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Evening with Sieverts, Aksan, opens mind, lifts spirit
Collaboration: Kartika Jahjaâs (left) immersion in the song sent tingles down oneâs spine, while Christian Weidnerâs (right) gentle composition was a perfect closing for the evening
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span class="inline inline-none">Collaboration: Kartika Jahja's (left) immersion in the song sent tingles down one's spine, while Christian Weidner's (right) gentle composition was a perfect closing for the evening. German and Indonesian jazz musicians presented a great performance before an appreciating full house of Goethe's Serambi Jazz program.
A live jazz performance where musicians play and are obviously having a good time is always an uplifting experience. Add to that, performers who lean more toward experimental work, as were seen at a recent evening at Central Jakarta's Goethe Institute with Henning Sieverts and Aksan Sjuman's project, and the result was truly mind-opening.
Almost all of the seven compositions that night were not as familiar as Noah's 'Separuh Aku' (Half of Me), but the quirkiness of some of the musicality on display introduced the audience to a new experience.
Four of the songs had only been composed the previous day by the nine musicians, who presented a great performance before an appreciative full house at the event, which was part of the Goethe Institute's Serambi Jazz program.
Sieverts said he and fellow German Christian Weidner had first met Aksan and the six other Indonesian musicians the day before the show.
'We only met yesterday, but it feels natural,' Sieverts said in between compositions.
Sieverts, who was born in 1966 and is a graduate of the Berlin Conservatory, said it was the third time he had played in Indonesia. The first time was with his quartet in 2009 and the second was two years ago with a German band. Sieverts said this third time was the 'greatest' because he got to play together with Indonesian musicians.
The evening started with a piece composed collectively by the nine musicians: Sieverts on contrabass; Weidner on saxophone; Aksan on drums; Serambi Jazz curator Riza Arshad on accordion, together with the Committee of the Fest, Aksan's project, with its five young musicians. Besides Aksan, the Committee comprised Mery Kasiman (keyboards); Indra Perkasa (contrabass); Nikita Dompas (electric guitar); Dion Janapria (electric guitar) and Kartika Jahja (vocals).
The second composition was an upbeat song written by Sieverts.
The third and fourth pieces, called 'Twin' and 'Unison', were played without a break, presenting a playful performance that demonstrated the affinity the musicians shared, despite the fact they had met only hours before. 'Twin' displayed two musicians taking it in turns to improvise. Sieverts jammed with Indra, Dion with Nikita, Mery with Riza, and Kartika (of Tika and the Dissidents) with Weidner. The session was closed by Aksan before they embarked on the second piece. In 'Unison', Aksan set the rhythm with his drums while the other eight musicians took turns playing numerous one-note presentations. Both these pieces were experimental and made for a few onstage mistakes, but the mood was so buoyant that the musicians laughed which, in turn, encouraged the audience to join in the laid-back, fun spirit.
The fifth offering, 'Long and Short', also composed by the nine musicians, incorporated a Sundanese sound, which set a different mood among the audience. The next piece, 'Death of the Prophet', was from Aksan and the Committee's 'perpetually unfinished' album. The musicians gave an edge-of-the-seat performance and Tika's immersion in the song sent tingles down one's spine.
The evening was brought to a close with Weidner's music, whose gentle and melodious sound made a perfect end to the night.
Weidner, who studied saxophone at several universities of music in Hamburg, Stockholm and Berlin, released his album, Dream Boogie, last year with his quartet, including Sieverts.
Sieverts himself has taken part in more than 100 productions, 12 of them as the band's leader.
Aksan is a composer of film scores, a music arranger, drummer and a founder and teacher at his music school, the Sjuman School of Music.
Riza is the curator and musical director of Serambi Jazz. He has founded several bands including
SimakDialog.
Aksan Sjuman and the Committee of the Fest was established in 2007 when Aksan asked five young but accomplished jazz musicians to work together.
The Committee's music is influenced by elements of jazz, rock, folk music, rap and new wave.
' Photos by Mohamad Amin for Goethe Institute
