Bebop, Bolero, Bossa & Beyond

Composer and pianist Simplicius Cheong became a professional jazz pianist at the age of 18, playing in various jazz venues across Singapore. A producer of music programmes on radio and television in Singapore and at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Cheong has composed a diverse range of works including his Symphony No 1, three flute sonatas and numerous chamber works.

In 1965, his first Australian jazz quintet, The Baroque Jazz Ensemble, recorded a long-playing album for EMI (Parlophone PMCO 7531), which was released worldwide. His Movement for six Instruments was premiered live over Minnesota public radio in 1982 by the Australian Chamber Ensemble and his recent composition Jazz Movement for Flute & Piano was given its world premiere at London’s Purcell Room.

As an educator, Cheong has conducted courses in jazz, composition and aesthetics at various tertiary institutions, including the University of New South Wales. Now in his 80s, Cheong divides his time between music and a daily swim in the ocean near his home in Sydney.

EJ Hughes is a professional saxophonist and woodwind instructor with over 35 years of experience in performing and teaching. Trained in a variety of musical styles, Hughes has deep roots and a keen interest in jazz and improvisation. He was awarded a tuition scholarship to Valdosta State University, where he studied from 1989 to 1993, earning a degree in saxophone and clarinet performance with a primary focus on classical music and repertoire. In 2003, Hughes earned a master’s degree in jazz pedagogy from Georgia State University after living in New York City and Orlando, where he studied privately with many notable artists, gaining insights into jazz saxophone sound, technique, and harmony while teaching, and performing.

Hughes began performing professionally at the age of 18. Now, aged 52, he has performed in a variety of gigs spanning four decades. Notable performances include playing with The Temptations at 19, the Sam Rivers RivBea Orchestra in his late 20s, Grammy-winner Speech of Arrested Development in his 30s, and Jennifer Holiday (Dream Girls) in his 40s. He has also performed with numerous professional bands while residing in New York, Orlando, Atlanta and Singapore.

Eugene Chew is a versatile musician unbound by musical labels. Proficient on both electric bass and double bass, he has worked as a performer, composer, arranger, musical director, producer and educator with various acts, ensembles and companies in Singapore and abroad since beginning his career in 2014. He received his formal musical education as a scholar in Double Bass Performance at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Guennadi Mouzyka.

His performance credits include Jazz Association Singapore Orchestra, Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, Re:sound Collective, Singapore Armed Forces Band, Music & Drama Company, Flame of The Forest, Open Score Project, SHAK and many others. In his personal artistic endeavours, he leads his band, Litmus Jazz Ensemble, and is also a full-time member of the Lorong Boys.

Leo is a freelance trombonist based in Singapore. He has performed and recorded with numerous notable Singaporean and international artists across a wide range of musical genres, including jazz, Latin, pop, classical and regional musicals. He began his musical training at the age of nine, studying classical trombone, and started actively pursuing jazz while in New York City.

During to his university studies, he was taught by Glenn Franke, an eminent trombonist and bandleader who toured with Michael Jackson, The Spinners, Sammy Davis Jr., Mel Torme, and Buddy Rich.

Apart from being a percussionist across a wide range of genres—including jazz, classical, Latin and contemporary—Tama Goh is also a producer for major concerts, Singapore television, music festivals and special events. Throughout his career, he has performed with artists such as Jeremy Monteiro, Sandy Lam, Francis Yip, FIR, Laura Fygi, Ronald Keating, Chris Brubeck, James Moody, Ernie Watts, Carmen Bradford, Eric Manriental, Eldee Young, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Chinese Orchestra and the Singapore Festival Orchestra.

In addition to his role as music advisor to Mus’Art Wind Orchestra and Mus’Art Percussion Ensemble, Goh also mentors young artists and aspiring teachers in music performance and visual arts.