Jazzing it up in Taichung

The strains of standards, Latin, salsa and swing are set to echo through the streets of Taichung over the following two weekends, when the Taichung City Jazz Festival rolls into town and transforms, albeit temporarily, the central metropolis's Jingguo Boulevard Parkway (經國綠園道) into Taiwan's very own Bourbon Street.

Organized by the Taichung City Government's Bureau of Cultural Affairs, this year's event differs somewhat from last year's month-long inaugural jazz festival. The time frame has been halved, performances will begin in the afternoon and it has been streamlined to make it more convenient for festival-goers to enjoy a wide variety of jazz flavors.

"The festival was held at various venues throughout the city last year and we got quite a few complaints from people because they simply lost track of where certain concerts were being held," said the bureau's Anna Wang (王安平).

"So this year we decided to centralize the festival so that people don't have to cross the city and change venues all the time."

Performances will take place on three stages. Two will be erected along the Jingguo Boulevard Parkway between Taichung Civil Square (市民廣場) on Gongyi Rd. (公益路) and the Hotel National on Chunggang Rd. (中港路).

The festival's third and main stage will be located in the Civil Square and is set to host evening performances by some of the festival's biggest names.

According to of the city's Cultural Affairs Bureau, the best-attended concert last year attracted 30,000 people and it's estimated that upwards of 80,000 people attended the four-week long festival.

By limiting the events to three stages this year, organizers are hoping to see an even greater number of people on the streets soaking up the jazz over the next two weekends.

Wang estimates 100,000 people will attend the festival this year.

Although Taichung residents were given a taste of what they can expect to hear at a preliminary concert last weekend, the 2004 Taichung City Jazz Festival officially kicks off with a parade tomorrow afternoon, followed by performances on the Jingguo Boulevard Parkway's main stage by Taiwan's leading jazz saxophonist Jang Kun-de and Brazilian Impressions (張坤德&巴西印象), female swing artists Yang Hsiao-en (楊曉恩) and Hu Yu-hsi (胡羽忻), and the multicultural five-piece, the Montunos Latin Band.

The highlight of the opening day's performances will take place from 7:30pm to 10pm on the main stage in Civil Square. Here, jazz buffs will have the opportunity to catch television celebrity and general all-round entertainer Chang Fei (張菲), followed by a performance by Japanese jazz vocalist Akiko and her band.

All the action Sunday will take place along Jingguo Boulevard Parkway, where the Tumbao Jazz and Latin Quartet, Roberto Zayas and his Latin Band with Emily Guan (官靈芝) and the Eric Lin Jazz Band (鼓凌精樂團) will perform from 3pm through to 9pm. Improvisational sets will take place throughout the day on the boulevard's second stage.

Next weekend will see performances by Chen Chia-kun (陳家崑) and Peng Yu-wen (彭郁雯), New Decision and Metamorphosis (變形蟲爵士樂團) and a special performance by Japanese 17-year-old jazz sensation, Takashi Matsunaga and his trio.

In addition to the stage shows, the festival will also feature what has been dubbed the "Jazz Train" on which local bands will perform to pedestrians on a specially adapted flatbed truck as it traverses the city's streets.