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Jazz season returns to Taichung

FESTIVAL NOTES WHAT: Taichung Jazz Festival WHEN: Tomorrow until Oct. 26 WHERE: Civil Plaza (市民廣場), Jingguo Boulevard Parkway (經國綠園道) and Gongyi Road (公益路) DETAILS: Admission is free ON THE NET: www.jazzfestival.com.tw

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Fall has arrived, and in Taichung, this means it’s time for jazz. More than 40 groups, both international and local, will perform on three stages near the city’s scenic Jingguo Boulevard Parkway (經國綠園道) as part of the Taichung Jazz Festival (台中爵士音樂節), which begins tomorrow and runs through Oct. 26.

The event is expected to attract 300,000 people — 50,000 more than last year, according to the organizer, the Taichung Cultural Affairs Bureau. This year’s festival will also run longer. Instead of two separate weekends, there will be jazz performances every night for nine days straight.

Along with the music, the festival features some 50 booths selling food and merchandise, located on the parkway, which runs along Gongyi Road (公益路).

Headlining tomorrow night at Civil Plaza (市民廣場) is Trio 3, a New York City “supergroup” composed of saxophonist and flutist Oliver Lake, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Andrew Cyrille.

SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS All music performances are free and take place at Civil Plaza (市民廣場) and the J1 and J2 Stages on Jingguo Boulevard Parkway. Shows also take place throughout the week; see the festival’s Web site for a detailed schedule. Tomorrow ▲ 3pm, Civil Plaza 1,000 Saxophones Spectacular (world-record attempt for most saxophonists at one time) ▲ 3pm, J1 Stage Denny Euprasert Sextet (Thailand) ▲ 5pm, J1 Stage Red River Jazz Band (Vietnam) ▲ 7pm, Civil Plaza Barry Likumahuwa Project (Indonesia) and Trio 3 (US) Sunday ▲ 1pm, Windsor Hotel, B1F Multipurpose Theater Hall (裕元花園酒店B1F國際演講廳) Workshop with Trio 3 ▲ 3:30pm, J2 Stage Changhua City Orchestra (Taiwan) ▲ 5:30pm, J2 Stage Sky 4 (Taiwan) ▲ 7pm, J1 Stage Saskia Laroo Band (Netherlands) Oct. 25 ▲1pm, Windsor Hotel, 4th floor (裕元花園酒店4樓東側包廂) Trombone workshop with Slide Hampton ▲ 3pm, J1 Stage Makoto Kuriya Rhythmatrix (Japan) ▲ 5pm, J1 Stage API (Malaysia) ▲ 5:30pm, J2 Stage The Money Shot Horns (Taiwan/US/Canada/Australia) ▲ 7pm, J1 Stage Tomonao Hara Quartet (Japan) Oct. 26 ▲ 1pm, Windsor Hotel, B1F Multipurpose Theater Hall (裕元花園酒店B1F國際演講廳) Trumpet workshop with Tomonao Hara ▲ 3pm, J1 Stage John Nam Quartet (South Korea) ▲ 5pm, J1 Stage Free Breathing World (Taiwan) ▲ 7pm, Festival Finale at Civil Plaza Tomonao Hara Quartet (Japan) Slide Hampton (US) Kupa Big Band (Taiwan)

Trio 3’s music spans different jazz styles, from traditional to bebop to free jazz. The trio’s members all boast long and accomplished resumes: Lake is a Guggenheim fellow; Workman has performed and recorded with John Coltrane and Art Blakey; and Cyrille has long been associated with free-jazz pioneer and pianist Cecil Taylor.

The group will hold a jazz workshop at the Windsor Hotel (裕元花園酒店) on Sunday at 1pm. The hotel is also hosting a class next Saturday by legendary trombonist Slide Hampton, who performs at the festival next week. All workshops are free and open to the public.

Other international artists appearing at this year’s festival include Japanese trumpeter Tomonao Hara Quartet and Dutch trumpeter Saskia Laroo and her band. Last year the festival shone a spotlight on Asian artists, and this year is no different. Groups from Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and South Korea have been invited to play.

The festival starts tomorrow at 3pm with an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records when 1,000 saxophonists plan to converge on Civil Plaza to play three songs in unison, breaking the current record set by a gathering of 900 sax players in Toronto in 2004.

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