It's not often that an opportunity arises to sincerely congratulate a government department on a job well done, but with the announcement of the programme for this year's Jazz Up series of concerts organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, a bouquet is due. Brickbat service will be resumed in due course. This is the second such concert series, and - as was the case last year - there should be something to please just about everybody. The range of styles includes swing, fusion and bop - all performed by artists of international stature - with the concerts spread over six months. Starting things in style on June 7 at the Cultural Centre is the Count Basie Orchestra, now led by trombonist Bill Hughes, who joined the band in 1956. Basie died in 1984, but the great band he founded and led for more than half a century continue to embody his musical ideals, and to reproduce his signature swing blues sound. This show is part of a world tour marking the centenary of Basie's birth and the 20th anniversary of his death. Several members of the present lineup played with Basie for many years, although most, of course, are too young to have had that experience. On the other hand, the band's classic arrangements are intact, and the hallmark of the best big bands has always been that they're strong enough to withstand major changes in personnel. In recent years, the Count Basie Orchestra has garnered considerable critical acclaim for combining a few modernist elements with the best aspects of the band's long tradition, deeply rooted in the blues and dating back to Kansas City in the 1930s. Hughes is the fourth musical director to run the Count Basie Orchestra, following on from Thad Jones, Frank Foster and Grover Mitchell. I last saw the band in London in the mid-80s, under Foster, with Ella Fitzgerald making one of her last appearances as the featured singer. It was a night to remember, and so should this be. Norwegian guitarist Terje Rypdal, who performs next on August 9, has been given slightly shorter shrift with regard to venue, and appears at the Kwai Tsing Theatre, but should draw a good crowd of people who enjoy ECM label-style fusion and Rypdal's idiosyncratic approach to the guitar. The guitarist acknowledges Hank Marvin of The Shadows and Jimi Hendrix as essential formative influences, along with a long list of jazz players, but also finds room to credit artists ranging from The Sex Pistols to 10cc with having had an effect on his musical thinking at various times. He's also profoundly influenced by classical music. That's about as mixed a bag as you can get, but his unique style works for him, and admirers include Andy Summers, Bill Frisell and Jeff Beck. Rypdal made his name alongside countryman Jan Garbarek playing with George Russell in the early 70s, and his music has the same spacey, ethereal feeling that Garbarek often gravitates towards. For those unsure of whether to invest in a ticket, the recently released Terje Rypdal Selected Recordings on ECM is a good primer. Ahmad Jamal, who appears on August 23 at the Cultural Centre, is one of the most original pianists in jazz, and a player of impeccable taste. He also profoundly influenced Miles Davis with his great trio recordings. Jamal was one of the few players of his generation to succeed in finding a voice of his own when virtually every pianist in jazz was trying to sound like Bud Powell. His 2003 album In Search of Momentum was a critical hit and has generated a well-deserved revival of interest in his richly rewarding back catalogue. His best known recording is probably the hit single Poinciana, but almost anything he's put his name to is worth hearing. Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter are no strangers to Hong Kong and have both performed here, independently, fairly recently. It's always a treat to hear them together though, and this time they're accompanied by a fine rhythm section. Fellow Miles Davis fusion period alumnus Dave Holland is on bass, and New Orleans drummer Brian Blade, who has played on recent Shorter recordings - as well as several successful non-jazz projects, including Bob Dylan's Time Out of Mind and Emmylou Harris' Wrecking Ball - is behind the kit. Their September 22 Cultural Centre performance can also be expected to sell out. Belgian Toots Thielemans, the world's greatest jazz harmonica player, hasn't performed in Hong Kong since the 80s and his return is welcome, indeed. He plays City Hall on November 1 and will probably also be playing guitar - his first instrument and one on which he also excels. Thielemans' best known composition is the catchy whistling tune Bluesette, but you'll have heard his harmonica playing on countless sessions and film soundtracks, as well as on many jazz recordings of his own and other artists'. Closing the programme at City Hall on November 18 is Patti Austin, a singer strongly associated with Quincy Jones, who calls her 'the daughter I don't remember asking for'. In recent years, she's delved more into mainstream jazz, particularly on For Ella, a Fitzgerald tribute collection released in 2002. Tickets for the first three shows are available through Urbtix (tel: 2734 9009) outlets, while those for the remaining shows will go on sale in August.
