10 Hippest
Phenomena
in 2000/01

INTRO...
Y2K has been an exciting year for the arts, but the media seems to celebrate other aspects of it. For instance, ever since the Academy awarded Best Picture Oscar to the mediocre Gladiator, we have begun to feel depressed. There are so many fillers last year (Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Ken Burns Jazz, etc.) that it becomes hard for the public to seek truth from facts. This piece serves to dispel the mystifying pop culture and commends those who made the beginning of the millenium colorful. Instead of naming 10 best CDs or 10 best films, we conglomerate the two and call it "10 Hippest Phenomena." These are not only artists or concepts, but are phenomena that you have to keep an eye on in the years to come. It's important for you to recognize that we are the ultimate authority in trend-setting the entertainment industry.

is not merely a band, it's a musical language, i.e. jazz-electronica fusion. Ludovic Navarre aka St. Germain is the inventor of such a genre and now the world is shaking its body searching for his footsteps. St. Germain's live concerts are totally laidback and Navarre himself doesn't take credits for his groundbreaking spinning skills. Instead, he lets his spectucular band members take Ludovic Navarre control of the atmosphere. A cool act is they clear the middle of the aisle in a danceclub and let its guitarist has his solo so everyone from both sides can see and cheer. St. Germain's musicians are not "cool" by any means, they can be categorized as awkward. But their lack of knowledge in English is itself a treat because they don't have to deal with all the trouble in the English-speaking world. Their exoticism and awkwardness are what makes the band the first true phenomenon of the new millenium.

Tourist CD | French Culture's St. Germain page | St. Germain's Interview with Muse

2.tiger okoshi is not a household name in Japan like "Yan Can Cook" in America. But Tiger and Yan serve the same function of entertaining the mass with sophisticated messages. Tiger first heard the cool sounds of Louis Armstrong and decided to be a trumpter. He graduated from the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Masschusetts and befriended talents like Hank Roberts and Ted Lo. Lo is the one who gave Tiger the nickname. Tiger is now a faculty at Berklee and is a frequent visitor at Hong Kong and Macau jazz clubs. Tiger's sounds are determined and sharp. Whilethere's hype surrounding Wynton Marsalis and Nick Payton as possible legimate sucessors of Miles Davis, we unequivocably declare Tiger is the best jazz trumpeter in the world now. Period.

Tiger CD | Tiger's Faculty Profile at Berklee | Rolling Stone's "Tiger's Rebirth"

Following the tradition of Ramsey Lewis and Brother Jack McDuff, Robert Walter delivers what was known as cool funky music. "This as real as it gets," Walter utters in an interview with us. After a breakup with Greyboy Allstars, Walter went on with his veteran band members including bassist Chris Stillwell and created his own 20th Congress. The recording won themselves a reputable Stereophile Magazine's "Recording of the Month." With a resurgence of funky jazz like Galactic and the introduction of acid jazz, Walter & Congress are able to find a place in the industry. Their sounds will continue to conquer as their confidence keeps growing. I expect to see them at Carnegie Hall one day, alongside Maceo Parker and Medeski Martin & Wood.

Money Shot CD | 20th Congress | FogCity Records

Kate Hudson

7. Drugs, Sex & Rock N'Roll
Kate Hudson reminds us why we still love groupies in Cameron Crowe's film "Almost Famous." Here we pay tribute the the two underrated and underviewed films that should deserve more recognition and attention: Almost Famous & High Fidelity. Kudos to Cameron Crowe for making a sunny and positive film about searching for our hope and dreams. Kudos to John Cusack for transcribing Nick Hornsby bestseller into a cinematic masterpiece about love and relatinships. These two films reinfornce why we love Rock'n Roll and groupies.

Almost Famous film | soundtrack | High Fidelity film | soundtrack

on a much deeper level. They produce the coolest sounds in jazz, yet their contribution is largely overlooked. We use this column to dedicate our inspirations to these exclusively charismatic artists. Without Bill Evans, Miles' "Kind of Blue" would never sound the same. Without Chet Baker, there would be no hopeless romanticism. Without Joe Pass, no one would learn to play guitar. Fuck Ken Burns!!

Chet artist page | Joe Pass artist page | Bill Evans bookshelf

Ted Lo is a pianist's pianist and a musician's musician. He never steals from other players or sidemen. He just fulfills his job as the pianist and enjoys himself while playing. Ted emerges as Hong Kong jazz scene's most prominent pianist after his return in roughly 1995. He has arranged for Danny Summer, William So ("Soul"), and Andy Hui. His musical talent is impeccable and his timing is always accurate. He is the motor that keeps HK jazz moving to this day. Eugene and fans should thank him. Ted Lo's interview | TotallyHK.com