The tagline for this year’s Dubai Jazz Festival is ‘Rocking the City’, and we think this sums up the event pretty well. After celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2012 by bringing back some of the audience’s favourite acts of previous years – Jools Holland, James Blunt and James Morrison – this year’s nine-day event has started afresh with a whole new ethos. Running from Thursday February 14 to Friday February 22, and without a guitar-strumming performer beginning with ‘J’ in sight, the festival’s four guitar-heavy headliners verge from the classic rock of Deep Purple, to alternative rockers 3 Doors Down, and the poppier The Script and OneRepublic. Jazz and blues lovers will tell you the Jazz Garden is where the real stuff goes down, and we’re pleased to see the smaller stage will be swinging with two performers on each of the nine nights.
Saturday February 16 to Wednesday February 20 will generally see a smooth jazz instrumentalist at 8pm, followed by a blues singer at 9.30pm. And there’s also some top jazz and pop acts lined up to play from 7.30pm before each of the four headline gigs, which take place on February 14, 15, 21 and 22. Let the musical onslaught begin.
A Deeper shade of Purple
Bassist Roger Glover tells us about three decades of life on the road with one of the world’s best-selling legendary rock bands ever and that song of course.
The question Roger Glover gets asked more than anything is, ‘do you get bored of playing “Smoke on the Water”?’. We know this, we must add, not because we asked – but because it’s the first thing he says when we start to hint at the ‘classic’ status of Deep Purple’s setlist. Mind, it’s a fair question: it’s not that the band lack other memorable tunes – ‘Hush’, ‘Black Knight’, ‘Highway Star’, ‘Strange Kind of Woman’ and many more – it’s just that ‘Smoke on the Water’, with it’s unmistakable blues-tone guitar riff, plodding bass, marching drums and sing-along chorus, just happens to be among the most memorable rock songs ever written (Total Guitar ranked it the fourth best riff ever).
‘When they go to see a band, most people want to see the hits,’ Glover tells us, ‘I never get tired of it. First of all they’re great to play, and you can play them differently every night. And in certain parts of the world we play to a lot of young people, and in a way you’re experiencing it through their eyes. It’s a moment on stage, its magic. We’d never get tired of it.’
Released in 1972, ‘Smoke on the Water’ is one of a number of classic tunes that the British rock band released during their ’70s heyday. Formed in English country town Hereford in 1968, the classic ‘Mark II’ line-up, featuring Glover, was established a year later, beginning a run of albums, including 1972’s Machine Head, which helped define hard rock and heavy metal – and reportedly helped the band shift more than 100 million records, although Glover doesn’t believe his own band’s hype.
‘I don’t believe we sold 100 million records. People make things up because it goes down well with the press,’ he tells us, doing some sums in his head and drawing out a figure less than half that. ‘I’m a musician, not an accountant. It’s other people’s jobs to do that. But I just can’t imagine we’ve actually sold anywhere near 100 million.’
In today’s climate of jewellery-layered rappers and jet-setting DJs, Glover’s modest approach strikes one as a pleasant British anachronism. Still, that’s a lot of records we say, surely you don’t need to ever work again? ‘There’s no way I could live off records sales,’ scoffs the 68-year-old. ‘I have to work. Being in a band people assume we’re all fabulously wealthy. I wish that were true; but it’s not.’
One hole in Glover’s bank account may come from the 11 years – and three smash albums – the bassist spent out of the band. Like most groups of their day, huge egos and substances helped fuel numerous line-up changes. In 1973 Glover was asked to leave the band (‘they said it’s not personal, it’s business’), going off to pursue a solo career, before Deep Purple combusted altogether in 1976. Since reforming (with Glover) in 1984 they’ve continued to tour, playing to thousands across the world, but have never captured the same commercial peak.
The public’s lack of awareness isn’t helped by the fact Deep Purple have all but given up as recording artists. Their last album Rapture of the Deep was released in 2005, and instead Purple have morphed into a giant touring tribute to their pre-break glory days. ‘There was a discussion in the band about whether we should release albums anymore – something I opposed,’ says Glover. He clearly won: the band are only now putting the finishing touches on a new LP with Bob Ezrin, who produced The Wall, at the helm. The bassist admits it’s likely to be the band’s last. ‘We’re all in our mid-60s,’ he adds, ‘you never know which will be a last album.’
We can’t help asking how relevant he thinks Deep Purple studio album number 19 will be to today’s marketplace. ‘I don’t know what relevant means,’ sighs Glover. ‘I’d like to think we’re relevant, because we’re real musicians. Whether that makes it relevant to millions of people; probably not.’
View who to see at the jazz fest
Who to see at the jazz fest
With 20 acts playing over nine days, it might be hard to know where to start. Don’t worry – we’ve done the homework for you.
Thursday February 14
7.30pm: Gary Honor
Australian smooth jazz saxophonist Honor recently released his debut solo album Head ’N’ Tales.
8.45pm: Guy Manoukian
Lebanese-Armenian pianist known for touring with 50 Cent, Wyclef Jean and The Gypsy Kings.
10.30pm: OneRepublic
Headlining the opening night is American pop-rock band OneRepublic. Best known for rising to stardom while still unsigned by utilising MySpace, the band’s 2007 debut single ‘Apologize’ made radio history as the most-played song in a single week ever. Six years down the line and album number four, Native, is set for release in March.
Friday February 15
7.30pm: Nicholas Cole
A jazz journalist-turned-keyboardist known for an inventive harmonic technique.
8.45pm: Chuck Loeb
A former sideman of Stan Getz and Michael Brecker, and with four decades in the business, Loeb is one of the most exciting – and jazzy – performers on the bill.
10.30pm: 3 Doors Down
The multi-million selling rockers hit the stage.
Saturday February 16
8pm: Paul Brown
Known for producing the likes of George Benson and Al Jarreau, double Grammy Award winner Brown is also a mean smooth jazz guitarist.
9.30pm: Sax Gordon & Band
Forgive the silly name – gutsy Californian saxophonist Gordon has played with legends including Jimmy McGriff, Solomon Burke and Johnny Copeland.
Sunday February 17
8pm: TBA at time of press
9.30pm: Brian Templeton
The frontman of the Radio Kings, barrelhouse blues singer Templeton sang on Eddie Floyd’s comeback recordings.
Monday February 18
8pm: Oli Silk
Talented young keyboardist known for two albums with the Funk Duo Jazz, and who has collaborated with many other artists on the Jazz Garden bill.
9.30pm: Toni Lynn Washington
Beginning her career singing to US troops during the Vietnam War in 1970, blues singer Washington has made thousands of performances over a 40-year career, including gigs at the renowned Chicago Blues Festival and Newport Jazz Festival. In 1999 she received the Boston Blues Festival Lifetime Achievement Award.
Tuesday February 19
8pm: Lin Rountree
Upcoming R&B trumpeter who has played with George Duke, Marcus Miller, and was featured in last year’s Whitney Houston tribute movie Sparkle.
9.30pm: Barrence Whitfield
A full throttle US soul-screamer with more than 15 records to his name, Whitfield ranks Robert Plant, Elvis Costello and Jools Holland among his fans. Worth checking out, then.
Wednesday February 20
8pm: Brian Simpson
Known for playing a flamboyant key-tar, producer and songwriter Simpson has worked with everyone from Janet Jackson and Teena Marie to George Duke and Stanley Clarke.
9.30pm: Boston Blues All-Star Review
Expect to see the bluesmen and women of the last four nights gang-up for the Jazz Garden’s closing headline evening.
Thursday February 21
7.30pm: Darren Rahn
Canadian saxophonist and producer Rahn is best known for his work with Wayman Tisdale on 2004 US Billboard number one ‘Ain’t No Stopping Us Now’.
8.45pm: JLee
Expect tinges of Joss Stone and Alicia Keys from this young American soul-pop singer, whose debut album is due for release later this year.
10.30pm Deep Purple
Friday February 22
7.30pm: All-Star Smooth Jazz
The Trippin ’N’ Rhythm Records artists who have played the Jazz Garden stage throughout the week team up for one last showdown of smooth licks.
8.45pm: Yellowjackets
American smooth jazz/fusion quartet Yellowjackets have produced more than 20 albums over a three decade career.
10.30pm: The Script
This chart-topping Irish pop-rock trio were last seen in Dubai rocking Sandance in November 2011.
