Jazz enthusiast or not, you’ve probably heard about the stunning performance of jazz vocalist Cyrille Aimee over the weekend at Esplanade. But if you’ve missed it, fret not because Esplanade’s Jazz in July series is currently fully underway, and here are a few performances we’d recommend you check out throughout this month.

Homegrown gems

Acclaimed jazz musicians such as Andrew Lim, Chok Kerong and heart-throb Charlie Lim have been one of the few artists to grace the stage over the past 10 years. The 11th edition of Jazz in July features notable bands such as the Christy Smith’s Communicative Artists Quartet (Jul 22) and familiar duos like Jeremy Monteiro & Shmil Berniker (Jul 27).

Go for the former if you consider yourself a low-key jazz elitist (or an aspiring one) for some sick jam sessions with Aaron James Lee and Weixiang Tan, and the latter if you’re more into smoother classic jazz standards.

Budding musicians

Esplanade’s Mosaic Jazz Fellows mentorship program has groomed budding young talents in the local jazz scene since 2010. After 10 weeks of learning under established Singapore Jazz tutors, Blue Ramen (Jul 18-19) is ready to dish out jazz standards from the likes of Paul Desmond and Charlie Parker. And yes, their band name originates quite literally from their love for blues and ramen.

Also worthy to check out are Bopcats (Jul 30), who are alumni of the program. They will be paying a tribute to the American jazz vocalist Sarah Vaughan, who was known for having one of the most beautiful voices of the 20th century. 

Tuning the fundamentals

If you’re confused so far, but still curious, attend Tony Makarome’s (Jul 22) educational session as he shares 10 essential albums he feels are the most beneficial to getting into the groove of learning and listening to jazz. It’s not just for beginners though—jazz musicians, you’ll definitely benefit from appreciating and learning more about the music you play. You might even improve in half (the) time.

Big Band Sunday

Accessible and fun, Thomson Swing Band (Jul 22) will be performing big band classics from Duke Ellington and Count Basie while the Jazz association of Singapore Youth Orchestra (Jul 29) delves into our history and culture with “Orchard Road” by C Monteiro and “Rasa Sayang” arranged by Tom Kubis.

Jazz in July is happening throughout the month of July at Esplanade. All performances are free. Full lineup of performances and venues can be found here.