So hooked to jazz lately ever since my Miri trip. I do listen to jazz music but I dont really follow it much. I've always assumed that jazz performance are only held in some hotel lobbies or in KLCC mall, little did I knew that there are quite a few Jazz lounge are KL. TopRoom is one of the home ground for David Gomez and Junji Delfino. I completely missed out their performance during the Miri jazz festival but made it all up at TopRoom. This venue doesnt need any introduction because it just above of Top Hat fine dinning restaurant. Top Hat is an old colonial style bungalow hidden and tucked away by all the high rise buildings in the city. They're famous for fine dinning fusion and local cuisine all prep by 2 highly experienced chef.
As for TopRoom is just a small lil lounge above of the restaurant just big enough to fit about 50 or so. Not a very good place to drink and get drunk but rather a great place to drink get high and enjoy the music and socialise. Warm and cozy interior really brings up the ambiance and the great music. There were total of 4 sets by David and Junji that Saturday night together with Ismail on the bass guitar and Yaacob on the drums. David worked his fingers on the piano keys wonderfully and sang away. Junji joined in for the 2nd set later before they took a break. It was a wonderful night accompanied by Mrs$1 and 2 bottles of wine. Unfortunately the place is not crowd which is good and bad at the same, good because we didnt have to fight for a good spot and the room wouldnt be all smokey. Sadly instead of enjoying the small lil crowd that night, I felt that the place should be crowded for such a great performance. Com'on cover charge is only MYR20 and its cheap compare to discos in the city ripping your wallets at least two times more. Drink price are also reasonable priced like any other pubs. Even with all these good deal theres only 6 tables filled with only 16 patrons.
We meet and chat the TopHat owner Kevin Danker, according to Kevin his wife runs the show at Tophat and Junji and David runs the show at TopRoom while he sits in his law firm. Great guy, warm and friendly with his customers. He mentioned that TopRoom has been operating slightly more than a year and thhe crowd has always been llittle unless theres a big gig. We had bonus treat from David who just composed a song on that same evening, it was a great song. Also there was a special guest sitting behind of us who was Fedderick King from Scotland. No fuckin idea who he was but he had a great deep voice and did very well singing Nat King Cole's When I Fall in Love. Alas, we brought camera but the batteries werent charged. Great place great nite, missing a good cigar and best thing was free flow of crackers from the bar. Next performance I'll be going would be Julian Chan's Boplicity at Groove junction in Hartamas KL and maybe the last gig by Julian Chan before he leaves the country to further his study in his passion for music.
