MANILA, Philippines - Jazz enthusiasts can look forward to a night of smooth, soulful jazz music on Dec. 5, as French saxophonist Sophie Alour, often referred to as the female counterpart of Joe Henderson or Sonny Rollins performs live at Mandarin Oriental, Manila’s Martinis at 9:30 p.m. Together with bassist Sylvain Romano and drummer Frédéric Pasqua, they make up the Sophie Alour Jazz Trio.
Alour’s special performance in Martinis is in conjunction with the 2012 FrancoPhil concert series organized by the Alliance Française de Manille and the French Embassy of the Philippines. It is part of the Trio’s Asian Tour to promote Sophie Alour’s fourth full solo album, La Géographie des rêves, released earlier this year. Blending standard jazz sounds, simple but thorough songs, and original compositions with rock beats, the eclectic program is sure to thrill.
Following Alour’s performance, Martinis will feature a jam session with Joey Pepe Smith, Wally Gonzales and Tess Salientes and the Joyful Jazz band.
Born in 1974, the talented Alour taught herself the saxophone and made her debut on stage with the Vintage Orchestra band in 2000. That same year, she set up a sextet with French jazz musician Stéphane Belmondo before joining Christophe Dal Sasso’s Big Band with which she recorded the Ouverture album.