JEREMY MONTEIRO AT 65: THE STATE OF MY ART / Review

 

JEREMY MONTEIRO AT 65: 

THE STATE OF MY ART 

Esplanade Concert Hall 

Friday (14 March 2025)

This review published in The Straits Times on 17 March 2025 with the title "Jazz maestro Jeremy Monteiro's rousing gig for 65th birthday".

Since its inception in 1980, the Cultural Medallion has been awarded to only two pianists. The latest was avantgardeist Margaret Leng Tan (2015), but the first was Singapore’s “King of Swing” Jeremy Monteiro in 2002. Making his 65th birthday this year, a three-hour concert was the summation of 49 years of professional performance, 50 albums and over 700 original compositions behind him. 

Photo: Ken Cheong

With the typical candour and self-deprecating humour of a stand-up comic, he spoke about every work on the programme. The evening opened with a trio, just Monteiro on piano, Jay Anderson (bass) and Hong Chanutr Techatananan (drums). This was how jazz groups began, playing in smoke-filled lounges and clubs of yesteryear, where performances were improvised in the most free-wheeling way possible. 

In Dave Brubeck’s In Your Own Sweet Way, Monteiro’s mastery with dizzying runs on the right hand over left hand chords led the way, and thereafter almost every piece that came was an original work of his. Despite its title, Blues For Capt Hans was an upbeat fast number, contrasted with the true moody blues of Always In Love with its reflective melody transcribed on bass. 

Three became five, when they were joined by Frenchman Nicolas Folmer (trumpet/flugelhorn) and Sean Hong Wei (tenor sax) for Jazzybelle’s Shuffle, a casual saunter down Orchard Road which turned out to be more of a parade. Monteiro’s warm crooning voice was heard in Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s My Romance, accompanied by Sean, closing the first half in contemplation. 

Photo: Ken Cheong

The stage got more crowded when the Jazz Association Singapore Orchestra (JASSO) came aboard with Elephant In The Room, a busily brassy number co-written with Briton Alan Barnes. Then came a sequence of what might be Monteiro’s “greatest hits”, possibly his most memorable and catchiest numbers. Carousel in a Child’s Mind, written for his son Varian, was an ear worm of a fast waltz, while Brothers highlighted the solo of Taiwanese flautist Jenni Tsai. 

More guest performers including former Singapore Symphony Orchestra co-leader Lynnette Seah (violin) and vocalist Sneha Menon, who starred in Seul a Paris (Alone In Paris), composed during Monteiro’s lowest ebb while walking through the Jardin du Luxembourg. To heighten its French sense of melancholy, further commentary was provided by him on an accordion. 

Photo: Ken Cheong

Far more cheerful was From Paris to Segre, co-written with Eugene Pao, a classic train piece with with chugging rhythms and far-reaching sense of optimism. Monteiro’s longtime mentor 83-year-old Louis Soliano was also given the spotlight in Artie Butler’s Here’s To Life, where his vocals rose above the drumming to touch hearts. 

Photo: Ken Cheong

The concert proper closed with the lively beats of Mount Olive, after which the orchestra broke out with Happy Birthday To You and a birthday cake wheeled in for good measure. 

There was time for two encores, George Gershwin’s Love Is Here To Stay (with Menon’s soul-infused vocals) and Monteiro’s most heard and best-selling hit, One People, One Nation, One Singapore in a rousing blues-gospel version. Monteiro 65 thus becomes the perfect prelude to SG 60.

A SONG FOR LOUIS / Louis Soliano & Friends / Review

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL 

FESTIVAL OF ARTS 2021:

A SONG FOR LOUIS

Louis Soliano & Friends

Victoria Theatre

Friday (14 May 2021)

An edited version of this review was published in The Straits Times on 19 May 2021 with the title "Soliano shines in starry tribute".

 

This latest edition of the Singapore Festival of Arts (SIFA) was a time for reflection and contemplation as the nation emerged from the pandemic crisis. However, this all changed with the announcement of a new lockdown arising from increased number of Covid cases detected.

 

The pair of tribute concerts organised for local jazz legend and Cultural Medallion recipient Louis Soliano were affected by new event restrictions imposed. The original audience size of 150 had to be reduced to 100 for each show, which was a pity but small blessings given that both would have been cancelled if held two days later.

 

An air of expectancy hung over the proceedings as socially-distanced patrons took to their seats. There was no mingling, but greetings were cheerily exchanged over rows and aisles. Warm applause erupted when the performers emerged behind a screen illuminating the 79-year-old maestro’s lifetime landmarks playing Wes Montgomery’s West Coast Blues. Soliano was born to migrant musicians and made his name performing drums in hotel lounge bands, and playing for American GIs during the Vietnam War. A storied career ensued before the Cultural Medallion in 2018 became his crowning achievement.

 

His collaborating performers read like a Who’s Who in Singapore’s jazz scene. Vocalist Joanna Dong was the chirpy host, styling Gershwin’s S’Wonderful before ushering in Malay pop icon Rahimah Rahim’s deeply felt rendition of P.Ramli’s Getaran Jiwa. On a video sent from Australia, Don Gomes accompanied himself on piano in Cole Porter’s Just One Of Those Things.

 

The irrepressible Richard Jackson gave a masterclass in scat-singing and ad-libbing in Chick Corea’s Spain, partnered by an equally free-wheeling flautist Rit Xu,, but where was Louis? Forty minutes into the show and midway through Paul Desmond’s Take 5, the diminutive figure of Soliano sashayed onstage to join Jackson in the improvisation.

 

The physical disparity between the two was obvious, but the wizened veteran commanded the stage with a rich and low bass-like voice that belied outward appearances. Size does matter, it seemed. Now making himself comfortable on a drum-set partnered by pianist Jeremy Monteiro and bassist Tony Makarome, the trio polished off Jules Styne’s Just In Time. Speaking about time, the 50 minutes in which Soliano appeared passed much faster that the 40 minutes that came before. Call this relativity, but this listener defers to that elusive factor called star quality.

 

With fellow drummers Bobby Singh (doubling on tabla), Jimmy Lee and Tama Goh, the quartet of percussionists had whale of a jam before the entire crew returned for Duke Ellington’s Caravan. Harry Warren’s mash-up of  The More I See Of You and There Will Never Be Another You saw the more reflective side of Louis the vocalist. He had to close on an upbeat high, and so Charles Strouse’s A Lot Of Livin’ To Do did the trick.

 

As an encore, Louis with Monteiro and guitarist Andrew Lim ended the evening with Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust, and this was amply rewarded with a well-earned standing ovation.