Jazz from a Classical Pianist

Lively performance tonight by pianist Denis Matsuev and other musicians

Denis Matsuev, 43, is a prodigy pianist, starting his lessons at the keyboard from the age of three. It also probably helped that his mother was a piano teacher and his father a pianist and composer.

When he was 23 years old, he won the 11th International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1998, establishing himself as a classical pianist.

However, ever since he was young, he listened to jazz records his father played at home, and Matsuev's first TV appearance in 1990 on a show called Morning Star, he played his own jazz composition called Paris Memories.

He can easily play both classical and jazz on the piano

"My father used to collect recordings of outstanding jazz musicians. I listened to them all my life as far as I can remember myself, and I always tried to improvise," he recalled in an interview with TASS in 2017.

"I like it, and I do not see any reason why I should renounce this pleasure. And sometimes, I feel like taking it easy and making fun on stage to put smiles on people's faces."

That's what he did tonight, which contrasted with Thursday night when he gave a Tchaikovsky piano recital, and then last night performed with young musicians, both at Hong Kong City Hall.

This evening he still wore his white bow tie and evening coat but let it rip with an energetic jazz show that seamlessly integrated Russian music and instruments.

At the start of the show at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre that was almost full, Matsuev explained that while classical music is his "wife", jazz is his "lover".

He and several musicians played 10 pieces, some as solos, some as a group. It started with an enthusiastic rendition of improvisations on a Theme from Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin, followed by an accordion player, Aydar Gaynullin who performed Libertango by Astor Piazzola that had a tango flair.



Then a 12-year-old saxophonist, Sofia Turina came on stage and played Csardas by Vittorio Monti with the group, and a quick 43-second Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. When that piece is played on a sax, it really does sound like a buzzing bee.

Another drummer came out -- a young kid, Daniil Gulevich, who accompanied the group in Fly Away: Variations on Themes from Alexander Borodin and Paul Desmond arranged by Matsuev's double bassist Andrey Ivanov. During his solo, Gulevich couldn't resist and for about 10 minutes was banging away at the drums... cool, but past the five-minute mark we were wondering, when is this going to end? That was the only part that lagged in the concert.

Matsuev also showed off his composition skills with two lovely pieces, Baikal Samba in a tribute to Lake Baikal with a watery theme, and Ballad.

Andrey Gorbachev came out -- no relation to the former Soviet leader -- but this man is a virtuoso on the balalaika, a triangle-shaped guitar that only has three strings. He quickly showed us why he's so good, plucking and strumming the instrument so fast we were completely mesmerized. Then he joined in on variations of Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the group that was lots fun, followed by improvisations on a Theme from Peer Gynt Suite. Here's an idea of what they played:



The final piece, Fiesta by Matsuev and Ivanov was definitely festive, and after playing their solo, each musician would leave the stage. In the end it was Ivanov on the double bass with Alexander Zinger on the drums, and then just the drum solo before they all came back on stage to finish the song.

We all clapped loudly, hoping for an encore, but sadly that was the end of the show, that ended as expected at one hour and 50 minutes.

 

Matsuev and Friends Play Jazz
Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Improvisations on a Theme from Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin, arranged by Denis Matsuev and Andrey Ivanov

Libertango by Astor Piazzolla

Csardas by Vittorio Monti

Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolia Rimsky-Korsakov

Fly Away: Variations on Themes from Alexander Borodin and Paul Desmond by Andre Ivanov

Baikal Samba and Ballad by Denis Matsuev

Variations on Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Sergei Rachmaninov arranged by Denis Matsuev

Improvisations on a Theme from Peer Gynt Suite by Edvard Grieg, arranged by Denis Matsuev and Andrey Ivanov

Fiesta by Denis Matsuev and Andrey Ivanov

New Public Space in Admiralty

An intriguing green sculpture standing tall in Admiralty

Last night on my way to the jazz concert at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, I had extra time to get there and decided to walk, as it's closer to Admiralty than Wan Chai.

I am where? Facing Harcourt Road in Admiralty

When I got to Admiralty, I walked north towards Admiralty Centre and then took a right to an elevated footpath going east. That took me to the new MTR station that who knows when will open, connecting to Sha Tin, and next to that is a newly-developed public space.

Unfortunately all public spaces are heavily programmed -- this one was no exception -- and users are forced to walk down a specific path though there are spindly trees along the path. Then it hit a giant steep stairway and down below looked like giant blocks on the ground.

On closer inspection they were indeed giant slabs of granite? But it wasn't explained where they were reclaimed from, and it would have been nice to know. They sat on top of a map of the area, but the blocks didn't have much meaning except randomly placed around.

A long stairwell to get to the Admiralty MTR station

This area was then joined to the walkway that I was looking for to get to the HKAPA in minutes. It's an interesting path, though I wouldn't want to climb back up those stairs again in the summer heat!

Jazz that Riffs off Ravel

(left to right) Marco Mezquida, Martin Melendez and Aleix Tobias

Last night was all about classical music, and tonight it was jazz riffing off of the music of Maurice Ravel.

As part of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, I attended a concert by the Marco Mezquida Trio entitled Ravel's Dreams, held at the Drama Theatre in the Hong Kong for Performing Arts in Wan Chai.

Last year when I watched a jazz performance at the nearby Arts Centre, the place was barely filled, but this time it was almost full, with ushers encouraging people to sit closer to the stage.

Mezquida is a very talented Spanish pianist -- he is technically as brilliant as someone like Lang Lang and takes his musicality to another level with improvisation on the spot depending on the venue, the audience and how he feels.



Only 31 years old, he is very comfortable experimenting with all aspects of the piano -- even reaching over and playing with the strings inside the instrument. His fellow musicians are very accomplished as well.

Cellist Martin Melendez who was born in Moscow of Cuban parents and lives in Barcelona, playing jazz, Cuban, funk and flamenco. Melendez was soaking in the music, mostly eyes closed and moving to the music as he played, plucked and even strummed his cello.

Aleix Tobias on drums is very deft on percussion and has a range from adding beats to creating new textures with the music and complementing the two other players very well.

At first the audience was timid and didn't know when to clap -- many were Chinese -- but after a while they got the hang of it and enthusiastically clapped after each piece. 

Towards the end, Mezquida performed the Adagio assai from Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major all on his own and we were all mesmerized watching his fingers literally flying all over the keyboard, doing very fast chords and melody all on his own -- the cellist and percussionist took a break, and it wasn't until the very end did they join him.

The last piece they played was their riff of Ravel's Bolero -- so full of energy and the piano and percussion taking turns keeping the signature beat of the piece. The cellist held his instrument like a giant guitar and was strumming it!



By now the audience was so excited they clapped enthusiastically and got an encore. We don't know what it was, but Tobias held a tambourine, Melendez hit/tapped different parts of the cello and Mezquida strummed or plucked the piano strings -- it was completely unconventional music, and it was fun.

The audience clapped loudly again, but alas, the trio only came out to wave goodbye and that their CDs were available outside the venue!

Marco Mezquida Trio - Ravel's Dreams (arranged by Mezquida)
String Quartet in F major
Pavane pour une infante defunte
Le Tombeau de Couperin
Adagio assai from Piano Concerto in G major
Bolero

Polish Jazz in Hong Kong

Maciej Fortuna is a trumpeter, composer, music producer with an MA in Law!

The 46th HK Arts Festival is on and I've only got tickets to two shows! My friend YTSL has to remind me to look through the catalogue and then it's overwhelming...

One of the shows I picked on a whim was the theme of nouveau jazz and I'm glad I did.

What is it about the Polish and jazz? When I was in Beijing I heard Andrzej Jagodzinski and his group do jazzy riffs off of Chopin that was so cool and now this group, Maciej Fortuna Special Quartet in Hong Kong and they were fantastic.


Maciej Fortuna Special Quartet from Fortuna Music on Vimeo.

Held at Shouson Theatre in the Hong Kong Arts Centre, it was a nice intimate space for this kind of performance. There was free seating so I tried to arrive a bit earlier, but there was no problem getting a decent seat -- they were all good.

It turns out the group plays electronica jazz, something I haven't heard before and the sounds were pretty neat. There was a pianist (Andrzej Konieczny), a bassist (Roman Chraniuk), a drummer (Jakub Miarcznski) and the leader, Maciej Fortuna on trumpet.

The Maciej Fortuna Special Quartet

For example the trumpet was attached to a wire that was linked to some switchboard that Fortuna used to create new sounds coming from his instrument that didn't sound much like a trumpet but like an electric guitar.

When the bass was attached to an amp, it also made groovy sounds like a fuzzy plucked electric guitar. And then at times the pianist would go behind the piano and start playing on the second set of drums. One would think it would be too much, but they created so much energy, feeding off each other like a drum duel.

The dynamics between the members was great -- they riffed off of each other, kept the beat going and most importantly enjoyed themselves on stage. The freedom they have to express themselves is what makes jazz so interesting to watch and listen.

Andrzej Jagodzinski Trio plays Chopin with a jazz twist

Towards the end of the 90-minute show, Fortuna explained he had played here before, though some of his band members hadn't, and they enjoyed performing here immensely. He mistakenly said "Here in China" and then said, "I mean Hong Kong". He said the slight was similar to him performing in Iceland and then saying to the audience "In continental Europe..."

We forgave him and clapped loudly enough for them to do an encore. What a blast.

Maciej Fortuna Special Quartet

March 4, 2018

Shouson Theatre, Hong Kong Arts Centre

Jazzy Evening

La Mademoiselle et son Orchestre kicking up some lively jazz tunes

I just got back to my hotel after a fun evening catching up with an ex-colleague. After dinner we rode rented bikes -- my first time riding a bike in Beijing on the street! -- to Nanluoguxiang, a hutong a few blocks from Hou Hai, or the back lakes.

We walked down this busy street filled with small shops and eateries, and near the end we turned left into a small street where a bar called Jiang Hu or "river lake" is located. It's in an old Chinese-style house where a band was playing jazz.

The band, La Mademoiselle et son Orchestre, features two French musicians including the female singer, hence "the lady and her band".

They were lively, fun and played so well together. In between songs she would chat in Putonghua with the audience making small jokes we could all understand.

The space was crowded at first when we arrived after 10pm, but thinned out about 45 minutes after, when they finished a set.

So nice to hear easy-listening jazz in a cozy environment! Not something you would easily find in Hong Kong!

Remembering Dal Richards

The King of Swing Dal Richards died just days before his 98th birthday

While many of us were getting ready to countdown the minutes to the start of 2016, one of Vancouver's icons passed away.

Dal Richards was a big band leader who had performed at 79 consecutive New Year's Eve gigs. He missed witnessing his 80th when he passed at 11.41pm on December 31 at 97.

I had the pleasure of interviewing the King of Swing about 10 years ago in his loft downtown that was full of memorabilia from performing for decades. But what I remember most about him was how full of energy he was even then in his 80s.

He may have physically moved slower, and hearing not so good, but his mind was still very sharp and had quite vivid memories; unfortunately I cannot recount them for you, only that he used to perform at the top of Hotel Vancouver from 1940 that was broadcast live on CBC Radio.

Richards performing with Lorraine McAllister in 1958

"It's Saturday night, at the CBC presents the music of Dal Richards and his Orchestra from the Panorama Roof," he recounted. "High atop the Hotel Vancouver, overlooking the twinkling harbour lights of Canada's gateway to the Pacific, it's music by the band at the top of the town."

How he got into music was really by accident.

Richards was born and raised in Vancouver, and was named after the doctor who delivered him, Dr Dallas Perry.

When Richards was a boy he fell while holding his slingshot and the prong gouged out his left eye. It was replaced by a glass eye, but to recuperate he had to spend long periods in the dark and he became despondent.

Dr Perry suggested the boy learn an instrument and he took to the clarinet. The rest, literally is history. It was during this time he became exposed to jazz and was hooked.

By the end of high school he had his own band and played his first New Year's Eve gig in 1935 and never really stopped working in one capacity or another.

His secret to long life?

"Well, if you find something you like doing in life, pursue it with your heart. That is what I've done with music. I found that it was my love, so I enveloped my life totally."

Richards leaves behind his wife Muriel, and a daughter Dallas with singer Lorraine McAllister, who died in 1984.

Thank you Dal for your boundless energy, optimism and humour, and of course your fabulous music!

Wining and Dining

Enjoying the live musical entertainment under a giant white tent

Just got back from the second day of the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival at Central harbourfront.

It's the seventh year of the event, and this was my first time checking it out! Last year because of the Occupy protests it was hastily moved to Kai Tak cruise terminal but attendance was terrible so admission was waived and then hordes of people went -- if they could get in due to terrible logistics.

This year it's back at Central harbourfront, by Pier 10 and the giant ferris wheel and being a Friday night, the place was swarmed with mostly young people keen on sampling as much as possible and eating a few good bites in between.

Healthy drinking water -- new concept?

There was either a line to pay cash (HK$30/$3.87) to get into the grounds or Octopus; we chose the latter and literally walked in no problem. However, there was a massive line to get drink tokens.

Nevertheless, once this was sorted, we wandered around to see what we could try. There are over 300 booths, mostly organized into countries with Bordeaux having a huge presence, followed by the Italians, Germans, and then every other country like the United States, Chile and even Georgia.

Some booths focused on food, everything from slices of proscuitto, cheese, and popcorn, to yogurt and hamburgers. With the drink tokens we received a wine glass and a book of coupons, some of which could be redeemed for free stuff, like a bag of nuts (only about 10 nuts in there), and a bottle of water that even had the tagline, "Healthy drinking water" -- really?

Most of the wines we tasted were pretty good -- red, white, rose, port and dessert wine. I can't tell you which ones they were because my uncle just went to get some in his wine glass and shared it with us.

So many booths to wander and try, not enough time!

There were also talks on wine and an opportunity to buy wine accessories like glasses and wine fridges, and of course lots of bottles. But most enjoyable was the live entertainment, Chinese singers who sang both Cantonese and English songs, some in a jazzy style, others more pop and rock.

After two hours of wandering around and sipping different wines, I'd had my alcohol quota and made my way home...

Touring the New Whitney

A look at the Whitney's outdoor terraces with great views

This past May the Whitney Museum of American Art moved from Madison Avenue to Chelsea in a multi-terraced building which also happens to be the end or beginning of the Highline.

So, not wanting to miss out on the latest new thing, we headed down there for a look.

Looking down on the Highline from the Whitney

It's a brand new building designed by Renzo Piano and when you enter it looks promising, with sleek modern lines, and outdoor terraces on several floors.

Admission is not cheap -- $22 for adults, $18 for seniors and students -- considering how much there is to see here.

The museum says there are eight floors, but interestingly there's no fourth floor -- was it influenced by the Chinese?

We worked our way from top to bottom, starting with the new show, "Archibald Motley: Jazz Age Modernist".

We knew nothing about Motley (1891-1981) beforehand and it was fascinating to read that he was biracial, African American and European. He struggled with his identity, not being able to fully associate with one or the other.

The Octoroon Girl by Archibald Motley

Racial identity became a theme for him in his work, as he hoped art would bring "a better understanding between the races". He also wanted to help African Americans feel pride and beauty in their looks.

His earlier work featuring portraits mostly women, are wonderful portrayals of people at the time. In particular I liked The Octoroon Girl painted in 1925. She is sitting on a couch, slightly off centre, leaning on the arm rest next to a funny-looking statue of a man with a massive bushy mustache. He seems to act as a counterfoil to her serene elegance, in a black dress with passionate red wide collar, sleeve and button details.

I also enjoyed the portraits of his paternal grandmother, who told him stories about what it was like to be a slave working for a mistress. In one portrait of her called Mending Socks, she sits with a wrap around her shoulders held together by a brooch, mending a sock in a parlour. The portrait above her on the left gives a hint of a white woman, who was her mistress, who his grandmother says treated her well.

Motley paints his grandmother mending a sock

There's another painting of her called Portrait of My Grandmother done in 1922. She wears a white blouse with a brooch, and black skirt underneath. What drew me the most in the work was the detail of her hands, more so than the face. It is evident she is already old as one can see from her facial features, but the hands are a testament to the hard work she did to survive.

Motley's wife was German American, and they were childhood sweethearts before they got married. However the implications of their relationship were huge -- her parents disowned her when she married Motley, and it was difficult for them to walk down the street without being ogled.

The exhibition has two portraits of her, one looking sweet and vulnerable, maybe because she is in the nude. while the other is of her dressed up with a fox stole and looking stern.

The Freedom Tower stands tall, and a tiny Statue of Liberty

After the portraits section of his earlier work, Motley's paintings begin to portray African Americans in a cartoonish way which seems to go against his earlier mission statement. Nevertheless, the earlier paintings of scenes in Chicago are vibrant and lively, dancing and drinking.

He also goes to Paris from 1929-30 on a Guggenheim fellowship and captures the bohemian lifestyle there, like jazz and Josephine Baker.

However, his work becomes more and more cartoon-like, simplified depictions of African Americans that maybe seem OK because they are painted by him and not someone who is white.

Prop by Richard Serra

After the show one can grab a bite to eat at the cafe on this floor, or wander outside to take in the views. From here you can see the Freedom Tower and in the distance, the Statue of Liberty.

We found the views much more absorbing and interesting than the art on show which seems strange, no? We went back inside to cling onto a tour that was happening of the permanent collection and were introduced to some interesting pieces.

One is a piece of lead propped up on the wall by a nine-foot long lead pipe, and not the sheet of lead hung on the wall and then the pipe leaning against it. It's by Richard Serra called Prop that was made in 1967, but was "redone" in 2007 because the lead pipe created a groove not only into the lead sheet but the wall as well thanks to gravity and time.

Another is called Giant Fagends by Claes Oldenburg, featuring giant cigarette butts haphazardly placed in a container, with one or two scattered in the room, as the curator was given permission to place them wherever they wanted.

A lone cigarette butt by Claes Oldenburg

The cigarette butts are about the dangers of smoking and public service announcements trying to get people to butt out, and at the same time they look like legs as it was during the time of the mini skirt era. What a mix.

We were kind of modern art-ed out after covering the two floors of the permanent exhibition and also it was almost closing time. We hit the gift shop, but were disappointed to find there wasn't much in terms of souvenirs that tempted us to dig into our wallets.

Even the Whitney T-shirt -- a white one with thin W's on it was hardly inspiring. And what was Yayoi Kusama's black dotted pumpkins made of fabric doing here for sale at $300 for a small one? She's not even American!

Oh and if you want to eat in the ground floor cafe called Untitled, you have to make a reservation otherwise don't bother. Strange that this is considered the place to dine when the art upstairs doesn't draw much of an appetite...

Whitney Museum of American Art

99 Ganesvoort Street

New York
(212) 570 3600

From Provence to Nice

The picturesque town of Gordes in Provence

Our visit to Provence ended today, with a quick visit to Gordes, considered the most picturesque town in France, and the stone villas look simultaneously rustic and luxurious.

Spotted Marilyn Monroe on the wall of a hotel

They are scattered over the hills, some with swimming pools to keep cool. We happened to pass by during a farmer's market where fresh vegetables and fruits were sold, along with clothing and espadrilles.

We were particularly impressed by the walls, made of individual rough plate-like stones that were assembled with a bit of mortar in between to hold them together, or with time, as there were even plants growing in the dirt that had accumulated between the cracks.

Another quick tour of Cannes was made, where the film festival began in 1946, where And God Created Woman which made Brigitte Bardot a star. Nine years later the Palm d'Or was established to award the best film of the event by a jury made up of actors and directors.

The "organ", where scents are mixed to create a perfume

And how can we pass through the area without going to Grasse, home of where perfume is made? Our tour (like many other groups) went to Fragonard, named after the painter and printmaker Jean-Honore Fragonard who was born in Grasse in 1732.

In the 16th century it was fashionable to wear perfume to mask the smell of leather. Fragonard the perfumery was started in 1926 and our guide hinted the company made perfumes for other companies.

The "nose", or the person who creates the scents is highly sought after. It takes nine years to study to become one -- if they have the talent for it.

A ceremony marking the deaths of two resistance members

In general it takes 10,000 flowers to make 1kg of essence, and lavender will be cut in the next few days, of which takes 600kg for 1kg of essence of the purple flower.

We arrived in Nice late in the afternoon and temperatures cooled down quickly in early evening. After dinner we walked along the street and heard La Marseillaise, or the French anthem being played.

When we got closer, we saw older men with medals on their shirts carrying French flags, as well as a few women, while a military band played. The ceremony was quickly over after that and many people dispersed.

Remembering those fighting against Hitler

Some people explained to us that it was on this day in 1944 that two members of the resistance were caught by the Nazis and were hung on the lamp post on the two adjacent corners and made people in the town parade past them to show they were an example.

White flowers with ribbons in blue, red and white were laid on the ground, while others placed red carnations at the two spots. The plaques gave the names of the two men who died, and paintings of their portraits were placed there for the ceremony.

It was interesting to see that though two people died here, they were remembered even to this day. It also shows how much people here hated Hitler, as the plaque says his name and not the Nazis.

Soon after we heard jazz playing further down the street to find the Nice Jazz Festival has just gotten underway today until July 12. The line up includes people like Jamie Cullum, Lauryn Hill, Jason Moran, and Kool and the Gang.

Children have fun playing in the water park near the square

Across the street is a water park and children had a great time playing with the mist and water fountains that spewed out of the black slate. We may head there tomorrow to beat the heat!

Sultry but Slow

Two-time Grammy winner Cassandra Wilson performed in Hong Kong

This April 7 marks the 100th anniversary of Billie Holiday's birth and jazz singer Cassandra Wilson has a new album marking the vocal legend's birthday called Coming Forth by Day: A Tribute to Billie Holiday.

And at the suggestion of YTSL we went to see Wilson perform tonight at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall as part of the 43rd Hong Kong International Arts Festival.

"I've been in love with Billie Holiday's voice since the moment I heard it, and she has inspired me throughout my career," Wilson said in the program notes.

The first of the two-night concert was already sold out so we settled for the second one, that was almost full. Unlike the other night with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Wilson's band took up centre stage, with a piano and keyboard, drums, guitar, bass, woodwinds, and electric violin.

The all-male band warmed up the crowd until Wilson made her appearance in a black sequin sleeveless gown with a slit down the side, and pointy heels. She started off by singing The Way You Look Tonight, Don't Explain and What A Little Moonlight Can Do, before taking off her shoes and going barefoot the rest of the evening.

Her latest album pays tribute to Billie Holiday

Her voice is so sultry, and if it had to have a food reference it would be buttery smooth with the sweetness of caramel. However her pacing was very slow, as YTSL remarked, as if Wilson were performing in an intimate nightclub setting.

But we were in a formal concert hall with a few thousand people and surely she could regulate the pacing of the show to be a bit fast here, a bit slow there, eventually building to a strong finish.

Instead we were stuck on the slow song side. During You Go To My Head, Wilson walked off stage and says to the band she'll be back later... and we're left with the band trying to entertain us when we've come to see her. Some people in the audience even get up to leave, which seemed strange, but perhaps they had other things to do than watch the 59-year-old Wilson give her interpretation of Holiday's songs?

Eventually she comes back, and at one point we wonder if she was nursing a hangover, since she mentioned they were hanging out in some hotel last night...

Nevertheless the individual band members were fantastic together and as soloists. There was a lot of kudos for Robby Marshall, the young tall guy who played the saxophone, oboe and flute, as well as for guitarist Kevin Breit. Pianist Jon Cowherd kept everything in check, with his own noodling.

After about 70 minutes, she sang another slow number, The Last Song, followed by Everything A Good Man Needs that seemed to pick up the pace of the concert. But alas, it really was the last song, and she and the musicians left the stage!

Following some energetic clapping, the band finally came back, and after they started playing, Wilson also returned to the stage to sing I'll Be Seeing You -- another slow one.

For some, Wilson's performance seemed muted, and fell short of expectations, but as someone watching her for the first time, I quite enjoyed her sultry singing, though would have appreciated a few more songs to round out the evening.

Cassandra Wilson

Coming Forth By Day: A Celebration of Billie Holiday

Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall

March 21-22

Songs performed in order:

The Way You Look Tonight

Don't Explain

What A Little Moonlight Can Do

Crazy He Calls Me

You Go To My Head

All of Me

Good Morning Heartache

These Foolish Things

The Last Song

Everything A Good Man Needs

I'll Be Seeing You (encore)

Jazzing Up The Venetian

Arturo Sandoval (second from left) with his trusty trumpet in hand

A few weeks ago a friend who works in Macau asked me if I wanted to attend a jazz concert. I'm always game when it's jazz -- I don't know much about it but love listening to it live -- so she bought an extra ticket for me.

Turns out the artist is Arturo Sandoval, a 10-time Grammy Award winner. Not only is he a trumpeter, but also a pianist and composer.

The 64-year-old was born in Artemisa, Cuba and picked up classical trumpet when he was 12. But then he was soon influenced by jazz artists Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie.

It wasn't until 1977 did Sandoval meet Gillespie, who promptly took the Cuban under his wing and became his mentor. They played in concerts in Europe, Cuba and featured him in The United Nations Orchestra.

While touring with Gillespie in Spain in 1990, Sandoval defected to the United States and later became a naturalized citizen in 1999.

Sandoval's energetic music got audiences tapping their feet

Sandoval became the subject of a TV film in 2000 called For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story, with Andy Garcia starring as Sandoval.

And in 2013, US President Barack Obama awarded Sandoval the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

It was pretty amazing to see him in person in Macau, at the Venetian Theatre -- in the second row! The last time I was there was for one of the last shows of Zaia... the large auditorium space was much too big for a jazz concert, and wasn't completely filled either.

Sandoval hinted that he and the band had just been to Taipei the night before and were blown away by the reception. So he wondered what Macau would be like, and hinted that the audience's response to tonight's concert would determine if he would come back here.

So we tried our best to make him feel welcome, though his talent and those of his band members were so impressive we clapped a lot in appreciation.

Not being a jazz aficionado I can't tell you all the songs he played, but he felt very comfortable on stage, walking back and forth, picking up one trumpet, then another, or going to his keyboard to bang out a few chords.

But it was his ability to manipulate his voice which was amazing. He and Bobby McFerrin should have a voice-off to see who can do the better special effects. Sandoval imitated a tuba which was amazing, and would "sing" gobbledygook which was fun too. He didn't care what you thought -- he was having fun on stage.

He sang a gorgeous rendition of Dear Diz (Everyday I Think of You) that was tender and delicate, and his own interpretations of A Night in Tunisia, and The Lady is a Tramp that got a standing ovation.

The saxophonist was technically brilliant, a young guy with glasses, shirt, tie and vest, musically jousting with Sandoval, who wore a black T-shirt and slacks and rubbed his large tummy a lot.

However after a while the saxophonist was predictable, doing similar moves, while the pianist was very serious, another young guy, but knew exactly when to show off, or play in the background, was flamboyant in parts, but also delicate in others. There was also a drummer and guitarist/bassist, and a percussion guy mostly on the bongo drums.

After almost two hours, the concert was over, including the encore, to which many stood up clapping. Will Sandoval come back again? Hard to say, but we were thrilled to have a jazz legend play for us!

Arturo Sandoval Quintet

The Venetian Theatre

Picture of the Day: Alfredo Rodriguez

Alfredo Rodriguez doing his jazz magic at the piano

Just came back late from a concert by Cuban jazz pianist Alfredo Rodriguez and The Invasion Band.

They flew in this morning from Los Angeles and were in tip top condition to play at Sevva in Landmark Prince's.

I saw him perform at the piano two years ago in the same venue and this time he seemed even more creative, deft at the keyboard and lyrical. He and his band would start off creating disparate sounds that eventually would make their way to each other and blend effortlessly and eventually climax into an intoxicating blend of music that kept heads bobbing all night.

He's currently on tour to promote his latest album, Alfredo Rodriguez The Invasion Parade that he co-produced with Quincy Jones.

Check him out if he ever comes near you!

After his performance we were told Lionel Richie would come by, but he didn't make an appearance on stage. Instead we got a quick glimpse of him before escaping into the elevator and then in his car.

Oh well! The evening was definitely a memorable one!