Malta Jazz Festival 2006 Feature

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Wednesday 19 Jul 2006 (Michael Bugeja - The Malta Independent)

It is the time of year for Malta’s annual appointment with jazz – or is it? There have been several protests against the new format of the festival claiming that it greatly diminishes the international prestige achieved over the years under the guidance of Charles ‘City’ Gatt. Those against the revamped and commercial perspective preferred by newly appointed organisers NnG Promotions (of Elton John, Sting, Roger Waters and CHOGM (?) fame), claim that due to the lack of top flight ‘jazz artists’ on the bill, the festival should have its name changed – now there’s a good idea! An even better one would possibly be to dedicate one night of the three-day event purely to jazz artists preferably involving a knowledgeable curator (hey, how about Charles ‘City’ Gatt?) and focus the other two nights for a ‘broader’ audience. Now that might just work! Of course, not being a jazz purist myself, I didn’t think that the jazz artists in this year’s line-up are - as one so-called purist put it to me – passé! But I am biased. You see, I like my jazz in small doses and preferably mixed with a bit of rock or funk or blues or ethnic groove – you get it, anything but pure!

I have to admit that I do understand the ‘purist’ point of view, but I can also appreciate some points pertaining to the other (commercial) side of the argument. Of course I don’t believe that the latter wholly justifies the alleged ‘sell-out’, but it does highlight the sad and unfortunate truth that in recent times, all cultural efforts in Malta seem to be measured in pounds, shillings and pence; which is roughly what our hard-earned Liri are worth these days anyway! It all reeks of a ‘To hell with culture’ attitude, reflected mostly in the balance sheets that are ultimately given more importance than the billing!

Perhaps even more tragic than the issue of the Malta Jazz Festival is the fact that we currently have no state-sponsored framework that supports the (local) arts in the same way that, say, Rokarja AST of the 80s did in Tigne, where bands didn’t have to fork out a fortune to rent out premises and could rehearse till the early hours without disturbing anybody. And before anyone drops the ‘money’ problem on me, let me just point out that the powers that be seem to have no problem pumping (or is it dumping) tons of money into Eurovision and none at all in (over) publicising silly campaigns to choose an icon for the back of the Euro coin (did anyone really need to ask?)! So come on you bigwigs, let’s be having something concrete that not only encourages our existing/budding artists and musicians but also reflects a worthy appreciation of their efforts and achievements!

But - back to our original point. What about the Malta Jazz Festival? Yes indeed – what about it? The ‘purists’ probably may or may not attend (an issue of principle?) which is a pity because whether they are there or not, Alan Parsons Project, The Original Blues Brothers, Bill Bruford et al are sure to give a grand show just the same! And for those who simply love music for its universal sense and appeal, this weekend should be a real treat!

A local touch at the Malta Jazz Festival

This year’s Malta Jazz Festival will also feature no less than three Maltese exponents. The first of these is Noir, a band featuring Kris Spiteri on keyboards, Edward Ellul on bass, Mario Borg on sax and Alex Debono on drums. Kris formed Noir with Alex specifically to perform at this year’s festival, and the two later drafted in saxophonist Mario and Edward, an established and versatile musician. Mario is in fact no stranger to the jazz festival – along with Alex, he had played in previous editions with the Johann Strauss Big Band. Noir will be performing original numbers written by Kris Spiteri, which he describes as ‘an amalgamation of genres, odd timings and mostly a search for melodies through the web of chromatics’.

The second Maltese participant will not be on his own either. He will be playing piano with Bill Bruford’s Earthworks band and his name is Adrian Attard Trevisan. ADY, as he is better known, has been commuting between the UK and Malta for a few years now. While furthering his studies abroad, he has also been very much involved in several song-writing projects, including Maestro Music, M.O.V.E. and Jiant and on a more local note, he is also setting up a studio on the island. His performance as part of Bruford’s line-up is an achievement in itself but you can rest assured you will be hearing more of ADY in the near future!

Last but not least, acclaimed percussionist Renzo Spiteri will be performing, along with an ensemble of special foreign guests, on the last night of the festival. If past performances are anything to go by, Renzo’s set will be tantalizing to say the least. Given his experience, and his particular knack of rising to the occasion when the vibe gets him - expect nothing short of a great set!

Malta Jazz Festival website