Bill Saragih: Song From My Father

Bill Saragih (1933-2008) who passed away on 29 January 2008 is one of jazz maestros from Indonesia.  His education background — as student of Berkeley College of Music — gave him a basic legitimacy for his career.  More than that is his talent as entertainer and his unique voice — his soprano timbre voice – which made him very special. I saw his performance for the first time in 1998 for Tempo magazine first launching after banned by Indonesian government since 1994. 

Fortunately we dont have data for his compositions and his album. When my friend Idrus F. Shahab from Tempo magazine asked about Bill Saragih album among my collections, I can not say any words because I dont have it. But last month, fortunately I find Bill Saragih album cassete entitled Sings ‘N Plays which consists of 12 songs. Five of them are composed by Bill Saragih, for instance Anna My Love, Tiana, Billy’s Groove, Tony’s Dream, and Song from My Father.  This last song Song from My Father is slow jazz with ethnic lyric and accentuation. Truly superb melody. *

From Earl Klugh to Al Di Meola

1. Earl Klugh
Title: Dream Come True
Publisher: United Artist record (1980)

2. Earl Klugh
Title: Night Songs
Publisher: Capitol (1984)

3. Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass
Title: Going Places
Publisher: A&M Record

4. John Kaizan Neptune
Title: Mixed Bag
Publisher: East Word (1981)

5. John Kaizan Neptune
Title: Dance for the ONE in Six
Publisher: Toshiba (1982)

6. Bob James
Title: Foxie
Publisher: Columbia (1983)

7. Chick Corea
Title: The Leprechaum
Publisher: Polydor (1976)

8. Chick Corea/Return to Forever
Title: Where Have I Known You Before
Publisher: Polydor (1974)

9. Al Di Meola
Title: Land of The Midnight Sun
Publisher: CBS-Sony (1976)

10. Al Di Meola
Title: Electric Rendezvous
Publisher: CBS (1982)

11. Sadao Watanabe
Title: California Shower
Publisher: Horizon-A&W-JVC (1981)

12. Gap Mangione
Title: Suit Lady
Publisher: A&M

13. Herbie Hancock
Title: Feets Don’t Fail Me Now
Publisher: CBS (1979)

14. Sergio Mendes
Title: Confetti
Publisher: A&M (1984)

15. Alphonse Mouzon
Title: Morning Sun
Publisher: Horizon

16. Andy Narell
Title: Slow Motion
Publisher: Hip Pocket-Windham Hill (1985)

 

 

*

Europe Taste of Massada

Some Indonesian musicians are popular in Europe, but not very popular in Indonesia. Slamet Abdul Sjukur, Tonny Prabowo and Tri Sutji Kamal are mere examples from avant garde genre. While Discus is an other example from proggressive rock.

Massada is an other jazz-latin-ethnic band from Maluku, referring to Johnny Manuhutu fam. Johnny is lead vocalist for this band, and wrote some songs. The name Massada is searchable in internet, but not findable in well-known websites, such as Wikipedia, Britanica, or Indonesia commercial media.

Massada recorded in Netherland studio and released their album in long play format since 1979-ies. It is something unusual for Indonesia musicians in that time. Over all this album shows Massada’s international standard for their skill and taste in music, comparing to mostly Indonesian musicians taste in eighties.

This album entitled Pusaka consists of 8 songs. The lyrics used English languages in certain songs, and ethnic language in other songs. Some songs are jazz-latin-fusion, and some other songs are folk and ethnic. It’s mean that though they released long play in Netherland, Massada still promote Indonesian culture. *

Track list

Artist : Massada
Album : Pusaka
Publisher : The Company of the Two P(i)eter B.V., Hillersum, England, April/Mei 1980, for Kendari Record.
Musicians :
Johnny Manuhutu (vocal)
Eppy Manuhutu (drum)
Zeth Mastumu (percussion)
Nina Latuny (rhythm guitar)
Rudy de Qoeljoe (accoustic guitar)
Truv Leerdam (bass)
Walther Sell (keyboard, prophet 5, clarinet, fendher rhodes, minimoog
Peterr Kyl (trumpet)
Jan Stam: sax, flute

Side one:
1.Tumbu (DE Quljoe)
2.Akar Bahar (idem)
3.Discrime (Leerdam ect)
4.Feelin’ Lonely (J. Manuhutu)

Side two:
1.I never had love like this before (Eppy and Johnny Manuhutu)
2.Ibu dari Adzal-ku (Mustamu)
3.Toto Buang Tomah (J. Manuhutu)
4.Sajang e (J. Manuhutu/D. Qoeljoe)

From Spain to Chick Corea

Armando Anthony “Chick” Corea (born June 12, 1941) a.k.a. Chick Corea is a well-known jazz musician. I don’t want to pretend to be his critic journalist. So let me talk about my experience with Chick Corea music. The first time I knew his name after watching a jazz concert in Gajah Mada University Yogyakarta on 1986. A local band played a song entitled Spain and I was amazed by that piece. From that experience, later I know that Chick Corea composed that piece.

After that, I try to enjoy his album, firstly from his best of Chick Corea. From Chick Corea music, I notice such likeable jazz despite it’s sophisticated chord and skill. Until 1996, if I think about jazz, I just remember two names: Chick Corea and Al Di Meola. Meola is an other jazz musician I like so much, because of his likeable compositions.

Fortunately that when I lived in Metro Manila 1996, I got some jazz long playings including this album Leprechaun by Chick Corea (1976). According to Wikipedia, this album was recorded during Corea’s time with his jazz fusion group Return to Forever. Though the album is more jazz oriented than anything Return to Forever had produced up to that time, the fusion edge still rings through quite clearly. *

Track list

1. Imp’s Welcome
2. Lenore
3.Reverie
4. Looking at the World (Lyrics: Neville Potter)
5. Nite Sprite
6. Soft and Gentle (Moran)
7. Pixiland Rag
8. Leprechaun’s Dream Part 1
9.Leprechaun’s Dream Part 2
*

Bubi Chen and His Fabulous Five

This album by the most prominent Indonesian pianist Bubi Chen is noted by Rolling Stone magazine on the end of 2007 as one of 150 Best Indonesian Album. Thank to Rolling Stone magazine, I bought this long play newly on January 2008. Don’t imagine that this album is about mainstream jazz, but it is more likely jazz-chachacha playing famous songs composed by non-Indonesian composer. If you are truly jazz lover, you should have this historical album for Indonesia jazz history.*

Track list
Side one:
1. Begin the Beguine (Cole Porter)
2. Sakura (traditional)
3. Perfidia (A. Dominguez)
4. Come Back to Sorriento (De Curtis)
5. Moon River (Mercer-Mancini)
6. The World of Suzie Wong

Side two:
1. Torero (Carosone)
2. To Be or Not to Be (d’ Esposito)
3. Bali Hai (Roger Hammerstein II)
4. Nanatsu Noko (traditional)
5. La Paloma (Yradier)
6. Come Back to Me (Martin)

Album: Bubi Chen and His Fabulous Five
Musicians: Bubi Chen (piano), Jack Lemmers (guitar), AT Asni (drums), Sarono (bass), Nien (bamboo)
Producer: Irama Record
Liner note: Wienaktoe
Cover design: Pandji Kamal

The Masterpiece of Dian Pramana Putra

Pada September 2007, saya memperoleh dua piringan hitam album karya penyanyi Dian Pramana Putra berlabel Indonesian Jazz Vocal, dan label yang sama dengan tambahan keterangan (Volume 2). Keduanya produksi JK Records. Piringan itu saya beli dan saya peroleh di kios kaset jadul di pasar Taman Puring Jakarta selatan.

Saya terkejut ketika melihat dua piringan itu, sebab dua album itu lebih dikenal dalam format kaset. Saya dulu pernah membeli kaset album perdana Dian pada tahun 1980-an, tapi kemudian hilang. Pada 1990-an saya kembali memperoleh kaset itu di pasar kaset jadul di jalan Dewi Sartika Bandung. Awal November lalu saya membeli album kedua Dian di pasar barang bekas di jalan Mangkubumi Jogja, setelah mengetahui melalui temuan piringan hitam itu bahwa Indonesian Jazz Vocal karya Dian terdiri dari dua album. Jenis musik keduanya memang sewarna, yang berbeda dengan Dian versi pop progresif yang melambungkan namanya kemudian. *

Koleksi: Piringan hitam dan kaset Dian Pramana Putra Indonesian Jazz Vocal album perdana dan kedua (Intermezzo).