Along with the music, many of Taichung's leading hotels, pubs and eateries will be on hand to provide food and drink. Over 30 stalls will be erected along the Jingguo Boulevard Parkway on both weekends and will be providing festivalgoers with everything from burgers to bourbon and beer.
To allow even greater numbers to attend the opening day's activities, a special train has been scheduled to leave Taipei Railway Station at 8am tomorrow morning. One-way tickets will cost NT$10.
For those wanting to return on the cheap, a NT$10 express train to Taipei will depart from Taichung at 8pm tomorrow evening. Those wishing to take advantage of this offer should register by calling the Taichung City Cultural Bureau (04-2372-7311) before 7pm today.
While all outdoor performances are free, two concerts will be staged at the Chungshan Hall (中山堂): This evening, jazz pianist Bill Mays will perform at 7:30pm; and next Friday, Brazilian jazz/Latin guitarist Romero Lubambo will play the hall. Tickets range from NT$250 to NT$800 and are available through ERA ticketing outlets.
Performance note:
☆What: 2004 Taichung Jazz Festival (台中爵士音樂節)
☆Where: Various locations throughout Taichung City
☆When: This weekend and next weekend
Picks of the 2004 Taichung Jazz Festival:
☆Jang Kun-de and Brazilian Impressions (張坤德 & 巴西印象): With over a decade of recording and performance experience at home and internationally, Taiwanese saxophonist, Jang Kun-de should be one of the festival's biggest draws.
☆Chang Fei (張菲): Love him or loathe him, you've got to hand it to television personality and all-round entertainer Chang Fei for his staying power. A celebrity known for his tight perm and raunchy humor for almost two decades, the cheeky chap will be wooing the crowds in Taichung with a selection of lounge and jazz tunes taken from his recent album and, no doubt, packing his set with much banter and humor.
☆Akiko Jazz Band: Hugely popular in her native Japan, Akiko first hit the scene in 2001 with her debut long player, Girl Talk. Since then, Akiko, who blends aspects of standards with lounge and blues to create her own hybrid jazz sound, has gone on to release five more albums and become one of Japan's leading female jazz vocalists.
☆Japanese Jazz Quartet: A regular fixture at jazz bars across Taiwan, the Japanese Jazz Quartet features the combined talents of four Taiwan-based Japanese expats who perform a mixture of traditional New Orleans-style tunes and improvisational material.
☆Semsicon: Decked out in colorful and at times gaudy costumes, Taiwan's leading a cappella group packs its performances with both song and high-energy dance.
☆Montunos Latin Band: A well-known Taiwanese/international five-piece combo that has been entertaining jazz fans for 10 years, Montunos's varied sets include standards along with salsa, Latin, Cuban and even reggae sounds.
☆Takashi Matsunaga Jazz Trio: At 17, Takashi Matsunaga is one of Japan's youngest, yet most celebrated, jazz pianists. Officially recognized by the prestigious Blue Note jazz label, Matsunaga has been performing on the international stage since he was 13 and has adopted a style that incorporates the influences of jazz greats like Chick Corea and Milt Buckner.
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