Musicians give Bali all that jazz

Musicians give Bali all that jazz

Bali hosted last weekend an international jazz festival to enhance the people's appreciation of this musical genre.

The event was jointly organized by the Jakarta Jazz Society, Metro TV and InterContinental Resort Bali, with support from the Bali Jazz Forum.

For two consecutive days, on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14, jazz music lovers were entertained by stunning performances by local and foreign jazz musicians from the Netherlands, Japan and the Philippines.

The Saskia Laroo Quartet from the Netherlands was one of the highlights of the festival. Dubbed the female "Miles Davis," Saskia collaborated with keyboardist Warren Gilbert Byrd and Michael Lamar Cannon.

Jazz musician from the Philippines Tots Tolentino also took part in the festival. He played with his group Buhay. Described as the most identifiable sax sound in the Philippines today, he continued to carve out a niche for himself in the Asian Jazz scene. He is a member of Terumasa Hino's All-Stars.

Japanese musician Yoshiko Kishino and her group also entertained the audience.

The two-day festival also presented famous Indonesian jazz group Krakatau, Idang Rasjidi & friends and veteran jazz pianist Bubi Chen.

For Bali, the jazz festival has certainly enriched the island. Well-known as traditional art center, Bali is expected to become one of the main venues for international jazz festivals in the future. The island will host a similar festival next year. --JP