Play it again Louis

I'm not a musician and neither can I ever fathom the magnitude of its magnificense or speak withan air of authority. I have been told that I can't hold a key and I really can't tell if themusic was played in the key of A or a C. What is a pitch, timbre and tone would require me to looked in wikipedia and pretend I know something....

But that won't stop me from enjoying or appreciating good music as how a highly acclaimed movie critic would see and criticise a show but not know how difficult it is to produce CGI for any movie, which they have the authority to say it doesn't meet their standards....

20 years and counting would be my exposure to jazz and it was 1991 when I was first exposed to the CD player and my dad got us our very first Kenny G album. Oh yes... Mr Maggi Mee head was more popular than David Beckham and along with Michael Bolton and Andre Agassi of their era, they swoon ladies across the globe with their respective skills and locks. Kenny was a phenomenon of the 90's where it started a mini Jazz revolution in a previously poorly exposed part of the world.

By 1996 with the birth of more affordable internet in the country, I begin to explore Jazz in other forms and realise it was not just Kenny G and that he was more of a pop jazz genre. At that point of time, along with my best friend, we'd blast Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Chet Baker, etc along with a dose of Beatles in his VW Beetle, which is amazingly sound proofed. It was required as people were generally of poor acceptance to Jazz and only the music and classical music group of people were exposed to it. Back then it was the birth of alternative, rock, top 40 pop...

Fast forward to today...and Jazz is not equated as a more elitist form of enjoyment. The cultured would listen and enjoy jazz. Jazz clubs are sprouting. Guys with a trumpet or saxophone are sexy. Oh and the crowds are generally less rowdy.

I had the opportunity to attend a few of these jazz club gigs and I must say I was fairly impressed with the more established names. Open mic is another avenue which I found it to be very refreshing and to see all walks of life, age, gender and race come together and perform on stage in front of an open audience surely defines how music can bring people together and there's no need to spend millions in campaign over a 1Malaysia concept while politicising racial issues just around the corner.

Though it would have been easy to criticise, but I believe this are steps towards improving the awareness, exposure and participation of both musicians and audiences alike. Perhaps someday I'll beable to see true open mic fluidity of jazz musicians where random people come together and jam....no notes....no stand....no prep.... Just good old jazz.

Btw...whatever happened to Carl's Jazz on radio....i love that segment...... Would have love to host it too ;)

Signing off with a real classic. Peace.