07/06/2026

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theSunday Special II ON SUNDAY JUNE 7, 2026

Malaysian Paper

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“In 2006, the core idea was simple... to play jazz. In the beginning, we dared not venture into music that featured Shakespeare or even Bach. “There was some fear of trying new music. Later, we said: ‘Let’s see if people want to listen to the new things.’ Well, we have a reputation now. And maybe fewer things to prove, after twenty years. “Me and mates, AJ and Adrien, are game to try new compositions. Sometimes, they say no, but with prodding... eh , let’s try lah, and we go ahead. With the beats going, they get into the groove. “Like the Bachfest Malaysia International 2025 in July last year in a hotel in Chinatown. “We were asked to play. I loved the idea, and when I told my band members, one said: ‘What’s Bach?’ Because he listens to rock music. “I convinced them and we did a good job making the music happen.”

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In the beginning, we dared not venture into music that featured Shakespeare or even Bach. There was some fear of trying new music. Later, we said: ‘Let’s see if people want to listen to the new things.’ Well, we have a reputation now.”

Groovy jazz cats up for a night to remember (From left) AJ, Tay and Wong during their trip to meet students at UTM Skudai in Johor. The band has also engaged in talks such as TEDx and was featured in the Hollywood film Crazy Rich Asians . – ALL PICS COURTESY OF WVC JAZZ ENSEMBLE At its 20th anniversary concert, the WVC Jazz Ensemble plans to show how the band has endured by just playing music and having fun BY SUBHADRA DEVAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com Dare to attempt new music

living room boasts a piano, bookended by shelves filled with publications on music and literature, with vinyl records and CDs.

“Over the years, we’ve had other musicians with us like Vincent Ong on bass, Julian Chan on saxophone and Charles Wong on drum. We play original compositions and have eight albums out,” Tay said in an interview. The band also experiments with new jazz arrangements for Malaysian staples like Jingli Nona , heard best on Purnama , and have featured literary works by Shakespeare and Murakami, as well as poetry, in their music. They were also featured in the Hollywood film Crazy Rich Asians . All that effort has garnered BOH Cameronian Arts awards over the years, and invitations to tour around the region. I compliment him: “Twenty years of producing original works, Tay!” We are chatting in his modern and serene abode in

S AY “jazz cats”, and maybe you veer into the Disney movie The Aristocats with its gang of alley cats who teach Duchess and her kittens how to swing. More recently, the genre got first billing in La La Land . Jazz... it’s smooth, improvisational and not everyone’s cup of tea. Not even served with Bach. For Malacca native Tay Cher Siang, his interest in the genre was piqued when he heard Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars , a bossa nova song and jazz standard composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim in 1960. He was already learning classical piano but the rhythms and the tones of that tune spurred him to attain a master’s degree in jazz pedagogy at West Virginia University in the United States. Returning home, Tay started the WVC Trio band with varsity mates, recording their first album in 2006. Twenty years later, it’s become the WVC Jazz Ensemble with AJ Popshuvit, 49, on bass, and thirtysomething Adriel Wong on drums.

B a n d a r Utama. One wall of the

Artiste Janet Lee will be among those on stage to join the 20th anniversary celebration on July 23.