In last November we started running our jazz community event in TP STAGE, the cozy, luxurious jazz club of the 5-star hotel, The Papandayan Bandung. We still carry similiar concept, only this time we want to bring the young musicians to feel how it’s like to play in a jazz club in a hope that they can grow faster by gaining that kind of experience. We also welcome the established musicians, seniors and also legends who are willing to join the party, promoting those who are making a single, album or reunion, and suiting the program with special days. We named it JAZZUALITY @ TP.
After reaching the 7th edition, the Papandayan paused this event due to the fasting month and also for evaluating it. Now it’s offical that Jazzuality @ TP is back again starting this month.The date is set. The Jazzuality @ TP .08 is coming soon on Sunday, 19 August 2018, starting from 7:00 pm onwards. As usual, there’s no cover charge or entrance fee. You can just come and enjoy the performances while having tasty food and beverages courtesy of the Papandayan.
For this first return, we have prepared all young musicians who have taken the next step by having their own songs. None of them have the same style, yet all of them are great. Time to get closer with the lineup.
Let’s start with a young girl who just reached 18 years old, NAYRA DHARMA. She started actually not that long ago, just around 3 years or so, but she now stands as one of the major forces in jazz from the young generation, mainly because she is persistent and serious in practicing, which could take 8 hours a day and 7 days a week, also since she inherits the DNA of her father, legendary bassist, maestro Pra Budidharma, the co-founder of supergroup Krakatau. We have put her under the spotlight soon after she started her career as a singing guitarist and soon after she graced our stages quite often.
We once mentioned her development as Nayravolution due to the quick growth and movement, from solo to duo, trio (including using Sundanese kendang instead of drum in her band), not to mention series of jam session with artsists much older than her. She is a technical player, she digs Joe Pass’ way of playing and still able to sing at the same time. Amazing, but for us she was born to Bossa, because when she plays/sings Bossa, it feels so real and magical as if she is Brazilian who has been doing it for decades.
Just last month she finally launched her first-ever single titled “In A Blur”. This song is built in Bossanova, but still has tight jazz progressions but not difficult at all to digest even to the non-jazz listeners. Speaking of the lyrics, it gives a portrait of her struggle as a teenager that is taking a step into maturity.
She told us that she heard some chord progressions when watching a movie and then took her guitar to build something out of it. Soon after that she was done with the melody. As for the lyrics, it came one cold, windy, rainy night. The wind breezed trough the trees out in the dark, and there she sat inside her bedroom. While some of her friends have decided where to continue their study or what to do next in their lives, she didn’t know where to go. She poured her heart by writing a poem, using the third person angle in it to represent what she felt.
“Imagine yourself driving in a dark, eerie highway with cliff, pine trees and canyon late at night. You don’t know where the road leads you to, you can’t go back, yet you have to keep driving towards destination unknown. All seems blur. The unsure, uncertainty, confuse, maybe even sad, all mixed up in your heart.” she said. But what’s inspiring is she didn’t end the lyric with frustation, instead she shows that above all the problems and uncertainty in life, there’s always hope.
If you listen to the song, you will catch strong emotion of a teenager who was facing a crossroad. When she wrote about hope, she didn’t just make it but she naturally felt that. Now she doesn’t feel blur anymore. She knows where to go and what to do. We say she cleared her mind and heart from all worries by writing the poem/lyrics, and because of that she could decide what’s best for her according to her calling.
This lovely Bossa song was produced by Prasadjazz, the label owns by her father that has been running for more than a decade. With this label Pra Budidharma aims to support young musicians who hold interest in jazz. Pra told us that one day Nayra came to him with this song, and he was surprised, because the song was already complete. “Usually she came only with the melody, but this time it’s all done, nicely done.” he chuckled.
For this gig promoting her new single, she will be accompanied by her compatriote from the trio, someone who has been standing beside her all along, the keys genius Jason Limanjaya. Other than establishing his trio and currently riding a successful career with his badass band New Blood, Jason has been supporting Nayra’s career until now. Just two of them could make you forget the need of a band for a good show.
“In A Blur” gives a sweet tribute to the classic Bossa Nova fashion, it’s so classic that you would believe that it was written by Jobim back then in the late 60’s or early 70’s. We are proud to see how she transforms up to this point. We have introduced her in the beginning, of course we have to keep updated with any move she makes in any of our event. NAYRA DHARMA ft JASON LIMANJAYA: “IN A BLUR” single promo is here, do support and enjoy her song by coming to this edition.
Next is a gifted boy, still 14 years of age. He began his career a few years back in a famous talent search competition, the Indonesian Idol Junior. There he ended up as the big 10. He didn’t win, but that doesn’t mean that he’s less good than the winner. When we met him earlier this year, he told us that he’s been into jazz but he didn’t get the chance to show it during the competition. As now he’s free from the contract, he happily takes the chance to (re)build his career in jazz. We have presented him twice in our other events, anyone who saw his appearance would agree that jazz is indeed a perfect habitat for him. He is Akbar Herliansyah, better known as AKBAR IDOL JUNIOR.
It’s not easy for a boy his age to keep standing as a singer because he has to face the vocal tone change once he begins to undergo puberty. During this period usually the voice range of a boy gets shorter as the voice drops. But Akbar amazingly able to keep going. “I don’t want to force it because it would harm my voice. I just have to keep practicing by accepting the circumstances.” he says. Realizing his current vocal range makes him know what song to pick and how to cook it. So far he’s doing great with it. Another good thing is, when most of the boys are having difficult times during the puberty, Akbar doesn’t seem to have that problem. He has a charming, charismatic appearance that works like a magnet. His coolness can attract passers-by from a far instantly.
Just last month we helped promoting his first-ever jazz-based single “Cinta Membuatku Bahagia” in our other event. This song was made in groovy Pop Jazz that it would surely be an instant hit in the ideal world of music industry. So, after he entered jazz a couple of months ago, he now already has a single. That’s a fast move showing how serious and talented he really is.
For this event he will perform alongside his reliable fellas inside a solid band consisting of Rivandi (drum), Rizal Zachri (keys), Rimba (bass) and Rommy Hendrawan (guitar) . TP Stage is not a new place to him since he has joined our jam session before and also featured in Mat Bitel’s concert.
We have promised him to let him taste the magic of this jazz club once this event runs again, and now we keep our promise. Once a Big 10 of Indonesian Idol Junior 2017, now he emerges as a young jazz singer that one day will become a top star. Do come and see how perfect jazz is as his habitat to grow and fulfill his dream.
From guitarist to singer, let’s now move to a bassist. This young man has a clear vision of him becoming a successful bassist one day, but just like others who starts their career from a sratch, struggle is something that he has to face. It’s not easy, it’s never easy. Especially if you had to do it all by yourself.
When chance brought him to us, at that time as a member of Fine Taste and then supporting his friend, we came to see this man is driven by passion. He’s a good player and he is serious. Therefore we urged him to establish his own band, which he did right away. Having lots of friends who have good skills and willing to support him made him able to do so. After performing several times for us, it’s time to bring him into the TP Stage, so he can experience how it is playing in a jazz club with high-end equipments, top notch acoustic and good quality instruments. Oh yeah, he is Joe Bastian, and his band is simply named after his, JOE PROJECT.
He is into fusion, being inspired by Snarky Puppy, a band which is also led by a bassist. Jazz Fusion is his thing, but based on his several performances, he also embraces RnB, Soul and Pop Jazz, also Bossa. The last time he played for us, he featured Nayra Dharma as they gave tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim.
We still don’t know what he will bring for his first landing on TP Stage, hopefully he will bring one of his original compositions, so people will see his ability in writing songs too instead of just existed as a bassist/musician and band leader. For this gig he brings 3 more friends: M Rizqi Pratama (guitar), Nicodemus Horisson (keyboard), Erchy Tarnanto (drum) and the Big 7 of the singing contest reality television show Mamamia, Agnes Olivia Gunawan. We know these are good players, so we dare to expect something special this time from Joe Project.
Once again this JAZZUALITY @ TP .08 is coming soon on Sunday, 19 August 2018, starting from 7:00 pm onwards at the TP STAGE, The Papandayan Hotel. This event is FREE of charge and open for public. If you want to see jazz alive in Indonesia, do support the local community near you. If you are in Bandung, we invite you to come. Other than you get entertained by several bands carrying different sides of jazz, you will play a big part in the future of jazz in Indonesia. Mark your calendar, hope to see you there.
JAZZUALITY @ TP .08
Date: Sunday, 19 August 2018
Time: 07:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Location: TP Stage, The Papandayan Hotel
Jl. Gatot Subroto no. 83 Bandung
FREE EVENT!
Featuring:
:: NAYRA DHARMA ft JASON LIMANJAYA: IN A BLUR ::
Nayra Dharma – guitar/vocal
Jason Limanjaya – keys/guitar
:: AKBAR IDOL JUNIOR ::
Akbar Herliansyah – vocal
Rommy Hendrawan – guitar
Rimba – bass
Rizal Zachri – keys
Rivandi – drum
:: JOE PROJECT ::
Joe Bastian – bass
M Rizqi Pratama – guitar
Nicodemus Horisson – keys
Erchy Tarnanto – drum
Agnes Olivia Gunawan – vocal