Freespace Jazz Fest 2021 Shining a spotlight on local talent

“Freespace Jazz Fest”
Courtesy of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

Between 28 and 31 October 2021 (Thursday to Sunday), join us at the Freespace Jazz Fest for a long weekend of great sounds indoors and outdoors at Freespace and our harbour-front Art Park.

This year’s music programmes celebrate the innovation and diversity of one of the world’s most popular forms of music and shines a spotlight on Hong Kong – showcasing a host of top home-grown talent and a range of musical styles, from jazz reinterpretations of classical pieces to traditional big band, experimental and world music fusion.

‘Since our first event in 2019, Freespace Jazz Fest has become a major date on the Hong Kong music calendar,’ says Kung Chi-shing, Artistic Associate (Music), Performing Arts, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. ‘This year we bring together veteran and emerging Hong Kong-based artists and offer surprising and exciting new perspectives on improvisation, adaptation and instrumentation.’

Highlight ticketed events include Joyce Cheung – Jazzical Collection, familiar classical pieces fused with a jazz spirit by pianist Joyce Cheung and her 13-piece ensemble; Freespace Ensemble x Daniel Chu – Game Play, a playful session of spontaneous creation and musical games with young pianist Daniel Chu and nine string players from Freespace Ensemble; Spotlight on Bass – Tsang Tak-hong Quintet, an organic performance highlighting the rarely showcased sounds and rhythms of the bass guitar and the masterful skills of renowned bassist Tsang Tak-hong and long-term collaborator Ted Lo; Patrick Lui Jazz Orchestra feat. Janice Vidal and Angelita Li, familiar and original songs rearranged for Lui’s award-winning big band, a string quartet, and the powerful voices of guest artists Janice Vidal and Angelita Li, with Li joining Lui again after her sell-out 2020 tribute to Billie Holiday; and Imaginarium – HK / Cologne, a transcontinental free improvisation jam between musicians in Hong Kong and Germany that explores enhanced real-time audio-visual technology and encourages new forms of musical and visual experimentation.

Free events include the Experimental Lab – five mixed sessions with 20-plus Hong Kong-based musicians from a range of backgrounds exploring free improvisation and offering a glimpse into a little-known side of Hong Kong’s music scene – as well as two days of outdoor performances showcasing a range of jazz and world music styles on the Art Park stage.

Tickets on sale from 17 September 2021. Visit www.westkowloon.hk/jazzfest for latest updates and ticketing information.

Appendix – Freespace Jazz Fest Programme Details

Highlight Ticketed Events

Joyce Cheung – Jazzical Collection

Pianist Joyce Cheung and her 13-piece ensemble present a collection of familiar classical pieces fused with a jazz spirit. Retracing Cheung’s musical roots, the show takes inspiration from jazz, rock and fusion, and promises accessible, easy-listening experience.

Freespace Ensemble x Daniel Chu – Game Play

Young local pianist Daniel Chu and nine string players from Freespace Ensemble engage in an evening of spontaneous musical creation and games exploring the relationships between repetition, improvisation and interaction, and promising a playful and intriguing experience for the audience.

Spotlight on Bass – Tsang Tak-hong Quintet

An organic performance of original home-grown fusion jazz that puts the spotlight on acclaimed bassist Tsang Tak-hong. Appearing alongside Tsang are long-term collaborators Ted Lo on piano and Michael Salcedo on drums, plus emerging artists Tsui Chin-hung on guitar and Guyshawn Wong on second bass and electronics.

Patrick Lui Jazz Orchestra feat. Janice Vidal and Angelita Li 

A supersize performance of home-grown talent – featuring Patrick Lui on piano, a big band, a string quartet and acclaimed local singers Janice Vidal and Angelita Li. Taking inspiration from local and regional pop tunes, jazz standards and original compositions, the renowned Patrick Lui Jazz Orchestra and guests present familiar and original songs rearranged and performed with and without vocals.

Imaginarium – HK / Cologne

A transcontinental virtual and real-life free improvisation jam between musicians from Hong Kong and Germany. The immersive experience explores the possibilities of enhanced real-time audio-visual technology and multimedia, and encourages new encounters and new forms of musical and visual experimentation.

Remarks

About the Art Park
The Art Park is the green heart of the West Kowloon Cultural District. With a rich variety of trees and green planting as well as open lawn spaces, the park provides a vibrant venue for open-air performances, art exhibitions and other cultural events. The Art Park also features a growing range of facilities, including the waterfront promenade, several large lawn areas, and harbourside restaurants and cafes for leisure and relaxation.

About Freespace
Freespace is Hong Kong’s new centre for contemporary performance. Located in the heart of the Art Park, Freespace presents multi-genre performances and events, produces boundary-pushing collaborations, and promotes new ways of seeing and experiencing performance. Freespace houses The Box, a flexible space for cutting-edge performances and one of the largest black box theatres in Hong Kong, two multi-purpose spaces, The Room and The Studio, designed for creative exchange and artistic collaborations, and Lau Bak Livehouse, an intimate bar cafe presenting live music from Hong Kong and around the world.

About the West Kowloon Cultural District
The West Kowloon Cultural District is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural projects in the world. Its vision is to create a vibrant new cultural quarter for Hong Kong on forty hectares of reclaimed land located alongside Victoria Harbour. With a varied mix of theatres, performance spaces, and museums, the West Kowloon Cultural District will produce and host world-class exhibitions, performances and cultural events, providing twenty-three hectares of public open space, including a two-kilometre waterfront promenade.