Live Jazz at Centara!

Post by **milkman** » February 27, 2013, 2:04 pm

My wife and I were sitting in the lobby of Centara Monday night around 7:30 pm when we had a most pleasant surprise: A saxaphone and piano duo performing live! Really brought tears to my eyes. I haven't heard any live music for years- there just isn't any in Udon. And the sound of the sax was so clear and beautiful!

I don't know if they're performing every night or what times they perform, maybe someone else can tell us. But it was lovely!

Post by **gudtymchuk** » February 27, 2013, 2:11 pm

milkman wrote:My wife and I were sitting in the lobby of Centara Monday night around 7:30 pm when we had a most pleasant surprise: A saxaphone and piano duo performing live! Really brought tears to my eyes. I haven't heard any live music for years- there just isn't any in Udon. And the sound of the sax was so clear and beautiful!

I don't know if they're performing every night or what times they perform, maybe someone else can tell us. But it was lovely!

Yes, any available info would be much appreciated.

Post by **milkman** » February 27, 2013, 7:24 pm

If any music lovers are at Central Plaza this week, maybe you wouldn't mind asking the front desk at Centara and letting us know. Me, I only get there once a week. To get there, you just walk out the door at McDonald's, and the hotel's right there on your left.

Post by **Zidane** » March 1, 2013, 9:08 am

I was in Central last night so I went into the Centara to check on the music.
It was a couple of older Thai guys playing western songs so I asked the waitress who was stationed where the music was playing about the saxophone and piano duo.
Answers were: "Yes,they play here","Not sure on which nights","Not sure how many nights."

So as the OP saw them on Monday night I would suggest this as a starting point if anyone wishes to see them.

The Beer Garden in front of the Centara is very pleasant to sit out to eat and drink but beer prices are very high eg.150 baht for a large Tiger plus 10% service charge and 7% tax !

Probably the best value is a pitcher of Chang at 180 baht but that,too,is subject to service charge and tax.
Why cant they just quote the actual price instead of quoting the extras in small print at the bottom of the menu ?

Post by **milkman** » March 16, 2013, 1:06 am

I went to Centara's Information Desk today and asked a gal named Yui. She at first just said she didn't know, as though that was a sufficient answer. When I asked to talk with her boss, she made a call and told me the same band plays every night starting at 7, and will play sax on request. She seemed quite hostile- not sure if it was me in particular, my being a falang, my inconveniencing her by asking for an actual answer, or if she was just having a bad day. So not sure if I (or you) can trust her information.

Hard to believe they make their sax player come in every night of the week, every night of the year. If anybody goes there, I hope you'll enlighten us all on this- the performance really was wonderful to hear.

Post by **Laan Yaa Mo** » March 16, 2013, 3:27 am

milkman wrote:My wife and I were sitting in the lobby of Centara Monday night around 7:30 pm when we had a most pleasant surprise: A saxaphone and piano duo performing live! Really brought tears to my eyes. I haven't heard any live music for years- there just isn't any in Udon. And the sound of the sax was so clear and beautiful!

I don't know if they're performing every night or what times they perform, maybe someone else can tell us. But it was lovely!

You can hear live music every night in Udon at Tae Wan Daeng, and a few other venues around the city.

Post by **WhoUrDaddy** » March 16, 2013, 8:08 am

I haven't heard any live music for years- there just isn't any in Udon. .............you definitely need to get out more, and far away for farang places that simply don't offer. There is live music all over the place. Plenty to chose from, especially the place dotting the ring rd from Tesco to the airport turn. Many set back on lakes. Quite relaxing and nice. Pop in every once in a while, when little one is visiting grandpa.

Post by **papaguido** » March 16, 2013, 8:15 am

WhoUrDaddy wrote: I haven't heard any live music for years- there just isn't any in Udon. .............you definitely need to get out more, and far away for farang places that simply don't offer. There is live music all over the place. Plenty to chose from, especially the place dotting the ring rd from Tesco to the airport turn. Many set back on lakes. Quite relaxing and nice. Pop in every once in a while, when little one is visiting grandpa.

Agreed...Western Pub and the roof top bar in Ton Koon hotel come to mind.

Post by **milkman** » March 16, 2013, 1:58 pm

Tell me more... I tried looking up Tae Wan Daeng in google. Nothing. I have been married 8 years to a typical Thai good girl. We don't go out much, but when we do it's got to be someplace classy. Like Good Everything, only with music. What's the rooftop of the Ton Koon Hotel like? There used to be a lakefront restaurant somewhere across from Tesco that had music. That pretty much fit the bill. Is it still there?

Post by **papaguido** » March 16, 2013, 2:16 pm

milkman wrote:Tell me more... I tried looking up Tae Wan Daeng in google. Nothing. I have been married 8 years to a typical Thai good girl. We don't go out much, but when we do it's got to be someplace classy. Like Good Everything, only with music. What's the rooftop of the Ton Koon Hotel like? There used to be a lakefront restaurant somewhere across from Tesco that had music. That pretty much fit the bill. Is it still there?

Classy! Good luck....

Post by **grievous** » March 16, 2013, 8:59 pm

The band that plays at the wine society is really good, doesn't have to be an expensive night as they have happy hours and the pizza is great. Took my wife, children and my eighty year old parents from Aus and we all had a great time.

Post by **wazza** » March 21, 2013, 9:20 pm

grievous wrote:The band that plays at the wine society is really good, doesn't have to be an expensive night as they have happy hours and the pizza is great. Took my wife, children and my eighty year old parents from Aus and we all had a great time.

The other night, a few Dire Straits, Clapton, Guns n Roses , and yes ladies and gentlemen " Highway to Hell " !!!

Post by **kruklanki** » March 22, 2013, 8:28 am

milkman wrote:My wife and I were sitting in the lobby of Centara Monday night around 7:30 pm when we had a most pleasant surprise: A saxaphone and piano duo performing live! Really brought tears to my eyes. I haven't heard any live music for years- there just isn't any in Udon. And the sound of the sax was so clear and beautiful!

I don't know if they're performing every night or what times they perform, maybe someone else can tell us. But it was lovely!

There’s a great farang jazz harmonica player living somewhere in Udon. I saw him at a party and he played 5 or 6 totally different styles of jazz, slow stuff and fast… he played a haunting my funny valentine like Chet Baker used to play and a punchy Take 5 with improvisation that went on for 5 minutes without seeming to repeat a single phrase. I haven’t seen him again but he was a class act. Very unusual sounding instrument. If anyone knows where he plays please let me know.

Post by **milkman** » March 22, 2013, 10:29 pm

"There is live music all over the place. Plenty to chose from, especially the place dotting the ring rd from Tesco to the airport turn. Many set back on lakes. Quite relaxing and nice."- WhoUrDaddy

Anybody know the name and have better directions to this place?

Post by **milkman** » March 22, 2013, 10:30 pm

Also, I'd love to know names and locations of any smooth jazz places set on lakes...

Post by **harmonyudon** » March 22, 2013, 10:56 pm

This is not Jazz but good musicians, wonderful and relaxed songs in UdonThani:

Hope they still have live music over there.

Post by **chickaboom** » March 23, 2013, 7:26 am

Agreed Milkman, there's no shortage of live music in Udon. There's probably 50 or 60 places where you can go and listen. The Wine Society has top class BKK professional musicians. They can play anything including jazz but apart from them I think Centara is the only place you'll get to hear any jazz. Unless there's two of them that harmonica player is an Australian called Peter who doesn't play in public because he doesn't have a work permit.

Post by **harmonyudon** » March 23, 2013, 10:20 am

chickaboom wrote:....an Australian called Peter who doesn't play in public because he doesn't have a work permit.

Here is a tip for proprietors:
Setup a karaoke system, asked for karaoke (music)license and you can be the (Farang)karaoke individual and guest musicians or singers can play and sing along like in any other karaoke establishments.

It has been working and been checked when I did it with no problems at all.

Post by **milkman** » March 23, 2013, 2:14 pm

I know that fine harmonica player and I've heard some of his recordings. I doubt whether there's another chromatic harmonica player in Thailand. Here people only seem to play those little blues harmonicas.

Post by **chickaboom** » March 23, 2013, 3:13 pm

Here's Stevie Wonder playing jazz harmonica with Toots Theilmans.

Stevie Wonder comes in at about half way through the performance. Stevie once made a jazz harmonica album under the name of Eivets Rednow which is Stevie Wonder spelled backwards. He was worried that making a jazz harmonica album would harm his pop reputation. You can find Eivets Rednow on youtube.