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Re-mastered Indonesian Jazz Album(The Jakarta Post Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) from THE JAKARTA POST -- SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2007 -- PAGE 6 Album: Buaian Asmara Artist: Bubi Chen Label: demajors/Lokananta Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 (Internationally) 3 1/2 out of 5 Standout tracks: Semalam, Lajang Lajang, Kasih Aku S'lalu Disampingmu One of the most outstanding aspects for this re-issued Jazz album by Bubi Chen is the short duration of the record, which is 22.4 minutes in total, comprising eight tunes Many producers today think that recording such a short (but sweet) album won't sell well in the market, so they have to slip in fillers that don't add well to the overall feel of the album Nonetheless, Bubi Chen's Buaian Asmara is something that Indonesian jazz and fusion enthusiasts can find appealing. The record has been re- mastered from an LP produced by Lokananta Records, making the sound quality pristine, but some may still crave the nostalgic crackling and hissing sound from long-playing record Bubi has been playing the piano in 1963. He started his career as a pianist for top jazzman Tony Scott during his tour in Indonesia. In 1965, Bubi accompanied Indonesia's first president Soekarno on a cultural world trip across Asia, Europe and Africa He is also a member of the Indonesian All Star Band with Jack Lesmana, Jopy Chen, Benny Mustapha and Kiboud Maulana Listening to this album, it's hard not to compare his approach in tone to saxophonist Stan Getz or even pianist Bill Evans (one of the titans of "standard" piano Jazz) Bubi's performance in this record is bright, but the guitar melody here and there has trimmed the fat too much in terms of sound. Moreover, many of the songs here sound pretty similar in terms of harmony, rhythm and mood -- a bit conflicting with what their titles suggest Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo Copyright 2007 The Jakarta Post Copyright 2007 PT Bina Media Tenggara, Source: The Financial Times Limited |