By George Francis
MIRI - The 3rd Miri International Jazz Festival, held on May 9 and May 10, ended on a high note with bigger and better acts.
It attracted 6,000 visitors compared to 4,000 last year. Many came from Brunei, Sabah, Singapore, Peninsula Malaysia and expatriates living in the region and European tourists.
Two nights of marvellous shows held at the Pavilion of Parkcity Everly Hotel saw renowned jazz performers from the international circuit of Australia, Philippines, Japan, Cuba, Britain, Canada, Algeria, a jazz street band "T'Inventielke" from Holland, and near to home the Borneo Jazz Quartet from Sarawak.
Havana Sax from Cuba, one of the performers from last year's line up made a come back at this year's festival, after the crowd voted the band as their favourite. The band was formed in the 1980s as a classical saxophone quartet before a percussionist was added to incorporate Cuban rhythm to its beat.
Asia's Charmaine Clamor, is the first Phillipine jazz songtress to have her debut album titled Searching for the Soul (2005) played over American radios. She has successfully combined American jazz with blues, soul and traditional Filipino folk music genre she calls jazzipino which was incorporated into her second album 'Flippin Out' released last year.
Another big-name performer is Amar Sindy, an accomplished guitarist who plays a mix of Chicago blues and folk beat traceable to Tuaregs root from the Sahara Desert.
Mood Indigo, a band from Britain, featured a wide repertoire, including blues and swing. The band has under its belt a hit album called "God Bless the Child'.
Japan's contribution is a six-peiece band called Oma Sound, led by a 74-year-old accomplished bassist, Isao Suzuki, who has been in the music business since 1956.
From down under, Daimond Dave and the Doodaddies, a four-piece group introduced a good selection of Chicago-style jazz numbers with band leader Daimond Dave Billing playing the harmonica, combining the expressive acoustic approach and the driving amplified style.
Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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