Get Jazzed, Java! 2012’s Roster Shines

Musician Stevie Wonder, above, Herbie 

Hancock, singer Erykah Badu and 

saxophonist Dave Koz

 are just a few of the names performing

 at this year’s Java Jazz. (Agency Photo)  

What used to be an event for a niche audience has become the annual occasion that many Jakartans feel they must attend. 

No longer reliant on bulking together barely known artists with well-past-their-heyday headliners, the Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival now carries an increasing number of respected names in its lineup. And while the event’s “jazz” tag seems to have lost some relevance with the mounting inclusion of musicians who bear no signs of the genre in their sound, it is still the place to go if you want to catch a variety of eclectic music. 

One of this year’s big draws is Stevie Wonder , the legendary artist whose influence on the R&B genre is immense. Wonder is popular for his barrage of hits, including the ’70s groovy mainstays “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours ,” “Superstition,” and “Higher Ground.” 

His high-profile collaborations have included singles with Paul McCartney , Dionne Warwick and the Jackson 5, among many notable others. For casual Indonesian listeners, Wonder’s most memorable hit was undoubtedly the plaintive (if rather sappy), organ-driven ballad “I Just Called to Say I Love You,” which dominated the radio waves here when it came out in 1984. 

Another legend set to perform is Herbie Hancock. Certainly a major player on the jazz scene, Hancock honed his skills as a member of the illustrious Miles Davis’s “second great quintet.” He is seen as being largely responsible for the rise of “post-bop” jazz during the mid-’60s, a genre that indulged in syncopated rhythms and eventually then-new instrumentations such as synthesizers. 

Hancock’s popularity surged beyond the jazz scene, however, with his ability to write jazz-infused pop songs that crossed into the mainstream. An example of this dynamism can be found in the rousing hip-hop styled “Rockit” in 1983, which was a minor hit in Indonesia due to its novel usage of vinyl scratching. 

Over the years, Hancock’s characteristically funk-ified brand of jazz has made him the go-to guy for artists to collaborate with, including Freddie Hubbard, Quincy Jones, Joni Mitchell and even Stevie Wonder. Over the years, Hancock has won a whopping 14 Grammies and has written or produced hits that many perhaps don’t even know he had a hand in. 

Another headliner is Erykah Badu , the soulful songstress whose music contains a seemingly effortless blend of soul, jazz, R&B, reggae and hip-hop, among others. Known to her fans as “The First Lady of Neo-Soul,” Badu found success with her debut release, “Baduizm,” in 1997. The record, as well as its breakthrough single “On & On,” made her a favorite with the Indonesian jazz and R&B crowds. Her strong vocal inflections are an obvious source of influence to many female singers around the country. 

Badu’s Grammy-nominated sophomore release was “Mama’s Gun,” which furthered her disparate influences into an even more eclectic whole. Although this and her subsequent albums, including 2010’s “New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh),” didn’t have the same popular impact in Indonesia as her debut did, Badu’s name still resonates with local fans.

The addition of vocal group The Manhattan Transfer to the festival is no shocker, considering it has performed more than few times at prior Java Jazz Festivals. The foursome is clearly a crowd favorite, with its glorious harmonies intertwining with the jazz and pop flourishes of its backing band. 

Clean-cut saxophonist Dave Koz is another name often found at Indonesian festivals. His brand of smooth jazz may not be much more than romantic wallpaper, but it’s clear that his adoring fan base thinks otherwise. 

Arguably, the biggest local name that will partake of this year’s festival is God Bless. The legendary rock band formed in the early 1970s as something of an Indonesian equivalent to global rock titans Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and the Rolling Stones. The group has undergone various lineup changes through the years, although its current incarnation is recognized as a reunion of the “classic lineup” by longtime fans. Many of its former members are today major players in the local music industry, including guitarist Eet Sjahranie and drummer Gilang Ramadhan. 

Although the band laid low for a few years in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it regained its mantle as one of the country’s biggest names after returning to play many respected venues in the mid-2000s. Almost all of the group’s albums, including the self-titled debut, 1980’s “Cermin” (“Mirror”), 1988’s “Semut Hitam” (“Black Ant”) and 1989’s “Raksasa” (“Giant”) are today considered classics. 

That same rock energy can no doubt be experienced through Gugun Blues Shelter’s always-rousing performances. The trio is another crowd-pleasing entry, and it has gathered some momentum in the last few months with its brand of fiery blues rock. 

Similarly, the massively successful pop-rock band Kotak (Square) will be performing with newcomer Nabrassban. With plenty of radio hits to its name, the band finds little difficulty in getting a crowd singing along to any one of its easy-listening alternative rock tunes. 

Another momentous occasion will be an all-star tribute to the late Utha Likumahuwa, the jazz-pop musician who passed away late last year. Although no official announcement regarding the lineup to pay homage has been announced, it should certainly be a prime event considering the singer’s popularity and influence.

G-Pluck, the Beatles tribute band whose playful moniker (read as “Jiplak,” meaning “copy”) says much about its uncanny ability to mimic the legendary band’s sound and posture, is also a must-see. There’s a danger in attempting to execute the Fab Four’s vaunted repertoire, but G-Pluck does so admirably and consistently. 

Many other noteworthy names will fill out the lineup, including fusion-jazz guitarist Pat Metheny, local electro group Stereocase, Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau and the George Duke trio, Mayer Hawthorne and The County, Sister Duke, Robert Randolph and the Family Band and a variety of up-and-coming artists.

The festival will take place from March 2 to 4at the Jakarta International Expo in Kemayoran. 
Ticketing and full lineup info:http://web.javajazzfestival.com/2012/