Urban Connection, from Norway and Swedish Jazz Kings are to perform at the Bangkok’s sixth annual International Music and Dance Festival this coming 6 October 2004 at Thailand Cultural Center. The International Music and Dance Festival features more than 700 artists, musicians and dancers from Norway, Sweden, Uzbekistan, the Netherlands, Russia, Australia, the US, UK and across Southeast Asia to Bangkok. The spectacular event presents some great opera, ballets, jazz and blues bands, dance performances and canine entertainment from the courtesy of World Dog Theatre from Uzbekistan. Urban Connection, the renowned Norwegian jazz band, gains success worldwide, particularly in Europe. The band comprises of Frode Nymo (alto saxophone), Steinar Raknes (double bass) and Hakon Mjaset Johansen (drums). They represent the new generation of young Norwegian jazz musicians and combine the traditional acoustic form of expression with the energy of today’s electronica. The band’s expression is energetic, groovy and tight, and the music, which is self-composed, is presented with a hard to find freshness. The Swedish Jazz Kings is formed in 1985 by Tomas Oernberg, where the ensemble began as a studio band to recreate and record the music of Clarence Williams for American record producer Bob Erdos. The band developed a worldwide reputation playing Chicago/New Orleans music from the ’20s. The band comprises Herbert Christ (trumpet/cornet/vocals), Tomas Ornberg (clarinet/soprano saxophone/ leader), Spats Langham (banjo/guitar/vocals), Christian Frank (string bass/bass saxophone) and Martin Litton (piano). The event runs from 8 September through 13 October 2004 at the Thailand Cultural Center. For more information or ticket reservation log on to to see the full festival program. Tickets range from Bt500 to Bt4,000.
