Penang Island Jazz Festival

Penang island jazz festival is here again and it was mind blowing. As usual it was a two day event in Bayview Beach Resort. We went on a Saturday night which was the first night and this time around this jazzy festival was somehow an improved version of last year – from the wine selections, souvenirs and most of all the weather condition (it fucking rained last year).

We went a bit late because were stuck in the immovable traffic, stopped by to get burgers and the guys insisted to get our beers from this Indian shop on the way up as well. This is where we get our mouth-watering, lip smacking beef burger wrapped with egg and cheese, nicely topped with fried almost caramelized onions from:

By the time we reached Bayview Beach Resort, it was close to 8.30 just in time for Nah Youn Sun a Korean chic that has an exquisite connection to all her jazz numbers– her voice was unreservedly beautiful and I have to admit it was really amazingly impressive. I couldn’t get a good picture of her because I was feeding myself with the burger along with the snifter we smuggled in. But when she jazzed on 'Besame Mucho' I was upbeat-engrossed with that jazzy moment as her version of 'Besame Mucho' was unbelievably full of raw emotions and it makes you develop this deep and personal sensation within yourself on that number. Absorbing to her music was so easy that I was not aware of my idyllic surroundings until the jazz lovers asked more and Trevor was saying something which sounded distant if I was not wrong, it went like this:

Trevor: Am chilling now with the sea breeze and the jazz beats
Christine: The overcrowded typical tourist….
John: I didn’t know they are really good

True to the point, the environment was faultless – we were sitting on Christine’s mat under the stars, un-dehydrate ourselves with the surprisingly still chilled Indian beer. But that was just the beginning, because you will automatically activate the jazz in you get once you get to know this next performers all the way from China – the Possicobilities.

The Possicobilities did the impossible, they did a contemporary east meets west jazz mixed that Christine agreed it was cibaily romantic. Jiwang to the max that this time I managed to get a closer shot of them. Coco Zhao the lead vocalist passionately did his remix of English and Mandarin lyrics on this 'Ru Guo Mei You Ni' translate to English 'If I don’t Have You' – it was all-familiar exotic mix but then again depending on which part of the world you’re engaged into – it works together so beautifully that one can only wonder if this young talent has hypnotized the audience completely. Coco Zhao you might have a name of a transvestite from my humble opinion but you fucking nailed it. Scully boy muttered, “ Ku Ku Jiao” honestly bro – that’s the most pathetic swear word that it doesn’t sound illicit at all.

Coco Zhao is the one in white top with fisherman's pants.

The jazz night ended off with the widely recognized Thailand’s top jazz/soul/funk/R&B attire, the Bangkok Connection. The name of the band itself sounds like it consist of notorious Thai mafias ain’t it? Bangkok Connection is one of my favourite bands of all time. They were so darn good that our local Off the Edge Magazine featured them once. I couldn't get off my eyes from the two brothers playing the saxaphone, sounds cheesy just the way I like it.

Towards the end of the night they did a bit of pop as well which is very typical of Thai – most of the time they do not like to be in ‘the creative room’ avoiding a touch of which I discreetly hoping they would come up with something Thai - you know with their own local influence that will be explosive.

Bangkok Connection was still playing when I took a picture of Trevor, Scully boy and Christine

The jazz night ended insanely well when they cleverly did ‘I Feel good’ track with a hint of jazz tempo. Dear blog, I couldn’t ask or more that night.