The Cotai Jazz & Blues Festival 2014 kicks off this Thursday October 9 at The Venetian Macao’s outdoor lagoon area, and will run right through to Sunday night. This year, more than 180 applications from all over the world were received for the Jazz & Blues competition, and 12 finalists have been selected to compete for a share of the HK$550,000 cash prize pool on offer.
For the past two years the Festival has presented fantastically talented bands, entertaining the enthusiastic crowds for free all afternoon and into the night, along with great food and drinks, Streetmosphere entertainers and fun activities for the kids.
As an added bonus, last year’s winners from the Philippines, the Bleu Rascals will return to delight local fans with their awesome blues guitar riffs. Another of last year’s finalists and a group who have developed a big following in Macau, Andy Frasco and the UN, will also be back to put on another characteristically high energy, non-stop performance.
Adding to the vastly talented lineup will be rising English jazz superstar Anthony Strong. Hailed as “England’s new jazz superstar”, a support slot with the legendary BB King and an EP release which reached #1 on the UK jazz charts saw singer-pianist Anthony Strong grab the attention of some of the world’s top record labels in early 2012. He eventually signed a worldwide recording deal with iconic French label Naïve, home of multi-million selling singers Adele, Carla Bruni and Katie Melua, and released his debut album ‘Stepping Out’ in April 2013.
Since then, Anthony has been featured on the front page of France’s biggest daily newspaper Le Figaro, performed to millions live on German television and been described by the British press as “a major talent hotly tipped to take his place in the retro-contemporary jazz pantheon alongside Jamie Cullum and Michael Bublé.” In November 2013 his debut release reached #1 on the US iTunes Jazz Charts.
CLOSER interviewed the rising talent in advance of his first performance in Macau.
Macau CLOSER: When did you first start to take an interest in Jazz music and why?
Anthony Strong: When I was young I went to music college in London to study classical music and was offered jazz piano as an option. I took the class and since my very first lesson, I was hooked! I have a pretty good ear, and so most of the music I'd heard up until then I could play straight away. This wasn't the case with jazz, and as well falling in love with these new colours and sounds, I welcomed the challenge of learning something I couldn't play straight away.
Whose music inspired and influenced you the most in your early career?
Music itself was massively inspirational when I was getting started, but I've also been lucky and had some really inspirational teachers. My earliest music teachers opened up my mind to ideas about music and creativity, and also turned me on to music such as Take 6, Pat Metheney, Quincy Jones and Harry Connick Jnr.
You’ve spent a lot of time in Paris. What is it about Paris that attracts you and how does being there impact on your development as a musician?
I spend more time in London nowadays, but I do love Paris. It's a similar jazz scene as London, but a very different vibe to the city. I like nothing more than hanging out in a cafe and watching the world go by… My friend calls it 'people watching' but I think that's a bit creepy!
Your latest album ‘Stepping Out’ is having great success on iTunes and Amazon, and Jazz charts around the world. Can you tell us a bit about the album?
Well it was my first album after I signed the deal with Naive Records, so for me it was a dream come true! I suddenly had a budget and backing from a company to work with. The next thing I knew I was touring it around the world with my band, doing TV shows and getting number ones on the jazz charts. It was a bit of a whirlwind year!
In the past decade Jazz seems to have made quite a comeback in terms of popularity and more mainstream exposure. What are your thoughts on this and where the genre is today?
I think we have the likes of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack to thank for that. They were the epitome of cool, with their dress and styling, so putting this unbelievably classic music aside, it's an era which will be drawn from for a while to come in fashion and art. People like Michael Buble and Amy Winehouse have also done great things for raising the profile of 'the jazz vocalist' and have really opened doors for artists like myself.
You will be in Macau for the Cotai Jazz and Blues Festival next month. Will this be your first performance in Asia? What are you expectations for this trip?
I can't wait! I've been to Asia a few times but this will be my first trip to Macau, so I'm very excited! We'll be playing songs from my last three records, some classics, some new arrangements – and my UK band is coming over with me. I'm looking forward seeing 'the sights' and hopefully catching some other bands, but what I love most about travelling the world is meeting new people, so if you come down to the show – make sure to come say hi afterwards!
Event Details:
Date: Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 9-12, 2014
Time:
Oct. 9 11p.m. (Performance by rising jazz star Anthony Strong)
Oct. 9-10 6 p.m. to midnight
Oct 11-12 1 p.m. to midnight
Venue: Outdoor lagoon area, The Venetian Macao
Admission: Free
