BIG BAND BASH 2003

It was getting late and the sun had slowly set. This is usually the best time of any concert when the heat of the sun is slowly taken over by the cool refreshing breeze of the evening. As the sun sets, the sky and the garden are surrounded by a soothing and romantic dusk. This is certainly the perfect setting to savour the beautiful music of the Thomson Big Band.

The Thomson Big Band is the first and best band of the Thomson Jazz Club. Conducted by David Humphreys, they played a variety of contemporary and Latin tunes like Birdland, Oye Como Va and pieces featured in the recent Fascinating Rhythms concert.

The band has a relatively high profile in the local arts scene. It was featured in the Arts Central documentary "Jam!" and was the opening band for the Singapore International Jazz Festival in May 2001. While the other three bands of the Thomson Jazz Club often plays at free public gigs, the last time the Thomson Big Band did that was on the 3^rd November 2002. Then they jammed with the world-renowned jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and his four soloists from the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra at the Esplanade in the afternoon before playing again in the evening at the CHIJAZZ 2002. Thus this Bash is certainly a treat for the audience to hear the Thomson Big Band, probably Singapore's best big band, live and for free!

To-date, the band has performed in many countries including Japan, Australia and Canada. They have also released an album "A Little Street in Singapore" and a new one "Fascinating Rhythms" is expected in a few months time.

With such great accomplishments, Thomson certainly has a good reason to blow their trumpets.

It was encore time. But I bet the band must be totally drained given that some of the members played in more than one band. But don't go yet, there is something you need to know.

© Copyright May 2003 Anthony Chia Chwee Kiong