She was often times our main excuse to walk out of the house for a bite
to eat and an alcoholic refreshment at long lost Bar Stop on Devonshire.
We still miss that place in many ways. I remember it best because of all
those beautiful people we got to meet. Many of them we still follow around in
Singapore! Staff like Carine who moved on to other venues, and musicians like
Audrey Tang, Michelle Poh, Melissa Tham and of course the grand dame of them
all Alemay Fernandez.
On a recent friday night it was more or less an impulse desision, but no
doubt memories of those days triggered it from our subliminal minds. We knew
she was performing at the Sing Jazz Club and just felt like listening to her
for a bit. “Bit” is a word that does not match Alemay very much though.
With a
majestic profile,
an stage presence of an actrice
and the vocal capacity to blow the roof off the venue
she is easily Singapore's power house of music.
For that evening she gathered together some other familiar faces to
support her.
Gabriel Pitts on drums
Jordan Wei On Piano
And joining later Anson Fung on guitar
Though both Alemay and I know that she can easily fill an evening on her
own, she had arranged for more vocal stimulation by:
Hazrul Nizam
Mathilda D'Silva
A very interesting combination of talent that often times developed onto
surprising contrast. Hazrul with what appeared to me tenor tyoe of voice
against the raw soul and quirky voice bites of Mathilda
or the highs of Hazrul
against the lows of Alemay.
Recognizable soul and R&B tunes with a single Jazz song to stay true
to the venue, Sing Jazz, provided opportunity for sing allongs as well as to
sit back and relax.
I am glad that Sing Jazz recognizes that music does not really need
these boxes like Jazz Blues and what not. What's nice is nice! “This is better
then” is a matter of personal preference. If I may share mine. I would love to
see these two ladies rock!
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