A swinging performance by the Ron King All-Star Big Band during a news conference Tuesday for the 2008 Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival provided a taste for what's to come at the city's iconic musical event.

Due to kick off Friday and end Sunday at the Jakarta Convention Center, Java Jazz has been dubbed one of the world's biggest jazz festivals -- though mixed with names in pop and other non-jazz performers.

The festival's program director, Eki Puradireja, announced that 56 international groups and 110 local bands, comprising 1,500 musicians, were set to entertain concertgoers.

Concertgoers can easily get lost because, according to Eki, "there will be 19 stages with 80 concerts per day".

Last year's festival, which featured 16 stages, drew thousands of spectators who had to elbow their way into the venue.

Performers will range from James Ingram and Bobby Caldwell to the lesser-known Tunisian oud player and composer Dhafer Youssef.

Ingram and Caldwell are sure to please fans with their sweet melodies and lyrics, while the latter will charm audiences with his evocative music deeply rooted in Sufi traditions.

Babyface, Kurt Elling, Renee Olstead, George Clinton and some old Java Jazz hands, such as Brian Simpson and Earth, Wind and Fire, featuring the Al McKay Allstars, are also set to wow audiences.

The festival's chairman, Peter Gontha, promises all types of jazz -- Latin, soul, fusion, funk, ethnic and avant-garde -- will be performed during the weekend event.

A hallmark will be the big bands. Along with the Ron King All-Star Big Band, the vocal jazz group Manhattan Transfer, which is famous for mixing jazz, big band and popular music styles, will be one performance not to miss.

"We're very happy to be here," Tim Hauser, the oldest member of Manhattan Transfer, said.

Big band music became popular in the 1930s and 1940s, also known as the Swing Era, when large groups of jazz musicians began to play together.

As for local performers, this year's festival will showcase the collaborative work of Indonesian jazz legends Ireng Maulana, Bubi Chen, Benny M van Diest and Benny Likumahua.

Unfortunately, Indra Lesmana, who played at the last three Java Jazz festivals, will miss this year's event. The soulful Maliq and D'Essentials, which represents the youthful spirit of jazz, will also be absent.

"I think it is time to give a chance to other musicians to perform," Peter said.

Dian Pramana Putra, a prolific pop-jazz singer/songwriter from the 1980s and early 1990s, who has long been out of the spotlight, will perform songs from his upcoming album.

Jazz singers Rieka Roeslan (former vocalist of The Groove), Andien and Iga Mawarni, and pop singers Nina Tamam (former Warna member) and Yuni Shara will share the stage under the group name Lima Wanita (Five Women).

Popular

Malaysia set to revive cross-strait bridge project with feasibility study in 2026

Challenges of home learning during a pandemic through the eyes of a student

An unhistorical history book