was by Denise from the United States.. and I understand why she was chosen to close the show, coz she’s a fantastic performer..!! not only does she have great vocals, but her stage prescence and her overall performance was amazing.. she really got the crowd going wild.. everyone stood up during her set and sang and dance with her.. the set where she did covers of Stevie Wonder’s songs like Superstition, Living In The City, Overjoyed etc was probably my favourite.. she even invited all the other act to perform with her on-stage.. Tompi, Idang Rasjidi, Java 5 and other performers joined her on-stage and jammed together.. it was remarkable watching all these fine acts together on-stage showcasing their wonderful talents.. Denise closed the show with an encore of the song, Ain’t Nobody – one of my all-time favourite song.. the people just couldn’t get enuff of her..!! End of Nite 2..!

Mark, Denise & Tompi jamming..!

So the next day, we’re off back to KL.. we had a lot of fun and the trip was really worth it.. I enjoyed every single moment and was pretty satisfied.. can’t wait for next year’s Jazz Fest.. haha..!!!