Wanna listen to originals by local musicians?

Wanna learn about different jazz styles?

Alan Kwan x Local Jazz Musicans Presents to You – Jazz Composers' Lab!

(Conducted in Cantonese)

In this eight-episode series of Jazz Composers' Lab, jazz guitarist, composer and producer Alan Kwan has invited four local jazz musicians to share with us their original compositions, and he will also introduce different jazz styles and approaches to appreciating music.

Chit-chat sessions are conducted in Cantonese.

The programme does not represent the views of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.  The presenter reserves the right to vary the broadcast time of the programme.

 Jazz Composers' Lab #1: Alan Kwan X Lui Ngao-yuen｜Milky Way (Available from 5pm on 28 Jan)

When Miles Davis formed The Second Great Quintet, he made extensive use of non-functional harmony in his compositions, reducing the need for orderly frameworks and allowing his personal style to shine through.  The works of local jazz double bassist and composer Lui Ngao-yuen also share similar elements.  His Milky Way was conceptualized from his experience with the starry sky.

Host/ Guitar: Alan Kwan

Guest/ Double Bass: Lui Ngao-yuen

Saxophone: Scott Murphy

Drums: Dean Li

Jazz Composers' Lab #2: Alan Kwan X Lui Ngao-yuen｜A Simple Word Between You and Me (Available from 5pm on 9 Feb)

Dave Liebman once said that when people who play or study jazz get to a certain level of proficiency, playing Free Jazz is inevitable if they want to start doing it professionally.  Local jazz double bassist and composer Lui Ngao-yuen debunks the myth that Free Jazz has no sheet-music with A Simple Word Between You and Me.

Host/ Guitar: Alan Kwan

Guest/ Double Bass: Lui Ngao-yuen

Saxophone: Scott Murphy

Drums: Dean Li

Jazz Composers' Lab #3: Alan Kwan X Sharon Lui｜Sakura and...... (Available from 5pm on 17 Feb)

Sharon Lui, one of the few women and jazz violinists in the local jazz scene, steps into an exotic fantasy to a 5/4 signature with her composition Sakura and…… to introduce Gypsy Jazz compositions.

Host: Alan Kwan

Guest/ Violin: Sharon Lui

Piano: Toshi Horuguchi

Drums: Dean Li

Double Bass: Jeff Lehmberg

Jazz Composers' Lab #4: Alan Kwan X Sharon Lui｜Valse du Cambodge (Available from 7:30pm on 26 Feb)

With its swinging rhythms, jazz was originally music for dancing and entertainment. Valse du Cambodge, which incorporates Waltz, is a work by local jazz violinist Sharon Lui.

Host: Alan Kwan

Guest/ Violin: Sharon Lui

Piano: Toshi Horuguchi

Guitar: Kurtis Li

Double Bass: Jeff Lehmberg

Jazz Composers' Lab #5: Alan Kwan X Victor Chu｜Momentum (Available from 6pm on 22 Apr)

Local jazz guitarist Victor Chu excels at a variety of musical styles, from Jazz, Rock & Roll, to Blues.  In this episode, he will share with the host, Alan, his career as a composer and talk about the different musical styles which have influenced his works.  Momentum is one of his signature Fusion Jazz pieces.

Host/ Guitar: Alan Kwan

Guest/ Guitar: Victor Chu

Bass: Leung Chun-hin

Drums: Dean Li

Jazz Composers' Lab #6: Alan Kwan X Victor Chu｜Flashback (Available from 6pm on 29 Apr)

For guitarist Victor Chu, studying music in the United States was a truly enlightening experience.  This is why, when he wrote Flashback to reminisce about the past, he added elements of Neo Soul, R&B and jazz to express the rhythms of life that he wanted the piece to convey.  Alan and Victor will deconstruct the way in which we listen to a Fusion Jazz work.

Host: Alan Kwan

Guest/ Guitar: Victor Chu

Bass: Leung Chun-hin

Drums: Dean Li

Jazz Composers' Lab #7: Alan Kwan X Ted Lo｜Coconuts (Available from 6pm on 7 Jun)

Ted Lo, Hong Kong's own "godfather of jazz", is a wizard with the keyboard and synthesizer.  He began using these electronic sounds in his compositions back when Fusion Jazz first gained popularity on the jazz scene.  In this episode, he will reinterpret Coconuts, a Fusion Jazz piece recorded in 1987, and share his thoughts on making the transition from playing Traditional Jazz to Fusion Jazz, and on the development of the music scene of the time.

Host/ Guitar: Alan Kwan

Guest/ Keyboard: Ted Lo

Bass: Leung Chun-hin

Drums: Dean Li

Jazz Composers' Lab #8: Alan Kwan X Ted Lo｜Ready, Whatever! (Available from 6pm on 17 Jun)

A return to the basics: in this episode, Ted Lo is invited to revisit "rhythm changes", a key framework of the Bebop era, and compose a work with it.  Rhythm changes originated from the popular jazz standard I Got Rhythm, and were used by numerous bandleaders such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman to create new classics.  This episode will introduce the style and history of Bebop.

Host/ Guitar: Alan Kwan

Guest/ Piano: Ted Lo

Double Bass: Jeff Lehmberg

Drums: Dean Li