All jazz aficionados should mark their calendar and make themselves available next weekend as a world-class jazz music fiesta will return to the famous beach resort town of Hua Hin.
Kicking off on Fri, June 18, the "Hua Hin Jazz Festival 2010 Presented by PTT" will feature over 30 world-class international artists who will take turns to perform on two beachfront stages daily from 5pm-midnight until June 20.
Back for the ninth consecutive year, the festival is running under the "Jazz for the King" concept to honour the world-renowned musical talents of HM King Bhumibol.
Opening the festival will be a performance by Thailand All Stars Big Band featuring Kob Saowanit, Pongprom Sanitwongse na Ayudhya, Jirapan Angsawanont and Surasee Itthikul.
They will perform some of the King's compositions on the Main Stage which is in front of InterContinental Hotel Hua Hin. The audiences can also learn more about his jazz talents in an exhibition nearby.
Performing on this stage will be world famous local and international jazz musicians, including saxophonist Eric Marienthal and his friends - keyboardist Jeff Lorber, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Joel Taylor. The foursome will unite to give a 90-minute concert under the name of Contemporary Jazz Super Band for the first time on the opening night from 8:30-10pm.
The Beach Stage is located at the same spot as in previous years - in front of Centara Grand Hua Hin (former Sofitel). However, the festival will run for only two nights, on June 18-19, on this stage.
Promising to be greater than ever this year, the festival will treat the audience to scores of jazz numbers by famous acts like Incognito from the UK, Lee Ritenour and Jack Lee Asianergy from the USA, Hye Mi - a new star from Korea, Noon - a sweet-voiced bossa nova songstress from Japan and Brass Munkeys from the Philippines. This is a return for the latter two groups, who also played here last year.
Thai fans recently experienced acid jazz, jazz funk, soul jazz, nu-jazz and pop by Incognito, who were among the top five acts performing during the "Singha Frappe Music Fiesto" last April, while Eric Marienthal came to present fusion jazz in the Kingdom late last year.
This is also a great chance to get up close with Lee Ritenour - aka Captain Fingers - who was last seen on the Thai jazz scene three years ago. Lee is considered to be a pioneer in the smooth jazz and jazz-funk genres.
Among the leading Thai jazz artists to take to the stages are ETC, Thanachai 'Pod' Uchin, The Infinity, 4Gzm, The Marshmallows Band, 25 Hours, Ganesha, Jazz Dojo, Denny & Friends, Pomelo Thai, Crescendo, T-Morrow, Nueng Jakkawal, Singto Numchok and Pawarate 'Jeep' Ridee.
Besides the jazz performance each night, there will also be some constructive activities for all visitors such as garbage collecting around the beach and a workshop on four different topics by four international artists - Lee, Incognito, Noon and Brass Munkeys.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/entertainmen ... -the-beach
