studnitzky trio at german ambassador’s house

(photos courtesy of Dr.Tee Tuan Poy) The Studnitzky trio were on their way to Penang for the jazz festival. I’m so glad that Dr.Wolf from Goethe managed to catch them for a short performance at Dr.Gruber’s residence. From the left is Sebastian Studnitzky(trumpet, piano), Paul Kleber(double bass), Sebastian Merk (percussion) and Dr.Gruber. Studnitzky is also supposed to play his synthesiser but not this time.  Just google STUDNITZKY TRIO live @ Jazzfest Berlin 2009, some of the music they played are on youtube.

Jazz music is very unique in the sense that it has the element of improvisation and play incorporated in the music. That’s why this music is really meant to be played live. I like the informal setting of a jazz performance in contrast to the concert with composer strict score to follow, and where total silence is required. Jazz works even with noisy ambient. The music embraces the surrounding rather than rejecting it. The interesting thing about ‘play’ and improvisation in music is that this form of play is only achievable with experience and expertise. It is not the kind of ‘play’ as what children do. I don’t think there is a formal training course that can prepare you to be a jazz musician much like a classical piano player. It is a combination of work and play that makes it happen. I suddenly realise what it is all about! Watching the musicians passing glances among themselves, this is a case of making musical instruments talking to each other. It is a form of conversation. May be that’s what makes it so exciting. It is honest and natural.

I’m far from being a good judge of jazz music. Still, what’s important is that I enjoyed it very much. Considering jazz music has its origin in America in the early 20th century and that Germany probably only started the tradition post world war 2, and today, I see german musicians performing jazz music as proudly as it would have been their own music. Of course, where is the origin has nothing to do with it. It is all about being good at it. It is the music that counts. Still, coming back to malaysia, can the arts ever become universal? Every form of arts are labeled: western, eastern, chinese, malay, indian, etc. What’s the point? To me, I just want to enjoy it as it is.

STUDNITZKY TRIO live @ Jazzfest Berlin 2009

pianoboy-105days

I was following the traces of cat photography as usual and stumbled into this lovely blog: http://www.wretch.cc/blog/darker0217/ by a young graduate in photography. I was not particularly taken by the music playing at the site at first. Personally I’m not a fan of any site with music since I just think they hogged up the already limited available bandwidth. Then a few clicks here and there and I discovered the piano music was the creation of another talented young musician calling himself pianoboy. http://www.wretch.cc/blog/pianoboy/15303404. He has only 5 or 6 songs in his first demo cd album. All are wonderfully addictive. I wish photographs can be as emotionally enticing and pleasurable to listen(or behold).