And The Band Played On
Montreux Jazz Special Concert: Lee Ritenour and Friends

Yes, Lee Ritenour was the main draw of this concert. After all, the man is a legendary guitarist, composer and producer—but he certainly wasn't the only star of the evening. That honour really was divided five ways, between himself, his band mates... and their surprise guest vocalist for the night.

Playing a mix of funk, blues, bossa nova and rock, the four-piece set - Will Kennedy on drums, Melvin Davis on bass and Patrice Rushen on keyboards and piano — rocked the house and brought the crowd to their feet, performing classics like West Bound and the Antonio Carlos Jobim composition, Agua De Beber.

But it wasn't until the unexpected arrival of jazz superstar Kurt Elling that things really went crazy. Earning riotous cheers, the quintet instantly broke into Close Your Eyes, which started off smooth as silk, but soon escalated into a rollickin’ jam.

Pretty soon, the band was less concerned with putting on a show than simply having a ball. Melvin and Will would burst into solo duels. Not to be outdone, however, Kurt and Lee would face off in their own guitar versus vocals battle.

With the crowd reduced to gasps of excitement and hoots of approval, it was Kurt who summed up the night best: “How ‘bout this band? Oh, my goodness!” How ‘bout that band, indeed!

Trumpeting Triumph!
Lady Doo-Bop Saskia Laroo Band and Midnight Jam

When you step into a Saskia Laroo gig, you just know you're going to have a good time. Kicking off the night with Jazzn'Jamz from her new album, Really Jazzy, Saskia Laroo and her troop of merry men grabbed everyone by the hip from the get-go, led everyone straight into the next song China Swing, and from then on, it was a night of non-stop grooving!

With impeccable musicianship and showmanship, Saskia and her band took the audience through a wicked, soulful concoction of jazz, hip-hop, funk, drum 'n' bass and reggae. It was a modish, urban sound that not only drew influences from the past, but was also a sincere tribute to the great hornmen such as John Coltrane and Miles Davis.

Then came a pleasant surprise. Not only did founder of Montreux Jazz Festival, Claude Nobs, make a special appearance on the harmonica, Lee Ritenour, cajoled by Saskia and Claude, also stepped up with a guest stint on guitar on Saskia’s original composition, Big Blues.

"This is extremely special! We are really lucky tonight!" shouted Saskia after their incendiary collaboration. Clearly, from the smiles on their faces, it was a musical meeting of old friends who had had just as much fun as the excited crowd who would dance all night long to Saskia Laroo if they could.

Later on at the Midnight Jam Session
Led by Jam Master Jimmy Lee, temperatures skyrocketed as musicians from local luminaries to members of the Saskia Laroo band got onstage for jazzy jams with crazy chemistry. Improv ingenuity aside, Saskia Laroo's keyboardist Warren Byrd and local singer Dawn Ho also stole the limelight. As the night ended on a high with an all-star jam on stage, that hackneyed old saying came to mind: music is truly a universal binding force, no matter how different we all are!

Bright Young Things/An Evening of Jazz Standards/Relax One Corner with Najip

Quotes of the Day

"He can play it all. He's got a seven string bass, a six string, a five string, a four string... and even a three string! But we don't like that one." – Lee Ritenour (on bassist Melvin Davis)

"In case you're confused, I'm the father and this is the son!" – Marcus Loh

"Melvin said we have to go to sleep because we have to get up to go to Manila. I don't think we can do an encore. Naaaah, I'm kidding!" – Lee Ritenour

"Buy the album! Buy the album!" – Unnamed audience member (after Saskia Laroo told the audience that she was performing a repertoire mainly taken from her new album, Really Jazzy)

"I ask them whether they know anything about Singapore, but they catch no ball. So I help them catch lah!" – Najip Ali, on bringing local culture to international acts

"We have big mountains in Montreux. You have them here too! The big, tall buildings!" – Claude Nobs, founder of Montreux Jazz Festival

"I wanted to bring my dad here. He would've loved this, but he's not someone who comes out of the house! Also: the guitarist rocks!" – Ean, couchsurfing.com host, on the Louis Soliano Quartet