Off to Hong Kong!

I've just got back from the KL Music Fest gig on the gala night (closing night) for most of the music events that took place at the Istana Budaya.

Last night, the jazz night was great! We were the first band to go up and play, and we were the only ones who were dressed to kill!! All of us were wearing shirts, ties, and coats...almost like how one would dress to play in a jazz band in the US!! We played almost all of David's original tunes, such as Turnaround, Fire Within Water, Just Swinging, Just Around the Corner, Entry, and one vocal cover Have You Met Miss Jones! The show stealers were pretty much David and surprisingly, Thomas Theseira!! He really played his a** off that night.. kicked pretty much my musical butt and Eddie's! For all the years I've known Thomas, he still surprises me sometimes.. like pulling a rabbit out of a hat! The band kicked butt!!

And tonight, just few hours ago, was the KL Music Fest gala night, and it had us playing a little bit for those who might have missed it. Since most of the band guys couldn't make it tonight, it ended up with just me and David doing a sax-piano duo! Although I thought David was joking in a previous conversation that we could do a duo and do something different from what the other performers were doing... I really did not expect that we'd really end up doing a duo! But it went great.. or at least it felt like that! We did David's Entry and I even took up the soprano sax role, rather than the alto like how I would usually do. It seemed just appropriate for the situation, and the song felt like it required soprano for it, so I did it. It was rather intense for me.. as it's the first time I'm doing a jazz sax-piano duo for such a grand show at the Istana Budaya.

It's also a good opportunity for me to try the new soprano mouthpiece I got from Woodwind and Brasswind (retailer from US), a Selmer S80 E hard rubber mouthpiece. The mouthpiece was nice.. looks like a real keeper! It might even make me play more soprano in the future.

Anyway, as of writing (and dropping eyelids), I'll be flying to Hong Kong in about 12 hours, to go to play for the Jonathan Lee two-day concerts that will take place this weekend on 9th and 10th July. Yippeee... definitely something to look forward to (although I can't say for sure the cost of living!), and it'll be much fun for sure!

I'll be back on the 13th, and just in time to do Sharizan's gig at Alexis next weekend.

Take care y'all.. have fun!