MIRI JAZZ FESTIVAL 2006-2010
By Asif Pishori (AP) - International UK Jazz Musician
Photos by Cheong Kok Ann
I remember the early buzz about Miri Jazz festival back in 2006 when MJF was first born. At that time I was living in Brunei and was over the moon to hear that a Jazz festival was taking place literally on my door step, a short car ride across the border this was a no brainer and there was no way I was going to miss it. Being a Jazz musician-Jazz Pianist & Music lecturer in Contemporary music myself I was desperate to be included in the line-up of musicians, perhaps I could bring in my Band from Brunei `4 Notes` and take a slot in the festival I thought to myself.
However I was too late to get my application in and once I logged onto the website realised the line-up was already in place. These guys are really organised I concluded. I looked through the musician`s and bands line up and decided I had to be there by hook or by crook. There was a group from Sarawak performing called `All The Best` A 5 piece band led by Syafiee Obe Hairunie and Fra Fra Sound from Netherlands, Gangbe Brass Band from Benin, LLuis Coloma from Spain,Nah Youn Sun from Korea and France, Quinteto Mambo Jambo from UK,Shanghai Jazz Ensemble from China and U-Blues from Singapore and Sarawak. To be honest I had never heard of any of these groups there was no Chick Corea or Herbie Hancock or Bob James performing but never the less if was a Jazz festival close to home and I was going to make sure I didn`t miss it.
Arriving in Miri I wanted to explore the venue immediately so I checked into Park City Hotel and walked around the grounds. Some of the groups were rehearsing in the Pavilion so I popped in to have a listen. What a great sound and set up I thought to myself, Right by the Ocean in beautiful surroundings. I checked into my hotel room and from the balcony I was over-looking the festival and could hear everything clearly. Life doesn`t get much better than this I thought to myself. Everyone had a marvelous time, the bands and musicians were excellent, the organisation was brilliant and I when I went back to Brunei I couldn`t stop talking about it. I decided that next year I definitely wanted to perform at MJF. So this time I made sure I sent my band application in as early as possible. I had that year formed a new group with Venezuelan Latin Percussion James DEAN Vielma, My younger Brother Imi on keyboards and Jazz Rock Guitarist Chris Tomas. Together we were International Latin Jazz Band `SON2NOS`
The organising committee of 2007 decided that they wanted to do something different in 2007 and set up a 2nd stage outside the main pavilion on the beach. They offered our group `Son2nos` a slot on the outdoor stage to perform in between the acts performing in the Pavilion so as to keep the continuity going. This would take some organizing as the MC needed to then liase between both stages. Never the less it worked really well and we seemed to please the crowd with our dynamic show displaying Latin Jazz Funky fusion. It was the most memorable performance and all the members of Son2nos still talk about the great time we had playing at MJF 2007.
Alongside us performing in the Pavilion the lineup of bands in 2007 included David Gomez Jazz Sextet, Lluis Coloma who were invited back by popular demand, Dirty Dozen Brass Band from new Orleans, Habana Sax from Cuba, KCP4 from India and Germany, George Washing machine Quartet and Orak Naa Naa. In 2008 I was to cover the event as media for Breeze magazine, this was quite exciting as I’d watched the festival in 2006, performed in 2007 and was going to write about the the festival in 2008.
I decided I wanted to make my piece different and from a musicians point of view. So that’s what I did in my write talking in general musicianship terms.
In 2008 Habana Sax were invited back by popular demand and new groups to perform in 2008 included Charmaine Clamour from Philippines, Rumba Calzada from Canada, Mood Indigo from the UK, Diamond Dave and the Doodaddies from Australia, Borneo Jazz Quartet from Sarawak, Amar Sundy from Algeria, OMA Sound from Japan and T`inventielke from Holland. In 2009 I was invited once again as a music journalist and by this time I already knew all the committee and media partners from previous years very well so it became of friends from year to year.
In 2009 we were treated by stunning performance by Double Take for Sabah, Bombay Baja Brass Band from The UK, John Kaizan Neptune’s Steps in Time, Alamode from Australia, Dites 34 from France, Jeff Maluleke from South Africa, Back by Popular demand 2008 Rhumba Calzada from Canada and Thompson Big band from Singapore.
What does 2010 have in store for us? Well you`ll need to be there to witness that yourself. The Line up looks just as exciting as previous years and includes from the USA, Grammy award winner Blues Legend James Cotton, Pianist Composer Band Leader Amina Figarova Sextet from USA, Violinist Ricardo Herz, Mellow Motif from Thailand, Michael Shrieve`s Spellbinder from the USA, Simakdialog from Indonesia, Norbert Susemihl`s New Orleans All Stars from USA, Germany and Denmark and Jeremy Torjman from Switzerland.
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