By Raffles Jazz EXCO ’26
Adapted from CCA Previews ‘25
Before we get into the swing of things, what is Jazz?
A Wikipedia search finds you looking through its defining characteristics: swung rhythms, complex chords, and improvisation, among others.
Dig a little deeper, and you’ll see interviews with famous jazz musicians such as pianist Duke Ellington who would anti-climatically say “It’s all music”, saxophonist Stan Getz who puts it nicely: “like a good conversation among friends interacting to each other’s ideas”, or even Jazz legend Brice Tan, who famously quipped: “Jazz.. is easy”.
Honestly, words alone cannot truly explain what Jazz is. You have to be there yourself, listening and grooving to the music to truly immerse yourself in the experience. For starters, listen to the lobby music on MRT platforms. Swing your body to the soulful saxophone riff in “Careless Whisper”.
Notice the moment one instrument sounds a lot louder than the rest, yet already seems to be “making mistakes”. These are moments where you can find jazz.
But enough philosophy, let’s get into the details.
Who is Raffles Jazz and what exactly do we do?
As the only Junior College with a Jazz CCA, Raffles Jazz is a safe space for you to discover and express your individual sounds and styles, and take home extraordinary ideas from your bandmates. (In other words, our jam studio is soundproofed!)
Though we may play the same “standards” (Jazz pieces that have gained great recognition) such as “Fly Me to the Moon”, “Wave” or “Chameleon”, we introduce our own take on it. We may take inspiration from, but we never sound exactly the same as those who played it before us. And that’s a good thing. To quote trumpeter Miles Davis: “First you imitate, then you innovate”.
Occasionally, we also delve into modern Jazz-pop numbers, which hopefully ring a bell: “From the Start”, “Table for Two” and “Rosalina in the Observatory”, to name a few.
We bring together people who want to dive deep into the diverse world that is Jazz, and the many subgenres occupying its broad spectrum. Be it Blues, Bebop, Ballad, Bossa Nova or the good ol’ Big Band Swing. (And no, not all subgenres start with the letter B).
Beyond CCA sessions, we often look for opportunities to attend local Jazz festivals and jams! Our instructor, Mr Eric Lee (a former teacher at RI), started his own band years ago. If we’re lucky, we get to tag along and see his band perform, AND get to know more musicians in the local Jazz scene. Don’t worry, they’re really welcoming, and you might even catch a few great-grandseniors there ;)
That said, Jazz isn’t the only thing we do. From dancing backstage, to hearing our guitarist and pianist duo…beatbox and rap (we could argue that it was to the tune of a Jazz standard: Strasbourg / St Denis), to editing our guitarist’s face onto random images, to making funny reels, we’ve managed to create a family out of this random bunch of individuals who just happen to all love Jazz. And this chemistry is what we strive to show the audience whenever we perform.
And for some official details:
Sessions are held biweekly in the Jamming Studio on campus from 8:00am-11:00 am on Wednesdays and 2.30pm-5.30 pm on Fridays. Yes, these are perfectly timed for meals with your bandmates after a good day of jamming!
That sounds so exciting! What do I need to do to get into Raffles Jazz?
Fret not (pun intended) if your only encounter with Jazz, if any, has been adding 7th notes to chord progressions or belting out Frank Sinatra’s Christmas songs. Our advice for you is to first keep an open mind and listen. A lot.
Explore all kinds of styles, whether in terms of musicians, or arrangements, or just different songs, and then discover for yourself how Jazz really appeals to you.
For that, we have curated our Spotify playlists for you to get a better idea of Jazz music old and new (trust us. it’s not all Frank Sinatra.) Do also check out our Instagram page! As pianist Count Basie said, “The real innovators did their innovating by just being themselves.”
So when you go in there, just play as you do and give it your best shot! Don’t stress about making mistakes, as some of the best ideas we’ve had so far were made completely by error :) Besides, mistakes are just improv after all — unless you’re a bassist.
If you are keen on joining us, don’t hold back … Jazz Do It !
