All That Jazz

Most of you might have noticed that when I am asked the emblematic question "who's your favorite pianist" I always had difficulties in answering it. Naturally, the unmentioned word in that question is "classical" that comes before the word "pianist". Well, it's because I don't really have one, to tell you the truth. My idols are mostly jazz pianists, and even those who have passed away. I am a big fan of Art Tatum, Fats Waller, Chick Corea and Friedrich Gulda. The classical pianist whom I admire until now are even the not-so-common (or "classical") ones, such as Gulda as I mentioned, Glenn Gould, Andre Previn and Leonard Bernstein. I just can't mention the usual stereotypes of academic, "refined" classical pianists as my idol ... and of course it's my problem. There are of course incredibly brilliant ones, but I just don't listen to them anymore. Yeah I did when I was younger, but not now. ............................................................................................................................................. In Indonesia, classical pianists are a kind of new race that started to inhabit our country very recently. When I was small, of course there were classical pianists, but none that could impress me, or therefore any other people. Of course there was Yazeed Djamin (1951-2001) who studied in the US, who inspired me in many ways. He was by far the most charismatic, and most brilliant. The others who studied abroad were more dedicated to teaching, like our pioneer Mrs. Latifah Kodijat (born in 1928, she was perhaps the first piano teacher in Indonesia, if I may say so), Pujiwati Effendi, Trisutji Kamal (who composed much more than teaching, luckily, to be able to contribute to the repertoire of Indonesian classical music of that period that was really scarce) and my teachers Soetarno Soetikno, Rudy Laban and then the younger generations. ............................................................................................................................................. Therefore, the ones who really performed regularly during my childhood and teenage period were the jazz pianists. And among them, I put two of them on a high pedestal : Nick Mamahit and the younger Hendra Wijaya, this latter is more famous in his virtuosic ragtimes. I cherish those hours before I slept as a teenager listening to Hendra Wijaya playing Tiger Rag, Tico Tico etc with the Ireng Maulana All Stars. And Nick Mamahit was important for me coz it was from him that I listened to the Indonesian folk music, improvised in his characteristic jazz style. Who would imagine that ages later I would do the same with my Rapsodia Nusantara, and in classical style? In fact, this last Rapsodia Nusantara I finished writing a few days ago is just so jazzy from beginning to end, meaning that it is full of blue chords and funky syncopes

. ............................................................................................................................................. Of course I would definitely say that to start learning the piano, the classical techniques are always the best for everyone. We learn how to play scales, arpeggios, chords etc. properly from the music of Mozart, Chopin, Liszt and Prokofiev etc. They laid the foundations of piano playing, not only in classical style but also in jazz. But then we should remember that all those composers were IMPROVISERS too, and it was only at the second half of the 20th century existed a clear difference between a pianist (or interpreter of instruments of any kind) and composers. The only genre of music where musicians create something fresh on stage since then was in jazz. And yeah, there were jazz players who reeeeeally developed the classical techniques. I remember how Hendra Wijaya played Tico Tico, and I dare to say that he wouldn't be able to do it if he didn't practice his Mozart Sonatas in his younger years. But then he brought that Mozartian technique to an incredible speed! ............................................................................................................................................. When the International Java Jazz organizers invited me to perform in their festival next March, I immediately accepted it. I wanna show the public, that without Nick Mamahit, Hendra Wijaya and many of international jazz pianists whom I highly admire I wouldn't be able to write many of my music. My concert at Java Jazz would then be a tribute to my heroes. They inspired me when I was young, they still stay in my memories now. ............................................................................................................................................. If you wanna come to my concert at Java Jazz, I'll be playing on their last day, Sunday March 8th at 3.30 p.m. You still can enjoy the beautiful sunset afterwards, and have a nice dinner with your partner. You got no partner? Well, you might find one in my concert! C u all there, folks!