Jeremy Monteiro and Sean Hong Wei

Living the Jazz Life

Jeremy Monteiro:

I started learning Classical piano at the age of 6. My first teacher was Ms Kwek. She taught me all the rudiments so well. Later, when my father was working in Kota Kinabalu in Sabah for 3 years, I had an amazing piano teacher by the name of Mr Tan Tze Tong who I still am in touch with. He is now in his mid-80s.

What impressed me with his way of teaching is that everything he was teaching, he could demonstrate and not just talk about it. Whether it was something technical or something esoteric like expression.

All through the time I was learning classical piano, I was always listening to Jazz because my father was a semi-professional jazz guitarist. In the early 60s he was a policeman but became a Mobil oil executive in the mid-1960s. But he often played guitar at weddings or functions. He had many jazz vinyl records and I got to listen to my first jazz piano hero Oscar Peterson on my Dad's jazz albums.

One day, when I was 14, I listened to a Quincy Jones album. One of the tracks called "Brown Ballad" came on and it featured the great harmonica player Toots Thielemans. I was standing in the middle of my loving room in Pasir Panjang with tears streaming down my face.

My Mum asked me, "why are you standing in the middle of the living room and crying?"

I said, "Mum, I have never heard anything so beautiful in my life." 

When I was 16, after I finished my "O" levels. I told my parents that I was done with school and that I wanted to become a professional musician. My Dad was angry with me but my Mum told him that I should be allowed to pursue my dreams. He was still not convinced but he didn't stand in my way. My first job as a solo pianist/organist was at the Country Club Hotel that used to be on a hill just off East Coast Road. I played the Happy Hours between 5.30pm and 7.30pm. I went for an audition and the owner of the now-defunct hotel, Mr PC Tan hired me after I played three songs for the audition. My Dad used to accompany me to the gigs as my Mum didn't want me to stay on at the bar at the hotel because the place became quite seedy at night after Happy Hours.

The year after in 1977, I went for an audition at the Club 392 which was located at No 392 Orchard Road hoping to play in the jazz quartet there. The club was a really happening jazz club and restaurant was owned by a Jewish gentleman by the name of Mr A.J. Isaac. To my surprise and to the surprise of the musicians there, he not only gave me the job as pianist but also as the bandleader of the Club 392 Quartet. It was strange to be a bandleader at 16 years old with my musicians in their 30s and 40s. But they were supportive and treated me with respect and allowed me to lead them. At the Club 392, I got to play with the legendary singer Rahim Hamid and his daughter Rahimah Rahim and I still perform with her occasionally these days.

In 1977, I also started playing session piano at EMI Records and got to play with local and regional legends such as Frances Yip and Anita Sarawak among many others.

In 1978, I went into National Service and after a short stint as a combat medical orderly. I was lucky to be able to join the SAF Music & Drama Company. I learned how to write Big Band arrangements and had the opportunity to perform with MDC all over Singapore, New Zealand and Brunei. I learned so much there from my OC and Bandmaster, Lieutenant Tonni Wei who later became Captain then a Major. Because I was learning so much, I signed on for another year.

After I left, I started writing jingles and between 1981 and 1991, I composed and/or produced more than 700 jingles including jingles for Kentucky Fried Chicken. I also was music director for three National songs, Stand Up for Singapore, Count in Me Singapore, and We Are Singapore which were composed by Hugh Harrison. I composed the 4th National song "Count on Me Singapore" which was released in 1990 with lyricist Jim Aitchison.

A high point in my jazz career happened in 1988 when I was invited to perform on the main stage of the Montreux Jazz Festival with my band Monteiro, Young & Holt and friends. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Sean Hong Wei:

My music education started when I was in St. Patrick's School Military Band back in 2012, under the baton of Mr. David Glosz. It was where I learnt the fundamentals of music theory and playing the saxophone.

Founded in 1953, there were many traditions that were passed down from generations to generations of bandsmen. The importance of upholding tradition and discipline was instilled in me. 

As Dizzy Gillespie said, "As a musician you have to keep one foot back in the past and have one foot forward in the future."

My first gig with Jeremy was in Dec 2017 when he hired me to perform at a private house event. It was also my first time performing with the other members of the band; Ben Poh, Uncle Louis (Louis Soliano), and Melissa Tham. 

Sometimes I look back and wonder how I got hired for the gig as at that point in time, I was not very musically developed yet and was still trying to figure the music out! 

I am blessed that he saw or heard something in me back then and gave this young man a chance to make music with him. From then on, Jeremy has mentored me both on and off the bandstand, in both music and life. Through listening to him tell his stories, watching him play the piano, and witnessing his relentless work ethic, he inspires me to work even harder on my craft.

One of my most memorable gigs was in 2018 when Jeremy brought me, Uncle Louis (Louis Soliano), Ben Poh, Alemay Fernandez, and Ting Wei to tour in Penang and Macau. It was my first ever small group tour. Lots of great food and music made alongside great company - what more could I ask for?  

It is my dream to be able to travel the world while playing music and meet people of different cultures. Many great memories were made on that tour and I am forever grateful for that experience.

In my work with the Jazz Association of Singapore (led by Jeremy whom is the Music Director and Executive Director of JASS), I was given many opportunities to travel around the world to play music for others. Jeremy has brought the big band to countries like Shanghai, London, United States, and Thailand to perform, flying the Singapore flag high.

Also, another great initiative by JASS is the annual Lion City Youth Jazz Festival. It is a week long program that enables youth musicians like myself to be mentored by world class musicians from around the world in person, culminating in a finale concert with the mentors at the end of the week. Some of the great musicians that have been involved include; Benny Golson, Randy Brecker, Louis Nash, Antonio Hart, Alex Sipiagin, Tony Lakatos.

I have taken home many golden nuggets of wisdom over the past few LCYJFs, and each festival has left a very lasting impact on me. It was heartwarming to hear the anecdotes they shared about the history of the music and seeing them teach so passionately with love.

There are many musicians in Singapore whom I look up to and wholeheartedly love and respect, and Jeremy is one of them. Some of my other mentors include; Andrew Lim, Christy Smith, Tan Weixiang, Joshua Wan, and Chok Kerong. All of them have very graciously passed on their knowledge and inspired my generation of musicians. I owe a lot to them and will not be where I am musically if not for them.

It is only right that I do the same and pass it on to the next generation of musicians in Singapore in the future. 

Music welcomed me with open arms and showed me the many beauties of life. I aspire to share this beauty with many others through my music. As the saying goes, "Good things must share"!