Bigger and more exciting than before, the Mosaic Music Festival is back with an eclectic lineup at the Esplanade—Theatres on the Bay (1 Esplanade Dr., 6828-8377). Almost every music genre can be found in this 10-day event, from indie to jazz, hip hop to soul. To help the bewildered make up their minds on which shows to attend, we’re rounding up the festival, shedding light on the acts and their musical styles.
If you like jazz, don’t miss…
MAR 9. Live at Duke’s Place—The Music of Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. If you dig jazz biggies like Edward Kennedy Ellington (aka The Duke), Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, this gig is for you. Duke’s grandson Paul Mercer Ellington hits the stage with vocalist Freda Payne and trumpeter Byron Stripling to pay homage to these celebrated musicians. 7:30pm. Concert Hall. $40-148 from Sistic.
FREE – MAR 9. Urban Reunion. Malaysian act Dina merges R&B with ethnic sounds, while Indonesian vocal group Tofu performs hip hop, r&b and rap. 7pm. Nokia Music Station.
MAR 11. Feels Good by Take 6. Jazz cats who like contemporary jazz and a cappella gospel should pay a listen to Take 6. This vocal group has performed with Stevie Wonder. 7:30pm. Concert Hall. $40-118 from Sistic.
MAR 12. Stellar Regions—Tribute to John Coltrane. With the aid of local musicians Zai Kuning, Yuen Chee Wai and Aya Sekine, band Tim O’Dwyer Trio relives the songs of late saxophonist, composer and philosopher John Coltrane. 7:30pm. Recital Studio. $25-38 from Sistic.
FREE – MAR 14. Bring In Da Noise, Bring In Da Funk. Singaporean bands Now Playing and Raindogs take the stage. Five-piece Now Playing plays addictive Japanese funk, jazz and pop while Raindogs are good at playing groovy funk, jazz and blues. 6:30pm. The Concourse.
MAR 14. Double Bill—Bridges by Tetsu Saitoh, Omar Puente and Robert Mitchell. Tetsu Saitoh will first showcase his skills with the double bass before violinist Omar Puente and pianist Robert Michell dish out jazz, Cuban and classical. 7:30pm. Recital Studio. $25-38 from Sistic.
MAR 15. Crystal Silence—Chick Corea & Gary Burton Duets. Together with vibraphonist Gary Burton, pianist and composer Chick Corea plays songs from the acclaimed album Crystal Silence. Expect intimate jazz music. 7:30pm. Concert Hall. $40-148 from Sistic.
MAR 16. Youn Sun Nah 5: Korean jazz vocalist Youn Sun Nah shows off her sugary but powerful voice. Supporting her on stage are drummer Robin Laurent, double bassist Yoni Zelnik, vibraphonist David Neerman and pianist Benjamin Moussay. 7:30pm. Recital Studio. $25-38 from Sistic.
If you like blues and funk, don’t miss…
MAR 10. Montreux Jazz Special Concert—Tower of Power. Tower of Power started off as a duo in 1967, before growing to become a 10-piece outfit. Incorporating funk, soul and R&B in their sound, this act has played for Santana, John Lee Hooker, Phish and Aerosmith. 7:30pm. Concert Hall. $40-148 from Sistic.
MAR 10. Terry Callier. Singer songwriter Terry Callier’s influences stem from blues, soul and folk. His lyrics are sublime, talking about humanity. You’ll be surprised to know this sensitive soul was once, of all things, a computer programmer. 10pm. Theatre Studio. $38 from Sistic.
MAR 13 & 14. Carleen Anderson. The goddaughter of James Brown and Bobby Byrd, Houston-born vocalist Carleen Anderson impresses with sincere lyrics and an absorbing sound that has elements of soul, funk, gospel and R&B. She will be supported by homegrown singer Michaela Therese on Mar 13. Mar 13, 9:30pm; Mar 14, 10pm. Theatre Studio. $38 from Sistic.
MAR 14. One Self with DJ Vadim. DJ Vadim, together with MCs Yarah Bravo and Blu Rum 13, makes cool hip hop, with hints of soul and world music. 9:30pm. DXO, #01-13F Esplanade Mall, 8 Raffles Ave., 6582-4896. $38 from Sistic.
MAR 16. Buddy Guy. Amazing blues guitarist Buddy Guy has influenced rock giants such as Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. A must catch, this musician has bagged five Grammy awards. 7:30pm. Concert Hall. $58-148 from Sistic.
MAR 16. Putumayo Party! With Brooklyn Funk Essentials. This 12-piece group plays funk, Latin, reggae, jazz, house, dub, electro and hip hop. Brooklyn Funk Essentials has toured with people to the likes of Jamiroquai and Ben Harper. 10pm. Theatre Studio. $38 from Sistic.
MAR 18. The Shrine of Afrobeat—Femi Kuti & The Postive Force. Nigerian composer Femi Kuti merges traditional African music with American funk and jazz. 7:30pm. Concert Hall. $40-118 from Sistic.
If you like folk ’n pop, don’t miss…
MAR 11. José González. Combine Scandinavian indie folk with Latin and you get the heartrending sound of singer songwriter José González. His innovative covers of songs by Massive Attack, The Knife and Kylie Minogue have raised his profile. 11pm. Concert Hall. $40-58 from Sistic.
MAR 12. Rickie Lee Jones. Her sound is a refreshing concoction of talking, whispering, sobs and singing. This Grammy-winning musician mashes up jazz, soul, rock, pop, folk, spoken-word and more. 11pm. Concert Hall. $40-118 from Sistic.
MAR 15. Nerina Pallot. You’ll see traces of Sheryl Crow, Carole King, Tori Amos and Joni Mitchell in Nerina Pallot’s music. Armed with her brew of folk rock, this singer-songwriter has opened for James Blunt, Suzanne Vega and Joseph Arthur. 7:30pm, 9:30pm. Recital Hall. $25-38 from Sistic.
MAR 17. Rachael Yamagata. Endowed with a low, sultry voice, Racheal Yamagata integrates folk, indie rock, pop and jazz in her music. This cutie has been compared to Norah Jones and Fiona Apple. 7:30pm. Concert Hall. $60-118 from Sistic.
FREE – MAR 17. Sasha Bach Band. Hailing from Denmark, four piece band fronted by singer songwriter Sasha Bach plays infectious rock. 7:30pm; 8:45pm. Nokia Powerhouse.
MAR 17. Tristan Prettyman. Tristan Prettyman plays upbeat and breezy folk pop and has toured with Jason Mraz. 7:30pm, 9:30pm. Recital Studio. $25-38 from Sistic.
If you like everything indie…
FREE – MAR 10. Rock Tigers. A Korean band who takes you back to ’60s rock ‘n’ roll. You’ll like them if you’re into Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Gene Vincent! 10pm. Nokia Powerhouse.
MAR 12. Yo La Tengo. One of the longest surviving indie rock bands, Yo La Tengo often marries noise, pop, garage and folk. This cheeky three-piece, made up of Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley and James McNew, has 15 albums under its belt, with the most recent offering being I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass. 7:30pm. Concert Hall. $40-118 from Sistic.
MAR 13. Jaga Jazzist. Bringing to mind Aphex Twin, Tortoise, Talk Talk and Soft Machine, Jaga Jazzist serves up music that spans across shoegaze, electronica, progressive rock, jazz and experimental. Local outfit The Observatory will open for this band. Miss this at your own peril. 8:30pm. Concert Hall. $40-118 from Sistic.
MAR 13. Ursula Rucker—Soul Poetry. Delving into topics such as child abuse, isolation and violence, Ursula Rucker talks her way through her songs in a poetic-like manner. Her music is laced with nu-jazz, hip hop and drum ’n’ bass. 7:30pm. Recital Studio. $25-38 from Sistic.
MAR 15. The Album Leaf. Doling out liberal amounts of moody soundscapes, The Album Leaf comprising of Jimmy LaValle, Drew Andrews, Tomothy Reece, Matthew Resovich and Andrew Pates. Cool visual artworks will accompany their music in the show. 7:30pm, 10pm. Theatre Studio. $38 from Sistic.
FREE – MAR 16. Indie-Mand. Award-winning Thai band Goose whips out post rock and indie numbers while local acts Auburn’s Epiphany and Lilac Saints wreck the amps with alternative and indie. 7pm. Nokia Music Station.
MAR 17. Futon. No stranger to gigging in Singapore, Thai band Futon concocts a stirring mix of rock, punk and pop. Listen out for catchy favorites such as “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and “Gay Boy.” Supporting this act is X’Ho’s band The Fabulous IQ of David Gunn. 9:30pm. Theatre Studio. $38 from Sistic.
MAR 17. Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. Hailing from Japan, members of Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra like to dress up in tuxes and yell, jump madly or fight with their instruments when performing. Listen out for ska, jazz, rock and big band influences. 11pm. Concert Hall. $40-58 from Sistic.
