The annual jazz festival, which began June 20, will end at Da An Forest Park in a widely-anticipated Jazz Carnival today and tomorrow. The weekend event will bring 11 local and world-renowned jazz masters together in the largest forest park in the capital city of Taiwan, joining hands in what is being billed as the International Jazz Masters Rendezvous.

The 11 masters of this popular form of music include three Johns from the United States - John Allred, John Ruocco, and John Beasley - the latter being the composer and pianist known for his playing in box office hits such as WALL-E, Finding Nemo, Erin Brockovich and The Godfather III.

There will also be an Italian, Mimi Verderame, and three Belgians - vocalist David Linx, Bart De Nolf and Bert Joris. Guitar players will include Germany's Joachim Schoenecker and Peter Van Marle of the Netherlands, and there will be two local names, violinist Hsieh Chi-pin and Chang Kai-ya on the piano.

The carnival will be the highlight and final note of this year's festival, with many lively performances and interaction with local audiences by the jazz players. The air will be filled with diversified music styles ranging from jazz to Latin and funk, heating up the jazz festival in mid-summer.

The co-organizers of the event, the Taipei International Jazz Education & Promotion Association and the Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City, previewed the upcoming show in a press conference in Taipei yesterday. All eleven jazz artists were on hand, performing several numbers as a teaser for local jazz lovers.

The International Jazz Masters Rendezvous is free to the public and will be held for two nights, tonight and tomorrow at the outdoor auditorium of Da An Forest Park from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Jazz lovers are encouraged to enjoy two balmy nights filled with all that jazz.