Just Jazz

If you are in the mood for some laid-back, rhythmic jazz music, you are in for a delightful surprise, come next week. All you jazz enthusiasts, as well as those of you just getting into the jazz scene, will be treated to some spectacular music when Mount Lavinia Hotel in association with CR & FC presents the Colombo Jazz Festival.

Featuring the Dave O'Higgins Quartet live, the event will take place at the CR & FC grounds, Colombo, on December 7-13, 2007, from 6pm onwards. Audiences will get the chance to listen to the musical genius of top UK saxophonist, Dave O'Higgins, currently working with the Ronnie Scotts Allstars and the BBC Big Band, when he brings his own quartet, to Sri Lanka, for the festival.

The repertoire for every evening will be a mixture of jazz standards and original tunes, all with reference to great saxophonists including Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson and John Coltrane. As for prior performances in Sri Lanka, Dave has toured here before with Martin Taylor and his own group. He has also worked extensively with Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood, John Dankworth and Cleo Laine, Incognito & Matthew Herbert, to name a few.

Colombo Jazz Festival will see Dave joined by three other talented jazz artists. Andrew McCormack (piano) - winner of Rising Star, British Jazz Awards 2006 and recording artist with Dune Records, Arnie Somogyi (double bass) – who also plays with Ronnie Scotts Allstars and leads his own group Ambulance, now recording their second CD and Josh Blackmore (drums) – the new sensation, heard to great effect on multi-award nominated Curios CD.

Enjoy the perfect ambience, the hippest jazz and a select menu including British cuisine with specially brewed beer, all set in a carnival atmosphere under an elegant white marquee. Tickets will be priced at Rs. 300/-, and Rs. 1500/- inclusive of dinner, and will be available at Mount Lavinia Hotel, CR & FC, Café Lavinia and BMICH from December 1, 2007. The best of Jazz gets better still, as the finest of our local jazz artistes join in the festivities. Here's the line up on each night.

Friday, December 7 – The Southern Jazz Project, Upula Madushanka Quintet, Triloka, together with the Dave O'Higgins Quartet.

Saturday, December 8 – Natasha and Divya, Legacy, Ravi Bandu Ensemble together with the Dave O'Higgins Quartet.

Sunday, December 9 – Triloka, Legacy, 3RC, together with the Dave O'Higgins Quartet.

Monday, December 10 – Divya, The Southern Jazz Project, Lazer, together with the Dave O'Higgins Quartet.

Tuesday, December 11 – The Southern Jazz Project, Upula Madushanka Quintet, 3RC, together with the Dave O'Higgins Quartet.

Colombo Jazz Festival is partnered by Jazz Unlimited, MTV, Yes FM, The Daily Mirror and The Sunday Times.