Captain of Jass

Singapore

JAZZMAN Jeremy Monteiro spends a lot of time on Jass these days. No, that's not "jazz" misspelt, but rather the acronym for the Jazz Association (Singapore), a non-profit body dedicated to growing the jazz community in Singapore, developing jazz education and excellence, and strengthening cultural ties internationally.

Jass work now takes up half of Monteiro's time, and some projects he might previously have taken on solo, such as education and community outreach, he can now pursue more ambitiously through the association.

Neither jazz nor Jass is new. The association is now in its fourth year. In some ways though, it has only recently found its stride. It was classified an Institution of a Public Character (IPC) in November 2018. It is also only now that it has a game plan for engaging the Chinese, Malay and Indian communities.

"IPC certification makes it easier for people to give to the Jazz Association," said Monteiro. "Jass is now a charity so donations are now tax deductible."

Tax deductibility is hardly the only reason to support Jass though. The association's orchestras have been playing cultural ambassador, touring internationally. In February, they performed at the Jazz Education Network Conference in the US state of Nevada, clinching an Outstanding Performance Award in the process. And last year saw them play at the EFG London and Borneo jazz festivals.

Back home, on April 5, Jass will launch its first fundraising gala since attaining IPC status. Monteiro will lead Jass's main orchestra, the Jazz Association Singapore Orchestra, in a performance that features American singer Kenny Washington. And the Lion City Youth Jazz Festival will run from May 13-18, culminating in a finale concert themed around Gershwin's Porgy and Bess opera.

Later this year, Jass plans to engage the Chinese, Malay and Indian communities by using pop and folk songs as vehicles for jazz improvisation. That's a tried-and-tested playbook for making people feel that jazz also belongs to them. After all, some of the most beloved jazz standards are based on British and American pop songs.

So if you love jazz but haven't followed Jass's activities, now might be the right time to start paying attention, regardless of whether it's as a student looking for a music scholarship, a fan of live performances, or someone interested in how Singapore's putting its stamp on the cultural world map.