Nius 1st International Bangkok Jazz Festival will feature a dozen artists over the two evenings. Highlights include:
Gwilym Simcock: Pianist Gwilym Simcock made a name for himself in Bill Bruford's Earthworks and Malcolm Creese's Acoustic Triangle. His debut recording Perception (Basho Records, 2007) heralded the arrival of an important new voice on the jazz scene and no less an authority than Chick Corea has described him as a musical genius. Performing here in a trio format, this is a special opportunity to see a pianist whose talent is already being compared to that of Keith Jarrett and Brad Mehldau.
Phil Wiggins and Corey Harris: Harmonica ace Wiggins and guitarist/singer Corey are steeped in the blues. Wiggins partnered fellow Washingtonian, guitar picker John D. Cephas for thirty two years. Together they made a string of critically acclaimed albums in the Piedmont (or East Coast) style blues, which borrows from ragtime. The African-American story has always been at the heart of Corey's music. Informed by the Delta blues, Corey's journeys to Cameroon, Ethiopia and Mali have colored his music greatly. Acoustic roots music pure and simple.
James Carter: Saxophonist James Carter was something of a sensation when he arrived on the New York scene in the mid eighties. At seventeen he was playing in Wynton Marsalis' band and, shortly after, with Lester Bowie. Carter is a multi-reed instrumentalist, playing flute, clarinet and unusually, the whole range of saxophones from baritone to alto. He was voted best baritone saxophonist by Down Beat three years in a row. An extraordinary virtuoso, and quite exhilarating to watch, Carter appears at the festival in an organ trio format. Swinging groves, hard blowing!
Chris Potter: Chicago-born Potter has been described as the best saxophonist of his generation, and has been a key member of jazz legend Dave Holland's bands for a decade. Drawing inspiration from the greats like Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, Potter has adopted his own style, using a more modern harmonic approach and using a vocabulary drawing from a wide range of musical sources. His Underground band, with whom he appears at the festival, has received glowing reviews from the worlds jazz press. Electric-groove jazz at its very best.
Eden Brent: Hailing from Greenville, Mississippi, pianist and singer Eden Brent is a throwback to the Delta blues of Bessie Smith, and she has the voice to match! For sixteen years she toured with blues pianist Abie Boogaloo Ames, learning her craft on the road. Her two-handed barrelhouse and boogie-woogie piano playing is thrilling to watch. She was awarded Acoustic Artist of the Year and Acoustic Album of the Year at the 2009 Blues Music Awards.
Richard Bonna: Cameroonian bass player/singer Richard Bonna is one of the most technically gifted bassists of his generation, and a natural heir to Jaco Pastorius little wonder Pat Metheny recruited Bonna for his 2002 world tour. His music defies easy categorization, but expect some seriously funky rhythms and soulful, danceable vibes from this monster of the bass guitar.
The full line-up for Nius 1st International Jazz Festival is:
Friday the 11th: Koh Mr. Saxman; Phil Wiggins and Corey Harris; The Gwilym Simcock Trio; James Carter.
Saturday the 12th: Francois Lindemann, Eden Bent, Chris Potter, Richard Bonna.
Tickets for the Nius 1st International Bangkok Jazz Festival are available through ThaiTicketMajor and their associated outlets, or by contacting Nius on Silom Jazz Club & Wine Bar on 02-2665333 or at [email protected]. Tickets are 3500 THB for one night, or 6000 THB for a two-night pass. Doors open at 5pm, show starts 6.30pm.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
