Mezzoforte : From Strength to Strength

30 years on, Mezzoforte seem on a great roll. Still fresh-faced, creative and vibrant. After all they were only teenagers when they created Iceland´s first international chart-hit, GARDEN PARTY in 1983. This well crafted instrumental paved the way, allowing musical ideas to flow, develop and mature and making sure their over-night success should not be just a one-night stand. Their stamina and well balanced longevity reflects the name itself, Mezzoforte. Playing it strong without distorting. More like a CRESCENDO. A steadily growing, enhanced signal.

From strength to strength indeed well describes Mezzoforte´s continuing saga of success. With 40 countries already visited and 11 albums released, The year 2009 will see their 12th album followed by tours of the European and Asian continents as well as their brand new collection of works on DVD distributed worldwide. With original founders Eythor Gunnarsson on keyboards, Gulli Briem on drums and Johann Asmundsson on bass, the guitar chores are now amicably shared between Bruno Mueller and original guitarist Fridrik Karlsson. Other teammates include Reykjavik reed-man Oskar Gudjonsson, Sebastian Studnitzky on trumpet/keyboards and percussion-powerhouse Thomas Dyani.

This line - up recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of GARDEN PARTY with an open-air concert in the most appropriate Central Garden of Reykjavik, Hljómskalagardurinn. This concert gave a truly magnificent overview of Mezzoforte´s great body of work, starting with numbers from their self-titled debut in 1979, through albums such as SURPRISE, SURPRISE ! OBSERVATIONS, RISING, NO LIMITS, PLAYING FOR TIME , DAYBREAK, MONKEY FIELDS, FORWARD MOTION and finishing off with new compositions from their forthcoming release.

It was a grand GARDEN PARTY indeed, mirroring their own glorious musical history while marking a new exciting phase for this extraordinary group. While Mezzoforte is truly based on solid musical pillars, the group keeps refreshing and reinventing itself by constantly reveling in new concepts which typically lead to imaginative new global & musical adventures.

There is undoubtedly a lot to look forward to indeed for us MEZZOFORTE followers!

Jack White - Bachmann, Esq.

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Profile Indra Lesmana

He was introduced to jazz music by his father, Jack Lesmana, who is also a jazz musician. His musical career with keyboards instrument started at age 10. He first performed with his father in March 1976 in Bandung.

In 1978, he went to Australia with his father to perform at cultural event of the ASEAN Trade Fair. During the stay his father encouraged Indra to take a qualification test at the Conservatorium of Music. He passed the test and was accepted at the school.

Music Career
In 1981, both he and his father formed a band called Jack and Indra Lesmana Quartet with Jack Lesmana, Karim Suweileh and James Morrison. They took a recording session during their visit in Indonesia in the same year and dealt with Queen Record to release the record called “Children of Fantasy“.

When he returned to Australia, he formed a Latin jazz fusion band with Jack Lesmana, Steve Brien, Dale Barlow, Tony Thijssen and Harry Rivers called “Children of Fantasy“. The band visited Indonesia in August 1982 to work on their tours.

In 1982, Indra explored his fusion jazz styles of music and formed another band called Nebula with Steve Hunter, Andy Evans, Ken James, Vince Genova, Carlinhos Gonzalves. The band had recorded their session in No Standing that contained 4 compositions by Indra (No Standing, The First, Sleeping Beauty, ‘Tis time to part) and a Steve Hunter’s “Samba for ET“. The album released in Australia by Jasmine Records and also in Indonesia by Jackson Records.

In 1983, he joined Sandy Evans, Tony Buck and Steve Elphick to form a modern jazz band called “ Women and Children First “ and recorded their first album in 1983.

Zebra Records, an affiliate of MCA Records sent their interest to sign him as the solo artist and release the album “ No Standing “ as Indra Lesmana’ s solo album. The agreement met in 1984 and the album was remastered by Bernie Grundman before released in the US.

Indra moved to California, US in 1985 and did the recording with Vinnie Colaiuta, Michael Landau, Jimmy Haslip, Airto Moreira, Charlie Haden, Bobby Shew, Tooty Heath for his album called “ For Earth and Heaven “. The album released in 1986 and happened to be his second internationally distributed album.

His two albums “ No Standing “ and “ For Earth and Heaven “ appeared to be his highlight debut in USA. His singles “ No Standing “ ( from No Standing album ) and “ Stephanie “ ( from For Earth and Heaven album ) became the hits and entered the Billboard Charts for Jazz in US and number one in radio charts.

Besides his perform duties as an artist and record producer, Indra has deep interest in audio or sound recording technology. His album called Tragedi released in 1984 happened to be his first debut in becoming a sound designer. In 1998 Indra firstly produced the master quality sound of the Sabda Prana album by Java Jazz. In 1999 he decided to establish his independent mixing and mastering house specializing in jazz. He has personally mixed and mastered more than 20 albums of Indonesian distinguished artists, such as The Groove, Maliq & D'Essential, Andien, Donny Suhendra, Rika Roeslan, Delon, Simak Dialog, Chlorophyl, Dewa Budjana, Humania, Ermy Kulit and many more. He was also nominated for Best Mixing Engineer for album Rumah Ke Tujuh on AMI Awards 2003.

In 2000, his first single-instrumental jazz music video called Reborn was heavily aired on Indonesia's national television.

He formed his first 17-piece big band project in March 2002 in order to record his 17th solo album that also happened to be his first big band arrangement of original soundtrack album “ Rumah Ke Tujuh “ film produced by his sister, Mira Lesmana.

Discography
* 1978 Ayahku Sahabatku
* 1981 Children of Fantasy
* 1982 No Standing
* 1982 Nostalgia
* 1982 Latin Jazz Fusion (Special Edition)
* 1983 Women and Children First
* 1984 No Standing
* 1984 Tragedi
* 1984 Yang Pertama Yang Bahagia
* 1986 For Earth and Heaven
* 1986 Karina
* 1986 Gemilang
* 1986 Jack & Indra Lesmana Various
* 1987 La Samba Primadona
* 1987 Semakin Menawan
* 1988 Kau Datang
* 1988 Ekspresi
* 1989 Dunia Boleh Tertawa
* 1989 Titi DJ 1989
* 1990 Aku Ingin
* 1990 Adegan
* 1992 Cerita Lalu
* 1992 Selangkah Di Depan
* 1992 Hanya Untukmu
* 1993 Biarkan Aku Kembali
* 1994 Tiada Kata
* 1994 Waktu Berjalan
* 1994 Keharidan
* 1994 Bulan Di Atas Asia
* 1994 Ayah
* 1995 Kabut Di Kaki Langit
* 1996 Jalan Yang Hilang
* 1996 Romantic Piano
* 1996 Jalan Hidupmu
* 1996 Menari-Nari
* 1997 Lost Forest
* 1997 Selamat Tinggal
* 1998 Kedua
* 1998 Sabda Prana
* 1999 Saat Yang Terindah
* 2000 Interaski
* 2000 Reborn
* 2001 The Birds
* 2002 Kinanti
* 2002 Rumah Ke Tujuh OST
* 2003 Gelatik
* 2005 Silver
* 2007 Kayon - Tree of life
* 2009 Kembali Satu
* 2009 Joy Joy Joy

Awards
* Best Jazz/Pop Keyboards Instrumentalist - Gadis [1989]
* Best Pop Selling Album : “Aku Ingin“ - BASF Awards [1990]
* Diamond Achievement Awards - De Beers Diamond [1995]
* Best Jazz/Fusion Album – producer : “ Ermi Kullit - Saat Yang Terindah “ - 4th AMI Awards [2000]
* Best Jazz Vocalist - News Music Awards [2001]
* Best Keyboardist - News Music Awards [2001]
* Best Instrumental Song : “ Reborn “ - 5th AMI Awards [2001]
* Best Jazz/Contemporary Jazz Album – producer : “ Andien - Kinanti “ - 6th AMI Awards [2002]
* Best Score/Soundtrack : “ Rumah Ke Tujuh “- Festival Film Bandung [2003]
* Best Jazz/Contemporary Jazz Artist - 7th AMI Awards [2003]
* Best Jazz Song : “Mimpi & Rumah ke Tujuh“ - 7th AMI Awards [2003]
* Best Jazz Arranger : “Mimpi & Rumah ke Tujuh“ - 7th AMI Awards [2003]
* Best Jazz Producer : “OST Rumah ke Tujuh“ - 7th AMI Awards [2003]
* Most Radical Musician : Nokia 7600 [2004]

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PIM Music Festival: Jazz & Rock Pray for Indonesia

The natural disasters have destroyed several parts of Indonesia lately. Starting with the earthquake in Mentawai Islands followed by tsunami that killed hundreds of people and left thousands in tears, Mount Merapi volcano erupted the next day in Central Java and again destroyed the lives of many people. clouds of searing gas and hot ash ran down from the mountain torching people to death. Some were badly injured, houses and cattles were burned. More than ever, these victims need our help immidiately, as thousands of them now have moved to live in tends with very limited access to sanitation, medicine, clothes or even food.

We have to move fast. There are thousands of them who are now struggling for their lives. It’s time to show how much we care to the victims with everything we could. There are some places around Indonesia started to make a charity concerts to ease their suffers and pains. Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra province is now joining in with a concert of PIM Music Festival: Jazz & Rock Pray For Indonesia.

PIM Music Festival: Jazz & Rock Pray For Indonesia is a charity program to help the victims of Mentawai, Mt Merapi and Wasior presented by Palembang Jazz Community, Trijaya 87.6 FM Radio and PIM-Palembang Indah Mall. The jazz and rock artists are ready to participate for this. The complete band instruments and sound system are provided by Bank Sumsel Babel. It’s time for us to give our support.

As a part of the agenda of socializing jazz in South Sumatra especially in Palembang and to raise the skill of Palembang’s native musicians, this program will also held a clinic music with some clinicians/musicians from Jakarta. Due to the tragedy that tore several parts of Indonesia recently, the event will also made as a fundraising program. We invite all the jazz and rock lovers who reside in Palembang to donate and contribute. All the funds will be sent to the victims of Wasior, Mentawai and Mt Merapi.

According to the organizer, the show will be divided in 3 segments: clinic music, local band and live guest+jam session. For the first day of the event, Thursday, November 18, 2010, Barry Likumahuwa Project ft Benny Likumahuwa will perform right after they host the clinic. And in the last day, November 20, 2010, Idang Rasjidi Syndicate will have their turn.

Here are the details:

Thursday, 18 November 2010
15.00 – 17.00 CLINIC MUSIC (BENNY & BARRY LIKUMAHUWA)
17.00 – 20.00 LOCAL BAND (PRISKILA,CELESTE VOICE,NINETYNINE)
20.00 – 21.30 BLP – BARRY LIKUMAHUWA PROJECT feat BENNY LIKUMAHUWA
21.30 – 22.00 JAM SESSION

Friday, 19 November 2010
15.00 – 17.00 CLINIC MUSIC (PALEMBANG JAZZ COMMUNITY)
17.00 – 20.00 LOCAL BAND (TENOR,NOTAKUS,JAZZIER)
20.00 – 21.30 PAL JAZZ COM BAND
21.30 – 22.00 JAM SESSION

Saturday, 20 November 2010
15.00 – 17.00 CLINIC MUSIC ( IDANG RASJIDI )
17.00 – 20.00 LOCAL BAND ( BIOLA 3,COPAS,AYU )
20.00 – 21.30 IDANG RASJIDI SYNDICATE
21.30 – 22.00 JAM SESSION

Location: PALEMBANG INDAH MALL (PIM)

It’s FREE OF CHARGE. Join us, enjoy the show and let’s help our brothers and sisters who are now suffering from the tragedy.

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Jazz Gunung 2010, Bromo, Indonesia

Gunung is not the name of the town which hosts Jazz Gunung; in Bahasa—the predominant language of Indonesia—it means mountain. Mountain Jazz is as good a name as any given that this one-day festival is staged among the swirling clouds, some two thousand meters above sea level in the East Java town of Wonotoro. It's a three-hour drive from the nearest airport of Surabaya and the contrast between sprawling conurbation with its teeming roads—chaotic yet curiously functional—and the bucolic idyll of the high mountain pass where Jazz Gunung is staged couldn't be more pronounced.

Passing through town after town, the sight of tricycle rickshaws tenaciously negotiating the thick traffic serves as a symbol of the stubborn refusal of the past to cede to the roller coaster changes modern Indonesia is undergoing. However, the occasional crumbling façade of colonial Dutch architecture is reminder enough of the inevitable passing of all things, empires and tricycle taxis included.

The turn-off to Wonotoro and Jazz Gunung leaves the towns behind and soon bright green rice fields and tall walls of corn roll endlessly by. The narrow, rutted road winds its way up a valley, wildly lush and verdant. The Tengger inhabitants of the valley are Hindu—unlike the majority of lowland Javanese who follow Islam—and have the leathery color of the Nepalese or Tibetans.

The steep mountain sides are carefully sculpted into agricultural terraces, often at seemingly impossible angles of seventy five degrees. On the lower slopes and on the plains farmers toil in fields of mulberry, cabbage, lettuce and tomato which will end up in the markets of Jakarta, a five-hour drive away. It is odd to think that some of these farmers will later be performing in the jazz festival. In the villages women sell Edelweiss by the side of the road, and children on holiday from school fly red, yellow and blue kites which lift and dance easily in the mountain currents.

The valley is bursting at the seams with trees, coarse bushes, ferns and palms. Even the areas around the snug, brightly colored village houses are sewn with vegetables, or flowers such as rhododendrons or buttercups. The incredibly fertile soil of this area is due to the active volcano Bromo in the next valley, and for longer than anyone can remember it has spewed out smoke and ash into the air. Roughly every September during the Kasada festival the Tengger people climb to the rim of Bromo and throw offerings of flowers and live fowl to the God of Fire to ensure good fortune for the coming year. All in all, it is a strange yet undeniably stunning setting for a jazz festival.

The man behind Jazz Gunung is Sigit Pramono, a senior Indonesian banker, jazz lover and keen photographer. Pramono initiated a number of bank-funded infrastructure and economic programs in the area—a national park—which have directly benefited the lives of the Tengger people. At the same time Pramono has indulged his passion for photography and over the years he has published several books of his photographs of the volcano, the surrounding terrain and the local people, endearing himself to them in the process. In '07, during the sacred Kasada festival Pramono received the rare honor of being appointed as a senior, honorary citizen of the Tengger people.

By Ian Paterson

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Urban Jazz Crossover 2010 Is Coming

Dji Sam Soe Urban Jazz Crossover 2010 is coming! Following the huge success of two previous series, the third year edition is coming with many new innovations, ideas and lineups to talk about.

Dji Sam Soe Urban Jazz Crossover has emerged as one of the big and important annual events in Indonesia. The concept of finding the fine blend between jazz and other genres as far and as wide as you can imagine has proved to be able to reach the heart of listeners from various genres, including the youngsters. Urban Jazz Crossover can bring the whole new perception of jazz, letting them know that jazz can be suitable to them as well. Last year we covered Urban Jazz Crossover in 4 out of 5 cities: Medan, Bandung, Jakarta and Surabaya where we witnessed the amazing response by the audiences with our own eyes. Everything seems perfect about this event. The careful selection of artists from various genres, the amazing arrangements, the well prepared rundowns, the awesome 3D stage concept, lightings and so on. Let’s not forget that Urban Jazz Crossover has always been presented with many surprises. And what amaze us more is the very cheap ticket price. For an event as big as this, it makes us wonder how they could manage to deliver it with a very affordable price. You can also get the “buy 1 get 1” offer that will valid until the d-day. Satu Panggung (One Stage), Multi Genre is something we have to keep in mind when we talk about this event. A night of fusion tunes is what we’re going to get as the result. This is the event for the open minded music lovers, this is the event for everyone who are curious to see how jazz can amazingly fused in harmony with other genres. And just in case if you wonder, the event will still be held on 5 cities just like last year.

The lineups will be different too for Urban Jazz Crossover 2010. Some of the playing artists were presented at the conference. The living jazz legend Indra Lesmana who recently just started the Indonesia’s Jazz Movement through the shape of jam sessions, the R&B star Ello and the new sensation Sandhy Sondoro were there representing the other participating artists. Besides these three artists, there will be many other top class musicians/singers to perform. There will be the R&B diva Dewi Sandra, Kikan “Cokelat”, Ipang “BIP”, the great female violist Maylaffayza, DJ Cream (Reza Arnanda Putra), rapper Boogieman (Pradana Rizky), Yuyun and Drew. Last but not least, and here’s the big news: there will be another legend/music icon besides Indra Lesmana, he is the one and only ACHMAD ALBAR!

Dji Sam Soe Urban Jazz Crossover 2010 will come to 5 cities, starting with Medan, the capital of North Sumatra on April 30, 2010. After Medan they will land in Bandung (May 7, 2010), Semarang (May 21, 2010), Jakarta (June 11, 2010) and Surabaya (June 18, 2010). From our own experience, the last year’s set was so much more than expected, it was unbelievable, and we are sure this year it’s going to be even better. Make sure you won’t miss it! Come and witness the beauty of crossovers at the most nearest city from where you live.

Where and when:
Medan – April 30, 2010
JW Marriott Hotel

Bandung – May 7, 2010
Hilton Hotel

Semarang – May 21, 2010
Gumaya Tower Hotel

Jakarta – June 11, 2010
Ritz Carlton Pacific Place

Surabaya – June 18, 2010
Grand City Hotel

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