TICKETS are now available for sale for the fourth Singapore International Jazz Festival (Sing Jazz), where music lovers can enjoy an unparalleled 30 hours of world class music from March 31 to April 2 at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands. Already billing a star-studded line-up of multiple award-winning artists, Sing Jazz is set to add the likes of Esperanza Spalding, Chaka Khan, Gilles Peterson and Ray Parker Jr, as well as local favourites Aaron James Lee and Ernesto Enriquez.
Lee, who has established a glowing reputation drumming with The Steve McQueens, and his trio will kick-off the festivities on March 31 (Friday), to be followed by pioneering UK-based jazz DJ Gilles Peterson with the Zara McFarlane Band featuring Nubya Garcia and MC Earl Zinger. Multiple Grammy Award winner Corinne Bailey Rae rounds off the evening’s musical fiesta under the stars on the stunning outdoor Main Stage at the Event Plaza at Marina Bay Sands. The action then switches to Sing Jazz’s new indoor VIP party venue, the perfect setting for its Late Show, combining scintillating live performances played out in an intimate club atmosphere.
Ernesto Enriquez and his jazz-infused Afro-Cuban sounds get the party going, ahead of Al McKay’s iconic Earth, Wind & Fire Experience, followed by an all-star jam session led by Incognito’s Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick and Citrus Sun. Another UK favourite, electronic duo Basement Jaxx, will complete a whole 12 hours of amazing music.
Saturday opens with Raw Earth presenting a tribute to blues icon BB King, setting the stage for rhythm and blues legend Ray Parker Jr ahead of fellow new addition, virtuoso singer-songwriter and bassist Esperanza Spalding, making a welcome return to Singapore following previous sold-out concerts here. This four-time Grammy Award winner, who famously eclipsed Justin Bieber in the Best New Artist category in 2011, brings her reinvented, fusion-influenced hybrid of rock, funk and jazz to the Sing Jazz stage.
World music icon Youssou N’dour will round off Saturday’s Main Stage programme, before another segue into The Late Show, featuring for the first time in Singapore multiple platinum and chart-topping British Award winners Rudimental (Feel the Love and Waiting all Night) with their dazzling DJ set. Setting the party vibe are Sing Jazz favourites Incognito, who will also head up another jam session of festival artists and instrumentalists in one-off impromptu collaborations that are sure to live long in the memory.
Sunday’s Main Stage programme promises a fitting climax to one of the biggest weekends of live music that Singapore will have seen in a while. The exciting billing leads off with Adam Hall and The Velvet Playboys from Perth featuring Singaporean songstress Alemay Fernandez, with their fusion of up-tempo jump jive and rock and roll. The Sunday evening party continues with funky US bassist Nik West followed by singer songwriter Raul Midon.
Hitman David Foster & Friends — a line-up of international stars including the multifaceted Brian McKnight, returning superstar Chaka Khan, YouTube sensation Thirdstory, Indonesia’s soul sweetheart Dira Sugandi and, from Singapore, Nick Zavior — will then bring the curtain down on this fourth, and largest ever, edition of Sing Jazz.
In addition to welcoming some of the biggest musical names to Singapore, Sing Jazz has also announced partnerships with some of the most recognised brands in the world. Attendees at this year’s Sing Jazz can also look forward to sipping on a richer range of spirits and liquors to complement the musical atmosphere. At the inaugural Lanson Champagne Terrace, spectators can pamper themselves with a premium elevated view of the iconic outdoor stage while sipping on flutes of Lanson champagne. Lanson’s winemaker, Herve Dantan, will also be in Singapore to commemorate their first partnership with Sing Jazz.
PengWine, a boutique wine from the Maipo Valley of Chile, comes on board as official wine of Sing Jazz with the launch of its very first vintage bubbly — Chinstrap Sparkling Brut. Made by the Methode Traditionelle, and named after the famous penguins of South America, this Chilean bubbly is vivacious, festive and yet full of elegance.
Those who prefer to cool off with lager and cider have a choice to make between Tiger Beer, Erdinger and Strongbow Cider. For the ones more inclined towards the sweeter cider can look out for Strongbow Cider’s Urban Orchard — a dedicated area with deck chairs and a sampling booth — to relax and soak in the golden hour of the festival with a cider in hand.
Tickets for the Singapore International Jazz Festival 2017: Main Stage and The Late Show start from S$108 and are available at www.marinabaysands.com/ticketing and www.apactix.com. Also available is the Full Festival Pass (S$288) which gives access to 30 hours of music at both the Main Stage and Late Show on all days. For more information, visit www.sing-jazz.com.