Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/494410
VI This Week maltatoday, Sunday, 12 april 2015 'The variety of Malta's music scene is incredible' RIDT commemorates Corelli with concert ahead of a triple-bill of gigs this month, TEOdOr rElJiC speaks to the young band members behind the blues-rock act Jack's Fusion When did you first decide to take music seriously? How did this passion develop into something more long-term? As individuals, we all had a passion for music from a young age, and we all started playing at a young age. In the summer of 2013 while rehearsing for a musical live show hosted by the Salesian Oratory Sliema, two of us decided to start a band. After a short while we formed what is now Jack 's Fusion. Immedi- ately we clicked – there was great chemistry between us, fuelled by a common love for rock music and our friendship. On December 8, 2013 we played our first gig in a talent show, which was very well received by the audience, and led to the decision of making the band more of a long-term thing. We simply love playing music together, and the energy we have while performing live is second to none. Our ages span from 17 -21 and we are all University stu- dents with the exception of one of who attends the Junior College. Although we are very busy we manage to balance studying and working part time jobs with our music. How did Jack's Fusion come about, and what were some of your initial aims? We began to take making music seriously in the summer of 2014. We had spent time before experimenting with rock music, our style as a band, and the sound which we wanted to produce. After countless rehearsals, and in early stages moving from a six-piece band with a keyboardist to a five piece, we began to truly form our true musical identity. Our initial aims were to focus on rock music, to have fun, and to bring a unique energy to audi- ences watching us play live. Fur- thermore, we all agreed that we wanted to write our own music – it was something that all of us, as musicians, aspired to do. How would you say your sound evolve over time? We all listen to a lot of different kinds of music, and are inf luenced by various artists (the list is never ending), however, we all have a common love for energetic rock music, which is ref lected in the musical style of our originals. At first we started playing lots of covers ref lecting our classic rock roots, as time passed through our we began forming our sound, kind of modernizing that Blues Rock we all love, adding a classic twist to an alternative rock sound, inf luenced by post-grunge music. Basically we aren't fans of labels because we love being as versatile as possible (hence the 'Fusion'). Obviously, we focus mainly on originals but we add some covers that best fit with our style and give them our own touch. The best way to understand us is to experience us. How would you describe the local musical scene? What would you change about it? Malta's musical talent is rich, diverse and quite frankly, under- estimated. There are hundreds of bands, all with different aims and styles. One change which we'd all like to see is more bands show- cased in large-scale local events, instead of a small number of artists which usually possess most of the attention. The variety of Malta's music scene is incredible and we should really take advan- tage of that and provide a platform for up-and-coming bands, too. What's next for you? We're organising our own gig, Amplified, on April 30 at Star- dust, Sliema. But before that we'll be playing at Razzett l-Ahmar on April 17 with Eversity, Wa- terWings, and For Strings Inn. We'll also be playing a Youth 4 the Environment festival taking place at the University of Malta Quad on April 28. We have exciting plans for summer, too – we intend to record and release our first single, and in the future, to record an album or EP. We were invited to play in a youth week festival in Sardinia, Italy which takes place in August by some organizers of the event who were at gig of ours and loved our performance. We'd love to perform at local events such as Farsons' Annual Beer Fest, Rockestra, Notte Bianca, Sliema Street Art Festival, Beland Music Festival and so on... In essence, we have one main aim as a band for the future: to rock as much as possible. Jack's Fusion are: Emma Grech (vocals), Jean-Luc Camilleri (drums), Jacob Spiteri (guitars), Luke Deguara (guitars) and Kurt Bezzina (bass). For more infor- mation on the band, log on to: https://www.facebook.com/Jacks- Fusion Jack's Fusion, left to right: Jean Luc Camilleri, Kurt Bezzina, Emma Grech, Jacob Spiteri and Luke Deguara The beautiful baroque Church dedi- cated to the Madonna tal-Pilar in West Street, Valletta, is the perfect backdrop for the baroque concert entitled 'Core- lli's Legacy'. This is being held on April 19 at 11:30, as part of RIDT Lunchtime Concert series. Two members from Valletta Interna- tional Baroque Ensemble (VIBE), Sarah Spiteri on baroque violin and Jacob Portelli on baroque cello, will be performing sonatas for violin and bass by Corelli, Geminiani and Locatelli. Arcangelo Corelli's legacy is immense. Apart from being an incredible violinist himself, Core- lli taught students who became distinguished composers and violinists worthy of note, many of whom played major roles in the musical life of Europe in the early 18th century. The most famous of these were Francesco Gemi- niani and Pietro Locatelli, who effectively integrate showpiece virtuosity with clean structural lines, based on one aspect or another of Corelli's harmonic se- quences, technical challenges, or the ornament-encrusted melody. VIBE was formed in 2012, and is the resident ensemble of the Valletta International Baroque Festival. The group plays on period instruments and is made up of established Malta- based musicians who collaborate along- side internationally established early instrument specialists. Sarah and Jacob are two founding members of VIBE. The RIDT Lunchtime Concerts are fund-raising events in aid of the Univer- sity of Malta's Research Trust (RIDT). The entrance for the concerts will be against a recommended donation of €10. The Series is supported by Heritage Malta. The next lunchtime concert will be held on May 17 A baroque cello Jacob Portelli, founding member of VIBE, will be playing on a baroque cello at the RIDT Lunchtime Concert on April 19