Passes...

I dunno why man, all the great figures in arts and culture are dying one by one...

There were two other casualties yesterday.

1. Anthony Mighella, who directed The English Patient, The Talented Mr Ripley, and Cold Mountain, passed away at the age of 54.

2. Arthur C. Clarke, 90, passed away in his Sri Lanka home. This man needs no introduction, he wrote all the greatest of sci-fi novels, which includes 2001: A Space Oddysey, Rendezvous with Rama and many more.

Rest in Peace.

More random shit...

Went to see Chris Howes' gig today, happy to see him play again since last September. The band was a fantastic combination of great musicians ---- Chris himself, Oli Rockberger on keys, Janek Gwizdala on bass, Joel Rosenplatt on drums and Joel Newton on guitar. Amazing playing the whole night through.

Funny thing was Jules and I saw this little Japanese chick walking in like an excited little jazz fan from NYU. During the break, Jules asked me if she was Hiromi the pianist. I said, "Nah, can't be lah. She might look like her but Hiromi must be a very busy person to check out gigs." But then we overheard Chris calling her "Hiromi". We looked at each other: Wei, it's really her!

So after the show, I went up and asked a stupid question,"Excuse me, are you Hiromi?" She looked at me surprised, "Yes..." I asked again, "The Hiromi?" She said, looking at me more puzzled, "Yes..." So we started to introduce ourselves and told her how much we admire her playing and shit. That was some funny experience. She said she came to Malaysia before ------- when she was 17.

cheh... it was a school trip...

Came home, had a fight with sis over the phone cuz I made a very bad joke. I apologised to her but she didn't let me just get away with it... sigh... She started to blame NY and my friends here for transforming me into something so indecent and low-class and immoral.......

It's hard to be yourself in front of your own family I guess... Yeah I know my joke was too over-the-top but I dunno what else can I do other than saying sorry to her....

Duh... Guess won't have a good sleep tonight...

Random shit

Hiro gave me a surprise call today (I never gave him my number), telling me that he thought he saw my keys in the library's lost-and-found. After hearing his description, I was sure that it was mine. I was on my way to QC to meet up with Charlie anyway, so I picked it up in the library. I was pretty glad that I found it back because the talisman that Mune got for me was there.

The musical rehearsal today was fun. I love cuts! The more the better! It makes everything so much shorter and easier!

It's fun to play with Meesh and Charlie because both are terrific musicians. The funk was sooooooo funky. Of course, Andrea took the tempo faster today. Some of the students really can't sing at all though. sigh...

Oh man... i dunno why am i so tired today... what the fuck did i do anyway? just a stinkin' rehearsal? no way...

I missed Rudresh's show today because I was too tired and hungry, plus the fuckin' rehearsal only ends at 9pm!!

I dunno man, I'm starting to have the crave to write music again. Maybe it's about time. I just wrote a tune that day, called 6 Months (or maybe i will call it The 6th Month, I dunno yet). Finally, after half a year, I'm writing again.

Also I wanna start writing shit for Rosemary's Babies (Brian doesn't seem to like this name), more shit. I'm thinking of some pre-composed themes that's blended into our improv.

We'll see how it goes...

Shit... I feel like shit whenever I sit down... New York is a dark chamber full of lonely people squeezing to each other... We're all very close, and yet very far...

That's New York for you, despite all the superficial glamour that people admire from far...

A few words to Meesh

Hey friend, listen: we will finish the shit, no matter what.

As the old book says, close every door behind you. We started somethin', we finish it. We don't leave anything hangin'.

I know you will finish it somehow, but don't get all upset and shit. Shit happens sometimes.

Like last year during the summer, I really felt like everything was falling apart. My visa situation, my money running low, gigs didn't knock on my door, etc...

But hey, I walked through it in one piece! That's all that matters.

So now, if you walked through your situation and shittiness right now in one piece, a better time will come and I can guarantee you that you can get your shit done.

I'm listening to Mediterraneo. Damn it sounds great, I think it's my favourite song by you.

Let's think of something. Let's play some.

The thing with chicks

Yeah I really think I have a problem with chicks man, I dunno why.

Every time I see a chick that I think I like, they'd never get back to me. NEVER.

Whenever I tried to ask them to keep in touch, they never do ---- even though I wrote them.

But you know, whatever. What's new since high school? Nothing.

All my ex-gfs are weirdos anyway.

Guess I'm gonna be single my whole life...

Of Oistrakh and Men...

The biggest difference between David Oistrakh and the pitiful mortal violinists is ---- he has a real heart.

I was watching four different versions of Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto: Akiko Suwanai, Perlman, Midori and Oistrakh.

Suwanai was clean, very clean, but I couldn't feel no music from her. It sounded very plain from her, like a glass of water, nothing more. And she won the Tchaikovsky competition --- that shows you how people appreciate music these days.

Perlman, you can hear some music from him, but he's just easy going with some of the passages, not detailed enough.

Midori, very emotional, but I only felt the fire in her and not much of other things. I was touched in a certain parts, but in the more tender parts, it didn't feel so deep.

Oistrakh, King David, the God, even just by listening to the opening phrase of the first theme, you'd know that he is the one! I dunno how he did it, but he just did it! It's really something amazing. See, of all the videos, Oistrakh's video is oldest black-and-white clip. But for some reason, his violin sound just penetrates through the muffled old recording sound and sounded like a modern recording!

You see the difference between Oistrakh and the usual mortal men? I think I did.

Funk Buddha gig in Zebulon

I thought I was lost after getting off from the subway.

Walking along Metropolitan Ave in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, looking for Zebulon Cafe, it was really cold because wind was blowing so strong it almost shrunk my balls.

When I finally got to Zebulon, only the percussionist Vivian was there. We waited there for one hour (show hits at 10pm), watching Akira Kurosawa's Dreams juxtaposing with Brazillian music played from the PA system. Akim and others came a little later after that.

When we finally hit, I told the drummer I would start off with the riff of Name Wee's "King of Daoban". I was listening to that song on the way, so I thought it would be fun to start off with that --- it's also a rap song anyway.

It was a fun night, which Akim regarded as "rehearsal". It was the usual spontaneous style that Akim is used to, only even freer this time. It was fun!

Peter Lew wasn't there, so there weren't any harmony or anything, and I became the "chordal instrument", playing all the riffs and maintain the simple harmonic progressions that I created on the spot. My delay pedals were a great help, I could do so much more colours with it!

I did some "conversations" with a couple of the performers and guests, exchanging licks and stuff.

The great thing was Pete List was back in the group. Man, I'd say he's my favourite beatboxer to date, because of the crisp sound, snappy beats and his unhumanly sound effects.

At one point of the show, I actually went crazy and started to play Jacko's "Smooth Criminal" riff, the crowd went crazy, we weren't any better. It was the climax of the show.

Ever since my last time playing with Akim (the LaMama theatrical run), I finally found a very balanced way of working with him. I sort of got his pacing of things, and I now know where and when I should play more or play less. I think that's why tonight's show totally rocked out!

Recording with Tony Sanchez

Michelle gave me an SMS in the morning when I almost woke up, saying, "I think you will like the drummer."

OK, I thought, whatever. I trust her judgement.

So I packed up my shit, Brandon came pick me up, and we hit straight to Kampo Studios on Bond Street.

Found the place, got buzzed in, took the elevator up. Door opened, and we saw Michelle and this muscle guy sitting on the couch ---- Antonio Sanchez.

He's really cool, chilling with everybody else like he's just another person, doesn't act all diva and shit.

After a looooooooong setup, we finally hit. Man, this guy is so stable that everything he plays in the studio seems usable for a recording!

With him playing there and Yoshi laying down the bass in Mediterraneo, it felt like I suddenly know the tune for real! I always thought I knew the music better than anyone, but then there were still some uncertainty rhythmically. But once these two motherfuckers came in and play, everything was crystal clear and I actually understood how the music worked!

That was quite a session, I learned a lot...

Miles 2nd 5tet

Goddamn!!!!!!!!!!

I got myself a whole box set of 6 CDs of Miles Davis' 2nd quintet!!!!!!!!

I played for Mike M's benefit show. Since it was a benefit, he couldn't pay us too much, so he decided to get us some CDs that we want from his friend who works in BMG, who has access to so many promotional copies (over 10,000 titles in the catalogue).

Mike said, "Go crazy, choose something you really like but too expensive to buy!"

Fuck yeah, so I chose Miles 2nd 5tet box set that I wanted for sooooo long. Then I asked Jules if he wants something, he chose Miles and Trane's complete Columbia sessions. I went back to Mike and asked him if I could get one more, he said sure go ahead! So that's how Jules got his new baby for free!

But hell, I didn't know when Mike said, "Go crazy", he really meant it. When I looked at Jesse's selections, I almost killed myself! Shit, that motherfucker got SOOO MANY BOX SETS!! Including AC/DC's complete box set, Clash, some Bob Dylan shit and some more I dunno what!

Bummer. Too late.

Pop sickness

So... everybody is catching a cold... kinda cool... nobody is a social outcast, haha!

I'm also one of them...

So fuckin' tired... woke up one morning and totally felt like shit but still had to go for two gigs.

Now I'm not that tired, but starting to have bad sore throat and blocking nose --- GREAT!

Always feel the worst in the mornings when I'm having this kinda problem, phlegm and heavy coughing and shit...

ARRGHH!!!

Got this sickness from my colleagues in Westchester Chamber, thanks to them, I'm now not a social outcast. :)

DR LONNIE SMITH!!!

Vox 4 played with Lonnie Smith in the studio today!!

Oh for those of you who don't know, Vox 4 is my new band, or if you wanna be more specific, it's a string quartet.

Haruka went to see him performing the other day, and talked to him. He said he wanted to listen to us, so we set up a session with him today and played for him.

He liked how we sounded and started to jam with us together with his drummer and guitarist.

Man, that cheese-fest by DBR that we played became great music all of a sudden!

Then he started to teach us some of his tunes and we picked it up by ears (he doesn't read and write music). We had a great time figuring out our own parts in the music, just improvising along, but you don't feel pointless or time-wasting when you do it ---- as sometimes bad execution of such method could lead to ultimate boredom --- you just... feel good! It made me recall what Justin DiCioccio always said to us in Mancini, "Playin' music's suppose to feel good!" True to the max.

Doc doesn't read or write music at all, but his mind is nothing less than a sophisticated composer. He hears everything in his head and he would tell you verbally what to do with your part. He also told us that using our pair of ears is actually even better than reading the charts, cuz you fully understand your part. I can totally relate to that because I am more an ear-user since young, than a music-reader, never really worked for me, even though I read pretty well in orchestras. (And maybe that's why I picked up jazz easier than most other peers)

Doc is funny as hell and such a wise old man. He would crack jokes anytime and make you laugh like a motherfucker. Like, he would point at his guitarist and tell us, "I don't like this guy, never did." And we started to laugh right? Then he said, "I say, when you don't like somebody, you just tell him straight," after a short pause, he said, "Cuz nobody will believe you anyway." Dude, we just laughed harder!

He's like a grown up kid, having fun all the time, with every little thing around him, even more so with his organ. Damn he would just shred like a motherfucker on the keys so intensely, but you could only see him smiling and singing along when he played. He never shows you how hard it is to command and instrument, because it is beside the point. He said, "Whatever you play, it should come out straight from your heart, otherwise, however many notes you play doesn't matter at all." He said he was impressed with our ability to pick up things with ears, especially we're classically trained string players. "You're usually told, 'Hey! You missed one note there!' But that's where exactly you start from and learn!" He said when the music comes out from your heart, what does it matter if you missed a note?

Then he started to show us lots of shit on his organ, crazy shit that we hear from his recordings and videos. But he said, that's just what he felt right then, not something mathematical nor intellectual. He also told us some stories of how he started and his first gigs with George Benson.

I tell you, this guy knows more about life and music than anyone.

He wants to see us again before he went back to Florida on the 19th. I guess we'll set up two more sessions with him.

Speaking of Florida, he said we can go down to his place there anytime we want and play all day and relax. Oh Lonnie!

See who's got da room??!!

I called the landlord this morning, he told me JULES CAN STAY IN THE ROOM!!!!!!!!!!

FUCK YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!

good for u Jules!!!

by the way... I bought a set of speakers for my PC today, Altec Lansing VS2421, damn fuckin' nice sound man!! It only costs me 54 bucks about 10 bucks more than Nick's double speaker set of the same brand (mine got woofer!!)

so... tomorrow Vox 4 will be playing for Lonnie Smith, the Hammond B3 legend...

see what happens...

the group is still in its infancy, and still too much classical sound in there from some of the members... have to work... I hope Seth would pick up some solid bass playing on his cello instead of just some flamboyant and flashy technique. Cuz without the basics, it doesn't matter however fancy your playing is.

Well, I hope if one of you guys bumped into my blog, you won't take offense reading these comments, no ill intentions. By the way... can we not play them DBR pieces anymore? they're real cheesy...

My gig with Mike M...

so i did my shit with Mike again...

ok lah... i liked the first gig better...

i mean... i dunno, maybe because Jesse wasn't there...

i mean, Mike's a good songwriter lah, but his guitar playing (not to mention singing) kinda sucks...

i tried to use a loop station in one of his songs also, that's for the first time i use it in my life. the guitarist let me used his newly purchased looping gear, didn't work so well in the beginning, but afterwards it got alright, almost reaching my expectation...

whatever lah, a gig is a gig! :P

Outside Heath Ledger's apartment

No, I'm no fan of Heath Ledger's.

But I happened to walk by his street and saw a whole bunch of TV station cars parking on the roadside. So I went over out of curiosity, and saw a bunch of people surrounding a news reporter from Channel 7 from Australia that was doing a real time announcement.

His photo was on the wall besides the building door, with a huge Aussie national flag below.

28... just 28...

What would a person dream of when he is 28?

A career? He had quite a great one. A kid or two? He had one.

Damn...

R.I.P.

(guess I have to watch Brokeback Mountain now, haha!)

Waiting for Jules

I'm sitting here in the living right now, 12:54am, just finished watching a DVD.

It's a fairly new film by Luc Besson, called Angel-A.

So my buddy Jules is comin' and I'm so very excited. I still remember the crazy laughter we had that lasted for 3 hours non-stop. I can't believe that I'm getting it soon ---- HERE IN NEW YORK!

Yeah, man, I'm sure he's as excited as me, maybe not because of the laughter (he carries it like a disease anyway), but because of New York and Jazz.

Yes Jules, when you're reading this, you're already in my pad, probably ready to go out for some sightseeing or ready to crash. Whatever it is, I assure you, it will be an exciting new life for you --- learning new things, meeting new people, and who knows? Maybe get a chick or something.

And all you homies out there who are reading this, please don't worry, the fat ass is in good hands, I won't torture him. I don't ask for much you know? Cooking a three-course meal for me everyday and cleaning my room up before 12pm everyday should be good...

JULES YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!!! GET HERE SAFE AND WE WILL ROCK DA TOWN!!!!!!!!!!

Keakhirannya...?

Hari terakhirnya di Bandaraya New York

Di suatu warung kopi

Bertemulah mereka

Entah bila cinta memenuhi hati

Tapi hanyalah dari seorang

Gadis hanya nak jadi kawan

Sampai hari ini lagi laki-laki tidak faham

Ah, kisah apa lagi?

Cerita ini sudah tamat

Jadi berpeluklah mereka di stesen keretapi

Nyanyian si bujang bukan merdu

Tapi jelas terdengar si gadis

"Biar musim sejuk, musim bunga, musim panas atau musim luruh
Telefon lah saja kalau nak
Aku akan berada di sana untukmu
Kawanlah aku untukmu"

Termerah mata si gadis

Ia memeluk si bujang sekali lagi

Sambil mencium bibirnya

Sampai sinilah ceritanya si bujang

Tiada apa-apa lagi

(p/s: shit, my Malay sucks!!!)

I Am Legend

The last man on earth was walking on the empty streets of Times Square...





He remembered that fateful day of the final evacutation...





Cops were everywhere, ready to action...




Just kidding... Happy New Year...

灰暗

也许是在这个城市住久了的关系，觉得自己越变越黑暗。

可以感觉自己平时脸上是没有笑容的，尤其是自己一个人静静坐在地铁上的时候。

有时候觉得自己脸上木无表情，或者眼神充满怨恨，对很多事情的绝望。不管原因是什么，我心中的癫狂很波澜却是难以掩饰得住的。

自从她回来过后见到她那么多次，虽然自己感觉很深，却不断地觉得自己是个白痴。到现在她还是有所保留，这一点我自己非常清楚，我还需要浪费时间等吗？还是要一直坚定地不屈不挠？

是不是人生每一件事情都是一场赌注？如果是的话，在赌注里面有没有办法识别哪个是比较有信心的投注？

我的心非常灰，眼神非常昏暗。

真想这一晚一醉到天亮...

Christmas/New Year...

yes...

christmas...new year...hanukkah...

all the same season...almost back to back...

what have i achieved this year nigga?

oh, i went home twice this year, one time for my chinese new year since i came to yankeeland, and another time is my first time people flew me back home to perform...

i played multiple times in malaysian jazz clubs, having my own show, which was something that i dreamt of...

managed to survive the cruel summer, though it's by escaping home...

managed to get my artist visa...

managed to play with some of the best jazz musicians...

getting joget jazz together with nicholas my buddy...

but...

where's the girl part?

i dunno...

hey AM, u listening to me?

i'm calling out for you!

i know you don't hear me, but i will keep on calling!

merry christmas and happy new year...

That old man in the movie theatre...

Show's over, lights were on...

He yelled at me from behind, "Where do you play? Are you in school or performing?"

Told him I'm a freelancer and I play everywhere.

He said, "I'm a keyboard player, that's why I asked,"

"You a union member?"

No.

"It's tough isn't it?"

Yes, but it's alright.

"The best part is there are only 4000 of us and 1000 jobs for all of us."

The challenege is the fun part though.

"Not until you're 60."

I saw his bags and untidy feature, realised he was a homeless.

"Enjoy your challenege all you want for now, but you'll see what would happen to you when you're my age."

Yeah, thank you very much.