Bob Mocarsky Trio, USA/France/Hong Kong

Bob Mocarsky - piano/keyboards

Justin Siu - Bass

Laurent Robin - drums

For the past several years Bob Mocarsky has been at the piano in places like Beijing, Bangkok, and Hong Kong playing jazz for the locals and the internationals at some of the most stylish clubs and hotels in Asia.  He studied piano with his dad, Edmund Mocarsky, one of that city's esteemed piano teachers. In his 20's, he ventured to San Francisco, and before he left for Asia in 2001, he had performed, recorded, and toured with many of the Bay Area's top musical attractions including Bobby McFerrin, Eddie Henderson, Pete & Sheila Escovedo and international stars including Patti Austin, Rickie Lee Jones, Marlena Shaw, and Mark Murphy.

Website: www.myspace.com/bobmocarsky

Justin Siu

Justin started learning classical cello at the age of 9, he obtained his M.A. in computer science at the University of Cambridge. After a short stink in the computer technology industry, he pick up the bass and soon became a jazz bassist, collaborated with many renowned local and foreign jazz artists, and paved way for his pioneering vision on creative projects that bring classical music, jazz, electronic music, computer technology and multimedia visuals together.  His biggest passion in music is arranging and conducting for large ensembles, pioneering in music he coined “orchestral jazz”. He has participated in various festivals including the Hong Kong Arts Festival, and worked with many local pop music productions for Eason Chan, Leo Ku, Ivana Wong and Jeff Chang.

Laurent Robin

One of the best French drummers, Laurent always adds his warm personality to the music he is part of. He worked with plenty of well-known artists in France, such as Matthieu Chedid, Arthur H, Michel Jonasz and Bojan Z.  In  2012, it was as though a new world launched the Laurent Robin and the Skyriders. Experiencing at the borders of jazz, electro, rock and pop, this project brought Laurent and his life-long partners – Benjamin Moussay and Cedric Hanriot – toward new horizons made of good energy and vibration. Laurent has decided to set foot in Hong Kong to join one of his collaborators, bassist Justin Siu, to perform with the Bob Mocarsky Trio in 2013.

Diego Figueiredo Duo, Brazil 

Diego Figueiredo - Acoustic guitar

Alexandre  Martins- piano

“One of the greatest guitarists I’ve seen in my whole life” ---------   George Benson 2007

Diego Figueiredo was born in Brazil, in 1980. Diego played many instruments before choosing the electric guitar when he was twelve, playing in theaters and local pubs, revealing the great art of improvising and harmonizing.

Diego has performed around Europe and in the USA with his unique technique and sensitivity, and once shared stage with John Scofield and The Yellowjackets. For over a decade, Diego has performed frequently at La Paz Festijazz, Bolivia, and was invited by the Symphonic Orchestra of La Paz to take part in the recordings of a CD and a DVD to honor Tom Jobim entitled ‘Jobim de los Andes’.

“Dear Diego: I listened to your CD “Segundas Intenções” and it was a magical moment. When I go to Brazil I would like to play together with you” ---------- Pat Metheny

Website: www.diegofigueiredo.net/

Eliane Amherd, Switzerland

Eliane Amherd - Guitars/vocal

The amazing Swiss born and New York based singer/guitarist/songwriter Eliane Amherd introduces audiences to the freshest new talent to come into the world of Jazz, Afro-Caribbean and Brazilian music in a very long time.

Eliane is one of the hottest forces of the New York City Jazz, Brazilian and Latin scene and her  charm and strong stage presence have won over  audience everywhere she appears. Besides her performances as a leader or a featured artist in New York’s most famous clubs, such as SOB’s, Joe’s Pub, Zinc Bar, the Jazz Standard, the Blue Note, Nuyorican Poets Cafe etc. , she also tours in North and South America, Canada, Europe and Asia.  

Eliane has worked with greats such as Randy Brecker, Marc Ribot, Michael Carvin, Bill Ware, Jovino Santos Neto etc. Her song “As If” can be heard in the award winning movie “Approaching Union Square” and her voice is featured on Jeremy Mage's song "Slippery Light" appearing on the NBC hit TV series "Lipstick Jungle".

Eliane is hailed as “one of the very best singers in New York” by trumpeter Randy Brecker and “a terrific guitarist” by Marc Ribot, who exclaims, "Eliane rocks!"

Website: elianeperforms.com

Ines Trickovic Quartet, Croatia

Ines Trickovic - vocal

Zvonimir Sestak - bass

Joe Pandur - guitar

Adriano Bernobic - drums

Ines Trickovic is not unknown to South Asian audiences. She has already presented three different projects at festivals in Hong Kong, Macau, Zhuhai and Szenzhen.

Last year's project ''Ines Trickovic Sextet: Runjic in Blue'', that included a CD and tour, was widely accepted by audiences as a progressive hard bop album where the vocalist was treated as an equal instrument in the sextet formation.  After touring Asia and Europe, she wanted to do a more personal and intimate project, collaborating with established Croatian jazz guitarist Joe Pandur. They are also known by their project Ines & Joe- Samba em Preludio with which they toured China in  February 2013.

The new concert material is an exploration of her personal favorites in music, regardless of style. Inspired by classical and world music, artists like Erik Satie, John Coltrane, Brazilian composers, old traditional Croatian songs etc. With strong jazz roots, the new quartet brings vibrant jazz communication to the stage and creates their own unique musical language.

Website: www.facebook.com/#!/ines.trickovic

Jangeun "JB" Bae Trio, South Korea

Jangeun "JB" Bae - piano

Hogyu Hwang - bass

Dongjin Shin - drums

JB trio, which is the one of the best jazz trio in Korea, plays contemporary jazz, featuring brilliant jazz standard arrangements, beautiful original compositions, and new approach of pop music including Korean folk music.  Its leader is the pianist / composer Jangeun "JB" Bae who is the winner of many Korean music awards and has also established careers in the North America, New York jazz scene and other international venues as leader and side-man.  Ho-Gyu Hwang is the bassist graduated from the famous Monk Institute and toured with great international artists. Dongjin Shin is the one of the high requested drummer in Korea. This trio is the innovative and fearless contemporary jazz ensemble based on pure traditional spirit.

Website: www.jbfunkyjazz.com

Lars Danielsson LIBERETTO Trio, Sweden/Finland/Germany

Lars Danielsson - bass, cello

Iiro Rantala, Piano - Finland

Wolfgang Haffner, Drums - Germany

Lars Danielsson

Swedish bassist, cellist, composer and arranger Lars Danielsson is renowned and admired throughout the International jazz world for his lyrical playing and strong groove.

Lars Danielsson, born in 1958,he studied classical cello at the conservatory in Gothenburg, before changing to bass and to jazz. The "Lars Danielsson Quartet" with David Liebman, Bobo Stenson and Jon Christensen has received a lot of recognition and numerous awards during the 18 years of its existence. Danielsson has released ten solo-albums since 1980 with his quartet.

As Composer, producer and arranger, he has worked with Denmark’s Radio Concert Orchestra as well as the JazzBaltica Ensemble as a composer, arranger and producer.

Lars Danielsson has worked with Randy and Michael Brecker, John Scofield, Jack DeJohnette, Mike Stern, Billy Hart, Charles Lloyd, Terri Lyne Carrington and Dave Kikoski. Lars Danielsson has also been a member of the "Trilok Gurtu Group".

In 2007, he received commission for several pieces, like with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra featuring himself as a soloist together with Leszek Moždžer; with the NDR Big Band and Wolfgang Haffner for the JazzBaltica Festival 2007; and for a project with the Symphony Orchestra in St. Petersburg with Bugge Wesseltoft.

The 2008 release of Pasodoble (ACT 9458-2) in Poland was followed by a sales of more than 10,000 CDs and a subsequent Platinum Record Award. In this same year he was a member of the star-studded ensemble on the Vince Mendoza CD “Blauklang” and is nominated for a Grammy.

http://www.larsdanielsson.com/

Iiro Rantala

Finnish pianist Iiro Rantala was born in Helsinki in 1970.   He studied piano in the jazz department of Sibelius Academy and classical piano at the Manhattan School of Music. He is one of the best known Finnish jazz pianists, both in Finland and abroad. Rantala is a pianist and composer with Trio Töykeät, a Finnish jazz trio, which was well received when performing in Hong Kong back in 2005.  It has performed more than 2000 concerts in 40 countries, before dis-banding in 2008.  

Iiro has composed some classical pieces, most notably the Concerto for Piano and Concerto in G♯ΔA♭.   In 2008, he released the album Elmo with his new formation, the Iiro Rantala New Trio. The members of the trio are Rantala (piano), Marzi Nyman (guitar) and Felix Zenger (beatbox).

Iiro also maintained the roles as Artistic director for the Sipoo Kalkkijazz, Dubrovnik Jazz Clubin, and the Kapsäkki Jazz Piano Festival, and the Goodwill ambassador for Finnish Unicef  since 1994.

www.iirorantala.fi/jl/

Wolfgang Haffner

Wolfgang Haffner started playing drums and piano at the age of six. After finishing school in 1983 he began his career as a professional musician in the German French Jazz Ensemble, conducted by the Jazz legend Albert Mangelsdorff.  Haffner later became the drummer in Klaus Doldingers’s “Passport“, with whom he played for 11 years, touring Europe and South Africa. From 1994 to1995 he was the drummer in the Band of one of the greatest female singers of all times, Chaka Khan.  In 1994 he joined the US Fusion Superband “METRO” with Chuck Loeb, Mitch Forman and Anthony Jackson.

Haffner worked with many great Jazz Artists including Pat Metheny, Michael & Randy Brecker, Woody Shaw, Roy Hargrove, Johnny Griffin, Cassandra Wilson, Joe Pass, Bob James, Joe Lovano, Clark Terry, McCoy Tyner, Art Farmer, Pee Wee Ellis, Esbjörn Svensson, Joe Sample, Robben Ford... to name a few.

In 2002 Haffner formed the Wolfgang Haffner Band which toured in Europe featuring music of his earlier albums “Music“ & “Urban Life“. When not performing with his own Band he plays with the Nils Landgren Funk Unit, and with Till Brönner. Haffner has played on about 400 Recordings, including ten albums under his own name.

wolfganghaffner.wordpress.com/

" maRK ", Hong Kong

Anna Fan - Percussion, Drums

Ricky Wong - Keyboards, Piano

Kenny Lin - Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone

Marcus Siew Wai Ho - Electric/Acoustic Bass

Fused with strong exotic origins percussion with abundant funk, alternative and post Jazz idioms, maRK is an upcoming jazz quartet with all-local-Hong-Kongers line up which are in demand composers, arrangers and sound engineer in the Hong Kong music scene.

Members of the group are also featured in numerous jazz festivals around the world including TEDxBoston, Beantown Jazz Festival(Boston, USA), HONK Festival (NewYork, USA), Vancouver Jazz Festival, Island Folk Festival, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Beishan International Jazz Festival, Taichung International Jazz Festival, Hong Kong International Jazz Festival to name a few.

Website: www.facebook.com/markquartethk 

Ntjam Rosie, Cameron/The Netherlands

Ntjam Rosie - vocal NT

Alexander Van Popta - Keyboards

Jorn Ten Hoopen - guitar

Bas Kloosterman - bass

Tuur Sylvain Moens - drums 

Ntjam Rosie has flair and a unique personal style. She has been nominated for the magazine ELLE Personal Style Awards but doesn’t see herself as a fashion diva. “I have often been portrayed as a diva, now it is time to show my true colors. And those colors are vibrant and clear.”

Ntjam Rosie has style, great looks and is a gifted musician, singer, songwriter and producer. The 29 year old Ntjam Rose emphasizes: “I am an artist. I dig into my cultures and make art from them.” It is the ‘right here, right now’ quality of her compositions that makes her music so exciting. She does not indulge in retro elements but simply roots in them. Her songs are an enticing mix of lyrics, style, and music.

Ntjam Rosie lives in Rotterdam now. She was born in the village Sonkoe in the South of Cameroon. Ntjam Rosie grew up dancing and singing to pop music in her spare time. After high school she studied at the Codarts academy of music in Rotterdam.

Ntjam Rosie has her own record label Gentle Daze Records and works hard for it.  As promoting her own record, Ntjam has toured several countries in the past, among them Thailand, Turkey, Estonia and China and earned her a prestigious Edison nomination. “The critics have been fabulous.” Ntjam Rosie is regularly invited to perform for DWDD on Dutch TV and has been on BBC 1 radio and  an extensive Club Tour and has played at the North Sea Jazz Festival.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8QYVXqdSmg

Website: www.ntjamrosie.com/

Søren Bebe Trio, Denmark

Søren Bebe - piano

Anders Mogensen - drums


Kasper Tagel - double bass

”One of the most fantastic jazz albums of recent years….Nothing less than a masterpiece!…” (Gaffa, DK)

Søren Bebe – piano

Danish jazz pianist and composer Søren Bebe founded the Søren Bebe Trio in 2007.  Four releases and a great deal of concerts later,  the band is better and busier than ever.  Their latest third release (August 2013) features the great Marc Johnson on double bass.

As a pianist and composer, Søren Bebe draws on a wide range of inspirations from American and European jazz, as well as contemporary classical music to rock, pop and folk-music. It all blends in this band, creating the unique Søren Bebe Trio-sound.

Already released a handful of records as a leader and even more as a sideman, and in 2001 Søren Bebe  won the competition “Young Nordic Jazz Comets” award.

Kasper Tagel – double bass 

Danish bassplayer and composer residing in Copenhagen, Denmark. released his highly acclaimed first soloalbum ”Silent Journey” in 2006.   He plays with a beautiful lyrical approach to the instrument, and a strong grounded beat. Graduated with diploma from the ”Conservatory of Funen” in 1998, and has been an active part of the music scene ever since. In 2003 he was awarded the prize ”Jazz musician of the year” and has also received several other local and national prizes for his work.

Anders Mogensen – drums

Since entering the Danish jazzscene in the early 1990 ́s, drummer Anders Mogensen has been one of the most sought after musicians on the Danish as well as the International Jazz scene. He has been a member of ground- breaking bands such as When Granny Sleeps, Jakob Anderskov Trio and Copenhagen Art Ensemble. He has toured and recorded with Jazz Greats such as: Bob Berg, David Liebman, Steve Swallow, Marc Johnson, Brecker Brothers, Django Bates and Ray Anderson.

Website:

www.sorenbebe.dk

www.sorenbebetrio.com

The Asaf Sirkis Trio, UK/Greece/Israel 

Asaf Sirkis - drums/compositions

Kevin Glasgow - electric bass

Tassos Spiliotopoulos - guitar

Asaf Sirkis, drums/compositions

One of the greatest drummers and percussionists of our time, Israeli born Asaf Sirkis grew up in Rehovot, near Tel Aviv. Its multicultural community shaped Asaf’s understanding of music and rhythm. Asaf began his career as a musician, playing with different young bands spanning Klezmer to Jazz Rock.

He settled in London in April 1999, quickly establishing himself in the vibrant UK Jazz and world music scene.

In 2000 formed the seminal Orient House Ensemble with Gilad Atzmon, recorded seven albums including  ‘Exile’ that won ‘Best Album of the Year’ at the BBC 2003 Jazz Awards.  Since 2006, Asaf started a unique collaboration with acclaimed saxophonist/composer Tim Garland and pianist Gwilym Simcock. They have released four albums to date and toured the world with their Lighthouse Project. Asaf remains one of the hardest working musicians, boasting an incredible discography and a who’s who of collaborations. These, among others, also include Larry Coryell,  Jeff Berlin, Chick Corea,  John Abercrombie, Bob Sheppard, Mark Egan, Dave Liebman, David Binney, Gary Husband, John Taylor and Kenny Wheeler, etc.

Tassos Spiliotopoulos, guitar

Originally from Greece, Tassos Spiliotopoulos moved to London. During the past few years Tassos has been touring with his own band as well as numerous other creative projects, performing in clubs and festivals in the UK, Germany, France, Greece, Sweden, Spain and USA. He has worked with Kenny Wheeler, Gary Husband, Asaf Sirkis, Tim Garland, John Parricelli, John Etheridge, etc.

Kevin Glasgow, electric bass

Kevin Glasgow was born in Inverness in 1983 and moved to Northern Ireland when he was 9 years, where he started learning guitar and began playing bass at 16, and study Popular Music at Napier University in Edinburgh. Whilst there he played regularly on the Edinburgh jazz circuit. Since graduating, he has played internationally at venues such as Ronnie Scott's, the 606, Dizzy's Club in NYC, and festivals in Edmonton, Edinburgh, Glasgow and the London Jazz Festival. He has performed with Tommy Smith, Tony Monaco, Clark Tracey, Joe Locke, and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra (featuring soloists such as John Scofield, Bill Evans, Randy Brecker, and Peter Erskine).

"This kid is a freak. He plays a six-string bass, and he does everything — taps, sweeps — and that’s sweeping on a six-string bass"-Frank Gambale

Website: 

www.asafsirkis.co.uk

tassos-spiliotopoulos.com/

www.kevinglasgow.co.uk/

The Buzz Bros Band, The Netherlands

Marnix Busstra - guitars, electric sitar, bouzouki

Berthil Busstra - Fender Rhodes, keyboards

René Dissel - double bass

Marc Schenk - drums

“…adventurous, freely interpreted electric acoustic funky jazz ………….”

The Buzz Bros Band, a Dutch jazz quartet, is an initiative of guitarist Marnix Busstra and his brother pianist Berthil Busstra.  In its first decade, the band has played all over the world, including Europe, India, China, and Indonesia.    The music of the band is inspired by a myriad of musical styles, periods, and cultures, ranging from Miles Davis’ sixties jazz, to pop and soul music from the seventies, and music from India, Ireland, Africa, and Asia.

Website: www.buzzbrosband.nl