Nathan East — Java Jazz Festival, Jakarta, 2019

In March 2019, American bassist Nathan East and his “Band of Brothers” lit up the Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival, one of the largest jazz festivals in the world, in Indonesia. This filmed live concert gathers a lineup of heavyweights: Nathan East (bass, vocals), Korean guitarist Jack Lee, drummer Steve Ferrone, Michael Thompson (guitars) and Kaleb James (piano, organ). The full show unfolds an elegant, groovy jazz-fusion across five tracks, Life Cycle, Elevenate, April, Higher Ground and Madiba, where the round, melodic playing of Nathan East, sideman to Eric Clapton and a member of Fourplay, works its magic. The cover of Stevie Wonder’s Higher Ground and the tribute Madiba give the set a contagious warmth. A carefully filmed moment of smooth jazz and fusion in Jakarta, this Nathan East live concert at the Java Jazz Festival 2019 will appeal to fans of bass, groove and high-level live jazz, showcasing a musician whose decades as a first-call sideman translate into a leader’s set that stays effortless, generous and deeply musical throughout.