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GruvAvenue

GruvAvénue Producer/Leader: Vincent Ong

Formally known as "Black Machine", GruvAvénue exploded onto the KL music scene with its inaugural performance in The Actors Studio, Plaza Putra in 2001. The show saw the dynamic band combining its aptitude for improvisation to an eclectic selection of music.

Black Machine has continued performing actively, securing regular stints in jazz clubs such as the legendary No Black Tie, Jazz Bar @ The Orange and Livehouse Niche along the way. The year 2004 saw Black Machine making its successful debut in the Sunrise Carlsberg Jazz Festival. The band is also a regular feature in many local jazz-themed restaurants, cafés, bistros and wine bars.

Not keen to rest on its laurels, the self-titled debut album "GruvAvenue" consisting of entirely original compositions was released in August 2005. Preceding to this, a sneak preview was held at Alexis Wine Bar & Bistro, Ampang in July, followed by a major re-introduction of the band at the regional foremost music festival - Sunrise Jazz & Rhythm Fest in August.

The band headed back to Avanti Italian American Ristorante in Sept, enthralling jazz aficionados with their brand new musical styles and approaches; while their music is in heavy rotation in Australian smooth jazz station - The Breeze106.3 on the coastline overlooking the remarkable Great Barrier Reef. In October, revolutionary national radio program - Jazz Selecta interviewed GruvAvénue. The two-hour interview was air nationwide live on Traxx.FM (90.3 /100.1 FM in the Klang Valley) and available for live streaming globally. The band invaded Bangkok Jazz Thai Bistro in November and developed a close rapport with a full house. Whilst experimenting with modern technology, the band paid homage to jazz legend on showcase at Cotton Club in December. The debut album, "GruvAvénue" is available in Tower Records KLCC and Tower Records ONE UTAMA within Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya.

In March 2006, GruvAvénue geared back to jazz-themed restaurant - Avanti, beguiling patrons with their intimate originals and contrasting electronica pulse. The group returned by popular demand to the Sunrise Jazz & Rhythm Fest in July 2006 and took thousands of audience by storm with their festive moods and funky grooves, cross-genre rapping by local hip hop artiste, Shazzy, and new addition of powerful vocal - Vanessa. Their recent one-off performance at Alexis was a full house with cheers from fans and supporters.

GruvAvenue's 2nd album, titled "The Awakening" was released in Nov 2007. This album is the live recording of their sold-out concert on Oct 3rd where the audience previewed the group's latest compositions first hand. Promotional activities and live shows were held at local jazz clubs: Alexis & Rick's Cafe Casablanca. This release is now available at local Tower Records.

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Performance / Tour

Gruvavnue "The Awakening" Live Concert in the Actors Studio, Malaysia

Gruvavnue "The Awakening" Live Concert in the Actors Studio, Malaysia

Source: All About Jazz

CHANNELING THE GROOVE INTO YOUR SYSTEM GruvAvenue “The Awakening" Live Concert in The Actors Studio, Bangsar

Kuala Lumpur , 11 Sept 2007 - Once in awhile in the musical incubator of the downtown club scene, a truly musically sophisticated work with broad appeal emerges as if from nowhere. The truth, of course, is that these gems are the results of years of hard work, artistic development and unique musical vision: all these crystallize the release of self-titled debut album “ ...

MEDIA REVIEWS (of 2nd album, "The Awakening" Live Concert)

By SUBHADRA DEVAN Jan 20, 2008, Sunday People, The New Sunday Times Magazine (An NSTP Microsite)

The jazz is smooth. The audience is lively. The band and the crowd are in the groove. It may be only a recording but when the album is made at a “live” session, the electric intimacy fairly sizzles.

Independent band GruvAvénue’s latest offering, The Awakening, offers urban jazz with a clean sound. It was recorded in October at the band’s concert at The Actors’ Studio in Bangsar Shopping Centre.

The concept for the album percolated through about three years, says 32-year-old Ong. “Our first album was a studio recording.” The self-titled debut album, released in August 2005 under Black Machine Music Production, had entirely original compositions. “Doing a live concert recording brought that concert energy home,” he says. “It’s a lot more fun to do but technically more difficult. It was pretty tough for our engineer Vincent Lim. For us musicians, we could see each other and that made the music flow easier.”

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