Hello my Jazz Friends and the rest of the good people in the world!
I'm posting up to slam dunk the news of KL Jazz Festival on Saturday, September 14. The Christy Smith Quartet will perform: featuring Kerong Chok(piano), Shawn Letts(tenor saxophone) and Erik Hargrove(drums). This will be a magnificent musical day in Malaysia.
Our group will perform contemporary originals from Kerong and myself, and some standards that I will sing. Yup! Gonna do it! The songs were chosen for this occasion primarily to feature the brilliant soloists in the group. As some of you know, the festival was postponed on April 2and 29 to this very day of September 14 due to elections. Although, there was a performance by many artists on April 30, International Jazz Day.
It was an honor to open with a speech on the significance of International Jazz Day. "We are a part of which we know promotes peace in the soul of humanity." I'd like to keep that in mind, heart and soul when we perform and celebrate the music we play that day (Sept. 14).
As I represent my hometown of Compton, greater Los Angeles, Southern California, Singapore and the rest of the world, I'm dedicating the performance to Mulgrew Miller, George Duke, Cedar Walton and Marian McPartland who have recently transitioned to ancestry. No doubt, some form of musical expression shall come out from acknowledging their legacy and gift to this world.
Now, the main impetus for our performance in KL Jazz Fest 2013 is to share, connect and enjoy with the audience and partipants, celebrating life as we know it. YOU DIG? Hope to see you or feel you in spirit. Peace, love and music.
Note: Also, Christy has the opportunity to perform with saxophonist Jessy J from LA and singer Todd Gordon.
