A little monkey business...

JUNGLE JAM

Sunday 10th June 2007

2 pm to 6 pm

Venue: Melaka at 27 Ropemaker's Field E14 8BX
Tel: 020 7536 9256

Nearest station: WestFerry DLR
See Map Below!

Ladies and Gents! Here's an invitation to a debaucherous Sunday in (hopefully) the sun! (So start praying people!) Pull up your seats to a feast of hot and spicy dishes from Asia and then put out the fire with a jug of Tiger Beer and laze 'n' listen to some summertime jazz... probably the best antidote to a manic week! Here's a teaser of what to expect --->

My baby just cares for me It's Delovely Summertime Feeling Good They can't take that away from me Night in Tunisia I get a kick out of you Corcovado A tisket a tasket Desafinado The way you look tonight Fever Don't fence me in You make me feel so young As Time goes By Tea for Two Mack the Knife Making Whoopee My funny Valentine Beyond the Sea Night and Day... and many many more...

A-a-a-a-nd for those soft hearted and world conscious people out there, you also get to do a little good for an endangered species of wildlife! Hurrah! Don't you all feel wonderfully pleased?! Part of all the proceeds of the day go towards the volunteering program with the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary in Sendakan, Malaysia. So as you tuck into your Pisang Goreng (sweet fried bananas) and slurp at your Chendol (a milky coconut-ty drink you definitely must try), you can smile at the thought that our little furry friends in Sendakan will also be having their daily helping of love and care, thanks to YOU!

If monkeys ain't your thing, then simply let our little crew of performers entertain you! Let me introduce them...

Musicales Personae

1. Gary Holder - aka Bob

Gary is a one man band, and can play almost anything he puts his mind to - from the bongos to the djembe to the guitar to the bass. The most irritating thing is that he plays everything so-o-o-o well! During the jam, he will put all his skills into creating a reggae sound reminiscent of the great Bob Marley himself. If anything, he promises to LOOK like Bob, and has suitably restrung and honed both his guitar and his dreadlocks. And being the superlatively talented fellow he is - Gary will sing a couple of his own compositions in addition to jamming with the rest of the band.

2. Melissa Foong - aka Melf!

Melissa has been playing bass for her church on a regular basis, and sneakily getting very good at it! She only informed us that she had been doing so this week when she came over to a little gathering and wowed everyone with her flying fingers over those frets! Well, better late than never Melissa!! To make amends for not informing us sooner of her spectacular talent, Melissa will be bruising her fingers on an acoustic bass guitar during the jam and showing us once and for all why bass guitar players tend to be the sexiest people in a band!

3. Grace Dramamama - aka Gracey/Graceland/the Grace of Wrath/you get the idea...

Grace has been singing from the age of four when she discovered her mother's hairbrush made a pretty good microphone. Grace progressed into gospel singing, and after disrupting church choir practises for a number of years, found herself in a university hostel band and singing most unrighteous songs her mother would blush at. Grace attempted a career in the army, which she promptly left after three years (thankfully without killing anyone) to become one of the many sad and "leecherous" lawyers with no life beyond credit agreements and conditions precedent. Thankfully, Grace rediscovered her love for classic jazz and the stage just before she had to submit her "drawdown notice", and now regularly jams to friends and family in both Singapore and in London.

And finally ...

4. Adam Hughes - aka Quickfingers

Adam gives the group the professional edge, and he has played both jazz and classical piano for the last 13 years. He has already performed at well over 2000 engagements all round Europe since the age of 13, with a broad range of highly respected musicians. Adam is associated with many societies and events throughout the UK including: London Jazz Festival, London's Riverfront Jazz Festival (www.riverfrontjazz.co.uk), Berlin Jazz Club, TCM, Marcus Mingus Jazz Club Belgium, Litten Tree Jazz Festival and Blah and Blah and Blah... Adam however loves monkeys, and as such has agreed to plonk the piano for their sake for a good four hours!

(Awww... Thank you Adam!)

Here the map for the directionally challenged... WestFerry station is just up Grenade Street.

And so the riverman~~~ will part company with you for this week Reader!

Do keep your fingers crossed for us, and we will try to do you proud!

~~~