"Jazz in the Neighbourhood" ( JITN ) announce that Japanese guitarist Kazumi Watanabe unfortunately has to withdraw from the performance of the "Hong Kong International Jazz Guitar Festival: POWWER QUINTET" to be held at 3PM on 10 March, 2024 ( Sunday ) due to sudden illness. The two guitar masters Eugene Pao and Ulf Wakenius, bassist Tetsuo Sakurai and drummer Senri Kawaguchi of the POWWER QUINTET, will continue to mesmerize the audience with their captivating guitar performance. Hong Kong guitarist Alan Kwan and Japanese guitarist May Inoue will also join as guest performers. The concert programme will remain unchanged. The JITN performance and production team wishes Mr. Kazumi Watanabe a speedy recovery.
To thank everyone for their support, audience members attending the concert on that day will receive a 10% discount code for the "Jazz Marathon 2024" via email, allowing them to purchase concert tickets at a discounted price. Tickets will be available soon. Stay tuned for the latest updates from JITN.
If audiences want to apply for a refund, please click on the e-ticket link and select "Request Refund" on or before 7 March to apply. Full refund will be made automatically into the Payme/Paypal account or credit card that was used for the original payment by art-mate within 6 to 8 weeks.
For further enquiries, please contact JITN at info@jitn.org or 6397 9593 ( WhatsApp ). Your understanding is deeply appreciated.
Hong Kong International Jazz Guitar Festival: POWWER QUINTETJazz World, Count-In Music Limited
Although these three world-class jazz guitarists Eugene Pao, Kazumi Watanabe and Ulf Wakenius performing together for the first time, the friendship and history among them go all the way back to 1987. Eugene had performed as special guest of the Kazumi Band for the then prestigious Live Under The Sky festival held in Tokyo and Hong Kong. Since then, they have performed together under different circumstances, including a special group “Guitar Sam Guk Ji – Asian Super Guitar Project ( ASGP )” alongside Korean guitarist Jack Lee. The ASGP had toured the region extensively.
Eugene’s collaboration with Ulf dates back to 2000 when they co-headlined a concert in Hong Kong. After that, Ulf has gained a significant fan base in HK and Asia, having returned to the Hong Kong stage no less than 10 times, including performances with Eugene and Martin Taylor in the Guitar Legacy Trio. Ulf has also participated in a series of concerts in Japan with Kazumi and Martin Taylor under the title "The Great Guitars".
The POWWER QUINTET will mark a new chapter for these three guitar legends. Instead of the expected mainstream acoustic format, they will delve into high-energy fusion-based music, which is also the root of their guitar playing. Completing the lineup is the stellar rhythm section of Tetsuo Sakurai on bass and Senri Kawaguchi on drums, both of whom are leaders in their own right. A jazz supergroup is born!
Remarks:
- Concert duration is approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Recommended for ages 6 and above.
- Audience is strongly advised to arrive punctually. Latecomers will only be admitted at a suitable break.
- The presenter reserves the right to change the programme, artists and seating arrangement should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary.
