Midsummer Jazz Promenade

Four years residence in New Orleans wasn't for nothing. The weekend promenade on Bourbon Street was a ritual and task for me to blend into the southern society in US in late 70's. As a lonely and desperate graduate student at LSU Medical Center, I took refuge at Cafe' du Monde, Pat O'Brien's, and many Jazz bars at French Quarter where I had Jazz in my life for the first time and ever after.

There are many Jazz lovers among Toastmasters. Toastmaster Hiromi Takigawa talked me into visiting Dazaifu to enjoy my last evening at Nishimura Jazz Factory in Kysuhu after District 76 Spring Conference 2008 in Hiroshima. Before we called it a night, Toastmaster Masuo Watari played Jazz guitar and sang his favorite song All of Me to say farewell.

Many thanks go to Toastmaster Irene Chen for informing of the Taipei International Jazz Festival 2008. I was at MACO Taipei to see the second of five consecutive concerts of Midsummer Jazz Promenade on Saturday evenings from June 21st to July 19th. Because of the rain, the open air concert was held indoors. MACO Taipei was packed with Jazz lovers, young and old. The music was great and spontaneous! I like both Jazz groups, young and energetic, full of passions!

With an aim to train myself to understand better the impromptu dialogue between the Jazz musicians live on stage, I walked into Franz and Friends to listen to Ching-tsung Jazz Quartet Sunday afternoon, June29th. The Live House concert was cool. While drinking coffee, I listened to sweet and warm Vocalist Wu Ching. She sang five songs (One Night in the Hotel, Triste, My Romance, Dancing in the Dark, Night and Day) in the first session and five more (Four, One Love Samba, It's Never Entered my Mind, Night & Music & You, Every Time We Say Goodbye) in the second session.

I am very satisfied with my progress in relishing the Jazz a little better during this cool weekend in the rain and I'm planning to listen to another two groups at the Taipei Water Park next Saturday evening, July 5th, to continue my intensive Jazz Training Course 2008. Hope to see many toastmasters and Jazz lovers there! Let's give our support to the young Jazz talents in Taipei City on breezy Saturday evenings!