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Photo courtesy of National Chiang Kai-shek
Cultural Center |
The National Theatre and Concert Hall is celebrating in style with an exciting lineup of world-class jazz musicians at the upcoming "Summer Jazz," inviting jazz fans and people who will soon get converted to jazz .
Entering the eighth year, the organizer of "Summer Jazz" will throw a big party on August 20 and 21 with local and international artists performing a wide range of jazz music at the plaza in front of the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. The concert is free of charge.
The highlight of Summer Jazz will be four concerts starting from the end of August featuring jazz legend Paquito D'Rivera and Chucho Valdés, both from Cuba, American saxophone player Joshua Redman and Brazilian jazz pianist/vocalist Eliane Elias.
"We are very pleased to present this year's edition with the four world-renowned jazz artists, who have never visited Taiwan before," said Huang Pi-twan, artistic director of the NTCH, in an interview on July 16.
The four jazz musicians are on a tight schedule. Redman, in particular, rarely tours Asia, Huang said. Many jazz DJs fly to New York just for a performance in that city.
The freedom of jazz improvisation and the very free atmosphere of the jazz festival are two great things.
"To feel and see musicians in a harmony of improvisation make the whole listening experience enjoyable," Huang said, "it's always the right time to clap during a jazz performance."
For this year's program, the NTCH will present the nine-time Grammy award winning saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera on Friday August 27. The Cuban origin jazz master will definitely enchant fans with his passionate performing style.
On Sunday August 29, the highly acclaimed jazz pianist Chucho Valdés will excite jazz enthusiasts with "The Afro-Cuban Messengers" performance.
Noted for his big hands and amazing playing techniques, Valdés turns the piano into a hurricane of melody, harmony, and rhythm. He is most renowned for the perfect combination of Cuban traditional music with standard jazz elements.
On Friday September 3, the highly-anticipated jazz saxophonist Redman takes center stage as part of the piano-less trio that is set to challenge the most demanding music lovers.
Redman, one of the most exciting saxophonists in New York's jazz scene had a very unusual start in his jazz career.
He graduated from Harvard in 1991, quit from Yale Law School as a graduate student and decided to go for his dream in jazz music. He won the Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition the year he turned 22 and since then has been hailed as one of the most talented horn players of his generation.
Last but not least, Brazilian jazz pianist/vocalist Eliane Elias will render purist Bossa Nova jazz a week later on September 10, and conquer the audience with her soft and romantic singing style.
Summer Jazz was launched in 2003, a time when the number of local jazz fans was expanding. It has grown over the past seven years through the vision and support of sponsors and partners.
In 2008, the NTCH launched the summer jazz camp for students who are interested in learning trumpet, saxophone, piano, guitar, jazz drum, and other jazz instruments.
A strong lineup of jazz musicians has been recruited for the camp this year including jazz saxophonist Tung Shuen-wen, drummer Huang Jui-feng, and Michael Philip Mossman.
There will be an open-air presentation of the Jazz camp on August 22 at the outdoor plaza of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.
Mercedes Benz has been the major sponsor for Summer Jazz since 2007.
Written by Hermia Lin / culture.tw
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