The JAMmers Are At It Again!

Yo JAM members and other Jazz Advos! Wassup?? After some weeks of quiet, the JAM committee is raring to bring y'all another rip-roaring event in November! Our 2nd JAM Event is slated for Sunday, the 4th at, where else? The Top Room. It will be an evening of JAZZ APPRECIATION together with JAM Pro-Tem Veep Michael Veerapen and the usual suspects which, I suspect, would include Julian & myself :) What da heck is Jazz Appreciation, you say? Well, it'll be kind of a JAZZ 101 approach where you'll learn about what jazz musos really do on stage. In point-form, here's what the main moderator, Michael Veerapen, has laid out for discussion/ presentation at the JAM event:

1. The Form. Nope. Not the 'Borang' as you Malaysians are accustomed to. Form as in... how to 'follow' what's going on especially during the solos.
2. The functions of the various instruments and how it comes together. I think that needs no explaining.
3. Trading 4's, 8's [not talking about the stock market here]. What he is referring to is open solos. OK. Still don't get it? Then all the more reason you need to be there!
4. Ending the piece....the tag ending, picking up on a rhythmic riff. Huh, you say? Even more reason to make it there that weekend!
5. Interpretation - setting the song to various rhythms, tempos, re-harmonisation. Ah... this should be interesting. How many times have you heard My Funny Valentine in how many diffferent versions & tempos? Same song, different feel. Get it?
6. Interplay - when musicians feed off each other. Yep! Jazz musos are a hungry lot. They're always eating. But they're also very generous cos they 'feed' one another, in musicspeak.
7. The blues - 12 bar blues form. Ok. For everyone's benefit, let's refer to this as 'Borang 12'.
8. Jazz etiquette - when to clap and when not to clap. This really ought to be an eye opener for many. Having had the unfortunate privilege of being on stage & observing the audience, I have witnessed quite a number of people, un-initiated in the seemingly intricate perception of this wonderful thing called jazz, jump up in their seats and eye-ball the flers at the next table who are applauding wildly after an exceptionally moving & goose-bump inducing solo [aka adlib].

So there you have it. This is what the next JAM event's gonna be about. If this sounds like fun, then call these nos. to book a place... Junji: 016 2254868; Julian: 012 2732378, Nissar: 012 217 1386, Albert: 017 3814493.

A special concession price of RM30 (inclusive of hi-tea and free-flow of coffee/tea) will be charged, with part of the proceeds going to the Association for the furtherance of our cause.

Hope to see you there!!!