The 18th Yamaha’s Hamamatsu Jazz Week and My Musical Taste

Yamaha music has known as one of leading musical instrument manufacturer around the world and as one of the biggest electronic manufacturer in Hamamatsu city, Yamaha hold an anniversary Jazz event in Hamamatsu that named Hamamatsu Jazz Week.

The Jazz performance has carry out in Hamamatsu city for 1 week in several stages including street stage like Zaza city and in front of Hamamatsu station’s north gate (gratis), at restaurant’s stage and Hamamatsu Act City’s concert hall (with ticket). Except Jazz performance, there are also Jazz coach clinic that invite several jazz professional artists. This year, the 18th Hamamatsu Jazz Week was held in 23rd – 31st May, 2009.

I grew up with influence of my father’s musical taste. He also introduced me and my younger brother how to play guitar and keyboard. My father was a small timer musician in our hometown Tanjung Pandan, Belitung by playing bass and mainly keyboard with his band Setia Nada (then later Billitonite 5). During my father's younger day when he was still living in Jogjakarta, he often to listen to Rock musician legend like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, etc and also Jazz performer like Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong until Chick Correa and Al Jarreau. Contradicted to me, cause I spent all my childhood days in a small island. My only musical resources was my parent's cassette collection. That's why I frequently listen to my mother’s Bee Gees and another Indonesian old song cassettes until I have no other cassette choice than my father’s collection.

P-pro band

At the first, I took Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple during my junior high school days and I love it at once. During that day, Guns and Roses and Bon Jovi became my friend’s rock band favorite and also Boys Band as well. Well…. I like some of them either, but nothing compared to Jimmy Page, Jon Lord, Freddy Mercury and their compatriot. Then, when I was in senior high school days I start to listen to my father’s Jazz collections. First time, it just like a lot of noise sounds in my ear especially the mainstream jazz standard. I wonder why my father loves them so much, even his friends who live in Jakarta sent him a lot of Jazz cassettes when he knew that my father likes Jazz a lot (like himself). Curiosity.... maybe that was the point. Gradually, my ear start to receive Fusion Jazz, Big Band and Latin Jazz that easier to listen. Now, I can even enjoy the Jazz mainstream genre. Off course, sometimes my friend saw me just like a strange boy who enjoy Jazz than another popular genre. When I was studying in university, my classmates sometimes ask me why I prefer the old crack rockers and Jazz. You know my answer.

Violet Brass Band

Fujimori Trio and Suzuki Mami

Back to the main topic, Hamamatsu Jazz Week. During my part-time job, there are some Jazz live performances like Big Band, quartet and trio jazz group in the restaurant that I work as waiter. But because I have to focus on my job, I couldn’t even enjoy their music. I couldn’t leave my experiment in my lab and part-time job, but luckily I got free time at this Sunday weekend at the end of Jazz Week day. So I went to the last performance that held at 2 different places. First, I went to concert hall in Act City building but a lady asked me the entrance ticket (3.000 ~ 8.000 yen) that I didn’t have. So, I went to the other stage at the north gate of train station. It was free, it was gratis! I spent my time enjoying Jazz from 12:00 until 5:00. There were 5 performers in that day and I saw full performance from 4 of them, not bad.