More JazzIt's some weekend ahead for Jakarta's jazz fans.
Tonight (Thursday) there's a two hour free gig by two of Indonesia's top guitarists, the ubiquitous Tohpati and Dewa Budjana. It's at the porch of Bentara Budaya, 17 Jalan Palmerah Selatan, Gelora, starting at 7.30pm.
I'd never heard of it but, hey,
this description is enticing.
Gramedia publishing group shifted this spectacular royalty house from Kudus, Central Java, and in 1982 converted it into a cultural center. The art collection within showcases Balinese and modern paintings, ceramics, statues, sculptures and antique furniture. The traditional wooden structure, one of two remaining well-preserved Kudus houses, is in itself an excellent work of art. Purchased from the Furqon family, it was constructed in the early 20th century and is divided into three sections: Jogo Satra (guest chamber), Gedongan (sacred family chamber, in which treasures are placed) and Pawon (kitchen, sitting room and sleeping chamber). Admission is free.In a forthcoming interview on
Jazzuality.com, Leonardo Pavkovic of
MoonJune Records in New York has the following to say of Tohpati.
He is an outstanding guitarist who is still to give his best. Soundwise he is now more on his own than any other Indonesian guitarist I’ve heard so far, and I would like to hear him soon with a solo album that caters to a totally different crowd from the one he normally caters to. In
Culture Shock-Jakarta, he said of Dewa that he is
an amazing guitarist who made a great record featuring Dave Carpenter and Peter Erskine (drummer with Weather Report). The music was played and performed brilliantly, with great compositions, but the sound is a bit too 'American'. Too polite. I wish he could do more 'unpolite' music, but he has a great career with Gigi and makes money.Fans of the duo are in for a treat and will get there early as space is limited.
Tomorrow, Riza Arshad, keyboardist and leader of
simakDialog, is co-hosting a gig with Dewa, Sandy Winarta (drums) and Bintang Indrianto (bass) at Gedung Kesenian in Pasar Baru. This starts at 8pm and tickets on the door are just Rp.50,000 and Rp.75,000.
According to an advertorial in the Post, their music will be "fusion with a semi-fuzzy theme of crossover jazz", whatever that is.
Of Riza, Leonardo, who is releasing simakDialog's latest album
Demi Masa next month, says that
he is definitely the greatest musician I have discovered in Indonesia and I know the best of him is still to come. He's an amazing pianist with a great touch and ECM sensibility. If you're a night owl, you might want to stay on for an 'after concert special' at 11pm with the Barry Likumahuwa Project of whom I know nothing.
Anyway, I expect I'll already be wending my way home.
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