JOHOR BAHRU
JAZZ
fest 2015 26 - 28 FEBRUARY & 1 MARCH 2015 DOUBLETREE BY HILTON JOHOR BAHRU
WHAT IS JB:IFC? Johor Bahru: International Festival City (JB:IFC) is a bold initiatve by the Johor Society for the Performing Arts (JSPA) to catapult and position the city of Johor Bahru as a leading festival city in the region; hosting world - acclaimed events encompassing arts, music, culture & more. As the city expands its local and global reach, so must it continue to embrace and promote the arts - both at a community and international level - as well as showcase the rich and historical culture of Johor and Malaysia to its many residents and visitors. The hallmark of any great city is its ability to connect the arts and culture to the resident and business communities. As the JB Festivals move in tandem with the ambition of the city, we welcome the participation of corporate partners, sponsors and supporters to help realise the vision of making Johor Bahru a truly great and world-class city.
SADAO WATANABE
MEZZOTONO
Sadao Watanabe was born in Tochigi Prefecture in 1933 and moved to Tokyo after graduating from high-school. In 1962, he moved to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music after participating in many band sessions as an alto saxophone player. He is regarded as one of Japan's top musicians and is also a talented photographer, having published six picture books. As an Executive Producer of the Japanese Government Exhibition Project 2005 in Japan, Sadao is a strong advocate of the message of 'World Peace' through music.
The Mezzotono Show is entirely executed by five voices a-cappella without the use of any musical instruments. Having performed in 32 countries over 4 continents, their voices reproduce the sounds of different instruments, while the often comical approach of the five interpreters encourages audience participation in an enjoyable and fun way, creating a unique musical experience for all.
*Photo by Masaya Takagi
JEREMY MONTEIRO & ALBERTO MARSICO WITH THE JAZZ-BLUES BROTHERS
S T E VE T H O RNTO N & AF R O AS I A
Jeremy Monteiro comes from Singapore and is one of the bestknown jazz pianists in South-East Asia, having played with jazz greats such as James Moody, Toots Thielemans, and Ernie Watts. Alberto Marsico is from Turin, Italy and is one of the most sought after jazz and blues organists in Europe. Also in the band are Shawn Letts on saxophone, guitarist Teriver Cheung, guest vocalist Rani Singam and Bangkok-based American drummer Shawn Kelley. The show will feature funky, swinging, bluesy tunes from their album "Jeremy Monteiro & Alberto Marsico The Jazz-Blues Brothers".
Before 1997, Steve Thornton had an illustrious career in New York, having worked with world renowned artists such as Herbie Hancock, Mongo Santamaria, jazz legend Miles Davis, pianist McCoy Tyner, as well as Tracy Chapman, Mariah Carey, and Michael Jackson. Now in Malaysia, Thornton and his band Afro Asia have been grooving up the local music scene with their upbeat and catchy tunes and beats.
THE DAVID GOMES JAZZ ENSEMBLE FEATURING JUNJI DELFINO
RAZAK RAHMAN
David Gomes & Junji Delfino are no strangers to JB, having performed at the Johor Arts Festival in 2004 with their Big Band Extravaganza. Joining them at the JB Jazz Fest 2015 are some of the region’s most established jazz musicians/educators. Shawn Kelley on drums and Hanafie Imam on bass form a tight rhythm section while Patrick Terbrack on tenor sax and Julian Chan on alto lead a 3-man horn section together with Eddie Wen on trumpet. Expect to hear some hard-bop sounds along the Horace Silver-mold as well as some of David Gomes' signature arrangements of other jazz standards, including his own compositions.
Razak Rahman was already an established jazz star at age 12, when he won Malaysia’s first televised talent contest Bakat TV. Since then, he has performed in albums of many local Malaysian artistes and has been invited to perform with many legendary international artistes worldwide. His very personalized sound on the tenor saxophone, heavily influenced by Stan Getz, will surely leave audiences entertained.
XIONG QUINTET
RUSTIKA QUARTET
Xiong Quintet (Xiong Lee, Justin Lim, Wei Li Cheah, Azmi Hairudin, Norman Rahman) will be presenting music that falls under various genres of music from Brazil mixed with a healthy dose of Jazz harmonies and improvisations. There will not be any ‘played – to – death’ pub staples, but there will be infectious rhythms, beautiful melodies, and music sure to move the audience.
The RustiKa Quartet is a collaboration between Karen de Silva from the AcoustiKa Jazz Quartet on Jazz Violin and Xanthus Ching of Rustic Vibes on Electric Bass. Featuring Joel Chua on Keys and Anson Koh on Drums, they will bring to the audience their originals and arrangements of jazz standards in the spirit of youthful exuberance of today’s generation, while paying tribute to the roots of this genre.
PROGRAMME
26.02
28.02
730 pm Press Conference with JB Jazz Fest Performers
430 pm Workshop by David Gomes & Junji Delfino @ The Black Box @ JBPAC
830 pm The David Gomes Jazz Ensemble with Junji Delfino
27.02 730 pm Mezzotono
Workshop by Xiong Lee @ The Black Box @ JBPAC 730 pm Xiong Quintet Jeremy Monteiro & Alberto Marsico with the Jazz-Blues Brothers
Sadao Watanabe
Steve Thornton & Afro Asia featuring Razak Rahman
1100 pm Post Concert Reception with Jazz Greats*
1100 pm Closing Party*
*Exclusive to VVIP ticket holders only*
*Exclusive to VIP ticket holders only*
01.03 1200 pm Jazz at Brunch with RustiKa Quartet @ Tosca Italian Trattoria* *Free performance*
GETTING TO THE JOHOR BAHRU JAZZ FEST 2015
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D OUBL E TR EE BY H ILTON J OH OR BA H R U
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DOU BL ETRE E BY H I LTON J OHO R BAH R U
T HE B L AC K BOX @ J B PAC
12 Jalan Ngee Heng, 80000, Johor Bahru, Johor
05-03B, Lvl 4M, Danga City Mall, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, 80000, Johor Bahru, Johor
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT +60197139900 | JBARTSFEST@HOTMAIL.COM
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