Jazz Guitarist Alan Kwan is back!

Wanna learn about Jazz Improvisation?

Wanna listen to originals by Local Musicians?

Presents to You — Jazz Composers’ Lab Vol.2!

(Conducted in Cantonese)

Jazz guitarist Alan Kwan returns with five local jazz musicians and a band in the 12-episode online programme Jazz Composers’ Lab Vol. 2 to share their original compositions and explore the different facets of jazz improvisation as well as approaches to appreciating music.

There will be chit-chat sessions conducted in Cantonese.

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

Speaker: Alan Kwan

Please refer to the Chinese version for details. 

【Jazz Composers’ Lab Vol.2 #01】：Alan Kwan X Ricky Wong — A First Look into Arrangement (Available from 5pm on 25 Feb)

Original Composition :  "Seven Year Jump Start"

Episode 1 introduces music creation and arrangement basics, from how to extend a motif to the works on the structure, harmony and rhythm, consequently establishing a unique musical style for the piece.  Local pianist Ricky Wong will join us as guest in this episode to give a demonstration of composing techniques by rearranging an original work titled “Seven Year Jump Start”.

Host / Guitar : Alan Kwan  

Guest / Keyboard : Ricky Wong

Bass : Hin Leung

Drums : Dean Li

【Jazz Composers’ Lab Vol.2 #02】：Alan Kwan X Ricky Wong — An Improvised Dialogue Between Jazz and Classical Music (Available from 5pm on 10 Mar)

Original Composition :  “Piano Trio with Viola and Cello No.1”

How does classical music and jazz music employ the musical language in a same music piece?  Local pianist Ricky Wong will demonstrate how classical music and jazz music employ the same musical language in his new jazz chamber work titled “Piano Trio with Viola and Cello No.1”, featuring a cellist and a violist as a jazz music piece.

Host : Alan Kwan  

Guest / Piano : Ricky Wong

Viola : Johnny Sun

Cello : Bernard Chan

【Jazz Composers’ Lab Vol.2 #03】：Alan Kwan X Justin Siu — Jazz, Hong Kong-style (Available from 5pm on 24 Mar)

Original Composition :  “Comfort Food”

Local jazz double bassist Justin Siu had in the past turned a traditional Hong Kong-style noodle shop into a concert stage and live streamed his gigs through online platforms to explore different possibilities of performing live jazz.  In this episode, he will be playing an original work called “Comfort Food”, based on the same foodie theme inspired by Hong Kong-style cuisine. 

Host : Alan Kwan  

Guest / Double Bass : Justin Siu

Vocal : Ashley Lin

Piano : Joyce Cheung

Guitar : Kurtis Li

Drums : Samuel Chan

【Jazz Composers’ Lab Vol.2 #04】：Alan Kwan X Justin Siu — Dive into Brazilian Jazz (Available from 6pm on 14 Apr)

Original Composition :  “Heat Wave”

When we talk about music genres that are fusion of Brazilian music and jazz, what comes immediately to mind would be Samba and Bossa Nova, but have you ever heard of Partido Alto, a style of music with a repeating rhythm that is expressed with the excitement of parties?  In this episode, jazz double bassist Justin Siu and a group of wind musicians with members of the rhythm section will bring us the Brazilian heat with“Heat Wave”, an original composition inspired by the weather Justin encountered while recording his album in Brazil.

Host / Nylon Guitar : Alan Kwan  

Guest / Bass : Justin Siu

Piano : Joyce Cheung

Drums : Samuel Chan

Percussion : Simon Williams

Alto Saxophone : Blaine Whittaker

Trumpet : John Campo

Trombone : Overon Bernadino

【Jazz Composers’ Lab Vol.2 #05】：Alan Kwan X Daniel Chu — A Journey of Free Improvisation (Available from 5pm on 19 May)

Original Composition :  “Convictions”

Local interdisciplinary pianist Daniel Chu places special emphasis on expressing the unique charm of free improvisation and experimentation in his music and compositions.  In this episode, he will bring us on a free improvisational journey based on the theme “Convictions”.

Host : Alan Kwan  

Guest / Piano : Daniel Chu

Monologue Synthesizer : Nelson Hiu

【Jazz Composers’ Lab Vol.2 #06】：Alan Kwan X Daniel Chu — Movement and Stillness in Improvisation (Available from 5pm on 29 July)

Original Composition :  “Grounded”

What goes through a musician’s mind during the moment of free improvisation?  And how do they give an immediate response? In this episode, local jazz pianist Daniel Chu explores the song “Grounded” through improvisation, for sharing us a perspective on how musicians give an immediate response during free improvisation.

Host : Alan Kwan  

Guest / Piano : Daniel Chu

Drums : Vic Tsui

【Jazz Composers’ Lab Vol.2 #07】：Alan Kwan X Rootless Voyagers — Jazz Ensemble: Song of Loneliness (Available from 5pm on 26 August)

Original Composition :  “The Loneliest Monkey”

“The Loneliest Monkey” by the jazz quartet Rootless Voyagers is a samba-enredo.  The performance showcases the horn section of a jazz ensemble, the enthusiasm of the unrestrained percussion, and the evoked sense of loneliness in the music bridge.

Host : Alan Kwan  

Guest / Band : Rootless Voyagers

Trumpet : JT Wong Ka-ho 

Tenor Saxophone : Kenny Lin

Flute and Percussion : Floro Sernande Jr.  

【Jazz Composers’ Lab Vol.2 #08】：Alan Kwan X Rootless Voyagers — Jazz Poetry (Available from 5pm on 8 September)

Alan Kwan and Jazz quartet Rootless Voyagers introduces how musicians communicate with each other during an improvisation, and the process of score writing.

Host : Alan Kwan  

Guest / Band : Rootless Voyagers

Trumpet : Kwok Wing-hei Jingle

Trombone : Tony Tsui 

【Jazz Composers’ Lab Vol.2 #09】：Alan Kwan X Ram Cheung — Do You Understand Blues Music? (Available from 5pm on 16 September)

Original Composition: “What the World's Gonna Do”

The origins of jazz are intricately tied to the blues – both originated from the African community and feature elements of improvisation.  In this episode, blues guitarist Ram Cheung will share with us his original song “What the World's Gonna Do”, demonstrate the basic structure of the 12-bar blues and introduce ways of appreciating blues and jazz blues tunes.

Host / Guitar : Alan Kwan  

Guest / Guitar / Vocal : Ram Cheung

Electric Bass : Hin Leung

Drums : Lego Shum

【Jazz Composers’ Lab Vol.2 #10】：Alan Kwan X Ram Cheung — Romantic Blues (Available from 5pm on 7 October)

Original Composition : “I First Met Her”

Blues music is all about the expression of emotions and relieving depression.  In this episode, blues guitarist Ram Cheung performs an original blues love song, “I First Met Her”, telling us a story with blues music, which is all about the expression of emotions and relieving depression.

Host : Alan Kwan  

Guest / Guitar / Vocal : Ram Cheung

Electric Bass : Hin Leung 

Drums : Lego Shum 

Keyboard : Paul Chan

Trumpet : Wong Cheuk-hon 

Saxophone : Andrew Wong 
 

【Jazz Composers’ Lab Vol.2 #11】：Alan Kwan X Wilson Lam — The Popular ECM Style (Available from 5pm on 27 October)

Original Composition : “Tears”

Renowned jazz guitarist Wilson Lam demonstrates an original piece titled “Tears” written in the ECM (Edition of Contemporary Music) style, with a sound reminiscent of European folk music for this episode.

Host / Guitar : Alan Kwan  

Guest / Guitar : Wilson Lam

Bass : Hin Leung

Drums : Dean Li

【Jazz Composers’ Lab Vol.2 #12】：Alan Kwan X Wilson Lam — Diverse Listening Habits (Available from 12 noon on 11 November)

Original Composition : “Rob is not Here”

Renowned jazz guitarist Wilson Lam performs the guitar bagatelle “Rob is not Here”, followed by a discussion on listening habits and appreciation methods to music that gradually change with the progress of the times.

Host / Guitar : Alan Kwan  

Guest / Guitar : Wilson Lam

Bass : Hin Leung

Drums : Dean Li