Now that those who were lucky enough to escape some of the Hong Kong summer have mostly returned to town, the programme of live jazz performances is moving up a gear. There are at least two this week worth catching.
Tomorrow there is the Enrico Pieranunzi Trio, profiled last week, at Youth Square Y-Theatre, which gets the second half of this year's Jazz World Live Series under way.
Further concerts are scheduled for pianist Benny Lackner's trio in October, singer Inger Marie Gundersen in November, and guitarist Kotaro Oshio in December. Promoter Clarence Chang hints that he may also have "a couple of surprises" in store.
Next Saturday at Grappa's Cellar, pianist Allen Youngblood presents a concert entitled Kinetic Soundscapes Revisited, featuring a small group comprising Youngblood on keyboards, Rayvaughan Covington on bass, Guy Le Claire on guitar, Blaine Whittaker on saxophones, and "D.C." Dulip Charith Wijesinha on drums.
Youngblood says the concert is an opportunity to perform some recent compositions, which he intends to record at some point during the next few months. It's not known yet who he'll be recording with. Youngblood has recorded in the past in Sydney with a group of top Australian jazz musicians organised by Whittaker, and says he would be happy to do so again.
But he has also been talking to drummers Albert "Tootie" Heath and Gerry Brown, who has worked extensively with Stanley Clarke and Stevie Wonder. "Tootie has been saying, 'Man when are you going to get me over there? I'm getting old'," says Youngblood.
Working with Heath could involve bringing him to Hong Kong or Australia, or recording in the United States.