March will kick off the unofficial Jazz Festival season, and we will do our best to keep you informed on all of the festivals that will be happening. Although we usually cover the United States, there are actually some major festivals that will take place in other parts of the world.
The Java Jazz Festival 2017 is one of those events. It is taking place in Indonesia, yes Indonesia, and it will feature several of your favorite artists, and also many of the popular International musicians that I am sure you will love. This is not a new event. The Java Jazz Festival has been happening for the past 12 years. These promoters know how to organize a concert!
The Java Jazz Festival 2017 is happening March 3rd-5th, 2017, and the venue is the Jakarta International Expo, and as of this writing, there are over 40 artists that are confirmed.
Check out some of the confirmed artists:
- Adam Hawley
- Brian Simpson
- Chick Corea Elektric Band
- Chieli Minucci – Special EFX
- Chuck Loeb
- Dee Dee Bridgewater
- Elan Trotman
- Elliott Yamin
- Eric Marienthal
- Harvey Mason
- Incognito
- Kirk Whalum
- Morgan James
- Nathan East
- Paulinho Garcia
- Renegade Brass Band
- Rick Braun
- Stanley Jordan
Some other artists that you may not know, will include Anthony Strong, a musician arranger and orchestrator. His big band sounds are second to none.
Beady Beale, is a Norwegian act that has been entertaining International audiences since 1999.
Cristina Morrison is an Ecuadorian artist that performs jazz standards. She is a nominee for the 15th Independent Music Awards for Jazz with Vocals Album (Baronesa) and Jazz with Vocals Song (The Sky Is In Your Eyes).
Bassist Nik West is a veteran performer who has worked with many other artists, including Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics and the late, great Prince. She will bring the much needed funk bottom to the show.
Mezzoforte is a jazz-funk band from Iceland. They have been together since 1977, so you know they have to be tight. They actually had me at jazz-funk!
There will be many more, but as you can see, there will be a lot of variety at the Java Jazz Festival, and that is how it should be. A nice mixture of artists you know, and a healthy dose of good artists and performers that you will come to love.
What is the deal with Jakarta, Indonesia?
So, do you know anything about Jakarta, Indonesia? Well, in March the average temperature is 79 degrees. It has a population of more than 10 million people. To me, when I think about going to other countries, the main question is:
What the heck am I going to eat?
Well, after a little research, I found that the cuisine is not too bad. Here is a sample of some of the food:
- Satay – meat skewers of chicken, goat, or rabbit.
- Soto – A traditional meat soup with chicken or beef
- Nasi goreng – Fried rice with a sweet, thick soy sauce
- Opor ayam – Braised chicken in coconut milk
These are a few of the dishes that I came across. It sounds pretty tasty if you ask me.
Now that we got that out of the way, what about lodging? There are many hotels that will be able to accommodate you on your trip. Hotel Borobudur is a five star diamond hotel that is in the center of Jakarta. The Grand Mercure Jakarta Kemayoran is also nearby. If you want some familiarity, there are two Holiday Inns and a Holiday Inn Express in the area.
If you are thinking about your vacation and you want to try something different this year, this trip might be a good option for you.
You can get tickets here. There are individual passes available and you can also get the 3-day package.