Miri International Jazz Festival 2007
By Lennat Mak
May 11-12, 2007
The Pavilion, ParkCity Everly Hotel
Miri, Sarawak
Malaysia
It's only the second installment since its inception last year, but the Miri International Jazz Festival (MIJF) has become one of the major music events organized by the Sarawak Tourism Board to look out for in East Malaysia, apart from the Sarawak Rainforest World Music Festival that has reigned for the past decade. For those who have been to last year's festivities, word on the street is that this year's MIJF has raised the bar in terms of organization, line-up, and the fun-factor.
With the addition of an extra outdoor stage and more food stalls peddling temptuous offerings (beer and oysters to name some) just by the beach at the ParkCity Everly Hotel, MIJF created a jolly festive vibe that allowed music lovers to shuffle and mingle between sets and stages, or simply dock themselves around the festive grounds leisurely to enjoy the show on projection screens under the starry skies. It was nothing sort of something straight out of the summer of love, and the music presented in the two-day event only further accentuated the joy of partying in the air.
Befittingly, Malaysia's very own David Gomes Jazz Sextet opened the festival at the Pavilion with a whooping bang of originals composed by band leader David Gomes and various jazz standards, re-arranged with a fresh slant. It was a swinging good start to the night, bringing forth reminiscence of the 1920s golden jazz era that even little kids couldn't help but dance to down the front row.
To keep the festival flowing while the main stage change over for the next set, the attention switched to Son2nos at the outdoor stage. Playing a meringue of salsa and Latin jazz with a rock edge, the Brunei-based UK/Venezuela outfit provided the perfect musical setting in the open air. Despite the short three 15-minute sets each night, the band delivered their music in short spicy bursts that always made the audience come back for more during the intervals.
Back to the Pavilion, the India/German fusion of KCP4 moved the night into the exploratory side of jazz that was certainly refreshing. The combination of Westernized jazz piano and trumpet and the classical Indian raga rhythm of the tabla and chants might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's certainly mesmerizing to say the least.
Voted by last year's audience to come back for another round, Spain's boogie-woogie master Lluis Coloma once again shook the house down with his impeccable fast fingers on the piano. Back by a tight rhythm section and a brass quartet, Lluis' live rendition of the song "Going To Malaysia" also whipped the crowd into a crazed frenzy.
Closing both nights of the festival was none other than New Orleans most prized pride -- The Dirty Dozen Brass Band who have been in existence in some form or another for the last 30 years. Incorporating New Orleans' Mardi Gras second line street beats, the Dirty Dozen wow-ed the audience with their funkiness and incendiary solo performances on each of their instruments. The band was undeniably a major highlight of the festival and it was also a definite honor for the audience to be able to catch the band twice.
Probably still sore from previous night's non-stop partying, the audience was treated to an unique experimental pairing of Arabic instrumentation by Abdel-Illah Hajim from Morocco and European jazz piano by Germany's Peter Horcher, collectively known as Orak Naa Naa, the next day. The performance was certainly left-field but it was musically spiritual and served as a good slow opener for the night.
Up next, was the humorous George Washingmachine Quartet from Australia/U.K./France. Judging by their name alone, you'd know this quartet is a ball of fun. Frontman George Washingmachine was like the court jester of jazz, teasing the audience with the band's idiosyncratic blend of swing and gypsy jazz.
And if you were to ask us to place our bets, we'd say Cuba's Habana Sax would probably be the main contender to be asked to come back for the festival next year. The band not only moved the crowd with their passionate performance of highly energized Afro-Cuban rhythms, they also wooed the crowd with their sexy choreographed moves. The band even invited a throng of sexy ladies from the audience for an orgasmic percussion jam, bringing the festival to an explosive high!
In just the short span of two days, the small resort city of Miri of rustic charm saw a diverse convergence of eight musical groups in different incarnation of jazz. Similarity, the audience also boosted an international clientele from all over the world. There's no doubt about it. Music is indeed universal. If you are a music lover, MIJF is definitely a festival that will far exceed your expectations and more.
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