The Malaysian Real Book II: Past to Present

For more than a century, ‘real books’ have been the jazz musician’s best friend. Originally, they contained collated lead sheets for a raft of standards from the Great American Songbook. Over the last ten years, the Malaysian jazz scene has been revolutionised in the same way. Thanks to a community-driven project, led by some of the most prominent and dedicated musicians, there is now a unique publication, The Malaysian Real Book, containing hundreds of tunes, the first of its kind in Asia. It is nothing less than a mapping of the popular music history of Malaysia. 

"The Malaysian Real Book II: Past to Present” follows on from the first Malaysian Real Book concerts, presented to box office and critical success at GTF 2025. It celebrates the rich and diverse heritage of Malaysian music while also showcasing the work of current composers and songwriters. 

The concerts are fronted by three of Malaysia’s best jazz vocalists – the velvety Ida Mariana, the sparkling Janet Lee, and the soulful Yon Lynn – each possessing a deep passion for the Great Malaysian Songbook. Singing traditional standards and contemporary originals from the treasure trove of The Malaysian Real Book – songs in Malay, Chinese and English – their individual and combined styles are innovative and charged by boundless musical joy, all rooted in a distinctly Malaysian jazz sound. Expect soaring vocals and a foot-tapping vibe carried by the rhythms of swing, bebop and soul, and accompanied by the award-winning WVC Jazz Sextet.

About the Artists
Janet Lee
Janet Lee is one of Malaysia’s most distinctive vocal artists, acclaimed as the country’s queen of Shanghai jazz. Blending mid-century Mandarin pop, American songbook classics and Malayan swing, she brings theatrical finesse and emotional depth to her performances. She is a founding member of the multilingual trio The Shang Sisters. Her three solo albums—Restless Heart, Cinnabar Rouge and Tea for Two—earned critical acclaim. In 2025, she marked 20 years on stage with Lucky Lee, a self-produced, three-night concert. Janet continues to perform on major concert and theatre stages, including appearances with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.

Ida Mariana 
Actor and singer Ida Mariana began her performance career in the late 1990s when she was cast in theatre productions, including productions with Five Arts Centre and Actors’ Studio in her earlier years. In the same period, she was also cast in a musical theatre production where she realised her love for song and music. A natural at voice and movement (and naturally dance), Ida has established herself as one of the best jazz singers in the country, with a velvety voice equally at home in standards and classic Malay songs.

Yon Lynn
Yon Lynn is a Penang-born interdisciplinary artist. Part of Malaysian indie band FAZZ, Yon Lynn has always been drawn to roles and stories that explore identity, bodily memory, embodiment and attunement. Her performances are often described between being vulnerable and highly energetic, bringing depth to characters who live between silence and revelation. She is particularly passionate about stories that centre diasporic experiences, and often collaborates with music makers, theatre-makers, choreographers in developing inclusive narratives.

WVC Jazz
Formed in 2006, WVC Jazz are one of Southeast Asia’s leading contemporary jazz bands. The group has toured extensively in the region, recalling the spirit of being on the road – the lifestyle of touring jazz bands of old. The present incarnation of WVC consists of band leader/composer/arranger/music director/pianist Tay Cher Siang, bassist AJ Popshuvit, drummer Adriel Wong, guitarist Rizal Tony, trumpeter Eddie Wen and saxophonist Eddy Lim. WVC have released six instrumental albums of original music: WVC TRiO (2008), Eleven (2009), In the Dark, I See Her (2011), Waiting for That Day (2014), Do Not Go Gently (2016) and Give Thy Ear (2018). Their two most recent albums are Purnama (2021), which revisits songs from the era of Malaysian independence and presents them in fresh contemporary arrangements, and River (2025), which celebrates the historical, material and spiritual significance of rivers for human life. WVC won three awards at the prestigious BOH Cameronian Arts Awards in 2016 and a further two awards in 2020. The band also appeared briefly in the Hollywood film Crazy Rich Asians.

Tay Cher Siang (Musical director, keyboards)
Tay Cher Siang is one of Southeast Asia’s finest jazz pianists, composers, arrangers and producers, and currently lives in Kuala Lumpur. With an early training in classical music, he took up jazz in his teens and began a musical odyssey as a jazz pianist. He studied with the renowned teachers James Miltenberger and Paul Scea in the United States, before returning to Malaysia to immerse himself in jazz education at a number of universities, while also teaching at his private studio and giving masterclasses and jazz clinics. As a pianist and composer, Cher Siang has toured extensively, performing in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America with both the multinational band Unit Asia, and with his own band WVC Jazz – one of Southeast Asia’s leading contemporary jazz ensembles. He was instrumental in compiling The Malaysian Real Book.

Aubry Chong (Drums)
Aubry Chong is a prominent Malaysian drummer and musician known for his versatility in the jazz and contemporary music scenes. Born and raised in Johor Bahru, he started drumming in church at the age of 13. He graduated with a degree in Contemporary Music (Drums) from UCSI University. Besides performing, Aubry is passionate about teaching and giving masterclasses and clinics. He performs regularly with WVC Jazz.

AJ Popshuvit (Bass)
AJ Popshuvit is a founder-member and bassist of WVC Jazz, one of Southeast Asia’s leading contemporary jazz bands, with whom he has toured extensively in the region. With WVC he has played on seven albums of original music, and won three awards at the prestigious BOH Cameronian Arts Awards in 2016 and a further two awards in 2020. He also appeared briefly with the band in the Hollywood film Crazy Rich Asians.

Eddy Lim (Saxophone)
Eddy Lim is a saxophonist and music educator. He studied at UCSI University, where he was taught saxophone under Julian Chan, Arif Yusof and Adil Johan. He completed a master’s degree in jazz performance at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in Britain, where he took classes with jazz greats such as Jean Toussaint, Mike Williams and Percy Pursglove. As a performer, Eddy has played at numerous festivals in Britain, Singapore, Australia and Malaysia. He is a freelance musician with a number of line-ups including the Julian Chan Jazz Orchestra, JSY (JiuShiYi) and Frozen Mugs, and is a much sought-after performer with a range of other leading musicians.

Eddie Wen (Trumpet)
Born in PJ with a strong music influence, Eddie Wen started to pursue trumpet as his career at the age of 15. At that time he was the first trumpet for KL Symphony Orchestra, PJ Youth Symphonic band, and a member of the National Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed at Lincoln Center in New York and the Royal Albert Hall in London, as well as in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China, and has worked with some of the best musicians and singers in Asia. He plays regularly with the WVC Jazz ensemble.