“It’s an attitude that emphasises spontaneity and personal expression, and those are qualities that can be applied in any musical setting.”

The impact of jazz can be seen in musical traditions around the world. Jazz soon made its way back to Africa from the US, informing the music of the continent from Benin to Ethiopia to South Africa.

South African greats of the 1950s onwards, including trumpet and flugelhorn player Hugh Masekela and singer Miriam Makeba, integrated jazz into their musical style.

Masekela, known as “Bra Hugh”, collaborated with artists including Jamaican-American pop star Harry Belafonte, Jamaican reggae star Bob Marley, Fela Kuti, the Nigerian pioneer of Afrobeat, and American singer-songwriter Paul Simon.

He also played alongside his former wife, Makeba – known as “Mama Africa” – who embodied the pan-Africanist spirit of the 1960s when she burst onto the international stag, and accompanied Simon on his acclaimed 1987 Graceland tour.

Jazz has a perhaps unexpected presence in India. The first jazz in India was performed by African-American bands in Mumbai in the 1920s, which inspired local musicians, who then worked jazz into the soundtrack of Bollywood films.

The following decades saw a rich artistic exchange, with musical greats such as Ravi Shankar, John Coltrane and John McLaughlin pioneering a fusion between Indian traditional music and jazz.

After going out of fashion, it is enjoying a revival in India, with about 500 musicians now playing jazz and big jazz concerts becoming more popular and younger audiences in major cities embracing fusion jazz.

“Jazz is hot nowadays,” Gioia says. “A few years ago, many people claimed jazz was dying, but I don’t hear that any more. Even major commercial music stars, from Lady Gaga to Kendrick Lamar, are putting jazz elements into their music.

“This is more than just a trend, it’s a cultural shift. Jazz is now seen as a touchstone for creativity and musical excellence. Jazz artists all over the world are developing their own styles and drawing on their home-grown traditions.”

Gioia says Europe is the farthest ahead on this trajectory, but the Asia-Pacific region will be next to develop its own approaches to the music: Japan took an early lead in creating its own robust jazz culture, but there are now vibrant jazz scenes in China, Australia and Indonesia.

“It’s hard to predict precisely how these trends will develop; perhaps it’s all the more exciting for that fact. After all, jazz is supposed to be about embracing the unexpected,” Gioia says.

Jazz enthusiasts should certainly expect the unexpected when some of Asia’s top jazz musicians perform at Hong Kong’s Jazz Gala – The Legend and Beyond, on November 3.

The event, from 4pm at Hong Kong Cultural Centre, which will help the venue celebrate its 30th anniversary this year, will provide music lovers with seven hours of cross-generational, cross-border jazz. Each of the seven performances will feature a prominent local musician or group jamming with an international star.

The introductory session sees drummer Samuel Chan – the first jazz graduate from Education University of Hong Kong – join drummer Bowen Li, bassist Scott Dodd and British saxophonist Alex Woods to play European jazz and beat music.

Local experimental quintet Mo-Men-T, comprising double bassist Lui Ngao-yuen, guitarist Mike Yip, drummer Vic Tsui and pianist Paul Bebington – known for their edgy mix of modern jazz, funk, and post-rock – will go avant-garde with another British saxophonist, Martin Speake.

Guitarist Tjoe Man-cheung, known for his powerful solos, improvisation and stage humour, will play hard bop alongside Dodd, saxophonist Scott Murphy, American drummer Kendrick Scott and Li Xiaochuan, China’s most recognised jazz trumpeter.

Another guitarist Alan Kwan joins drummer Fish Huang, cellist Takashi Sugawa, pianist Masaki Hayashi and American saxophonist Dayna Stephens to perform modern jazz. Stephens, a critically acclaimed Berklee School of Music graduate who has released seven albums, is known for his soulful, exuberant performances.

The group known as maRK – bassist Marcus Ho, drummer Anna Fan, keyboardist Ricky Wong and saxophonist Kenny Lin – which has delighted Southeast Asia audiences with its flashy, fun live performances, joins dynamic Greek-born singer Magda Giannikou to perform a selection of captivating world music songs.

Teriver Cheung & The Travellers, comprising guitarist Teriver Cheung, pianist Nicholas Bouloukos, Scott and New Zealand bassist Matt Penman, will perform modern and post-bop numbers with vocalist Angelita Li, a backing singer for Sally Yeh, George Lam, Faye Wong and Khalil Fong, who has recorded albums in Thailand, Denmark and Hong Kong.

The closing session sees guitarist Eugene Pao, Hong Kong’s most widely recognised jazz musician, pianist Ted Lo and American drummer and multi-instrumentalist Nate Wood team up with Iranian-American bassist Sam Minaie to perform fusion.

Pao, who has played with Lo, his fellow Hong Kong jazz grandmaster, for more than 25 years, has never met Wood and is only slightly acquainted with Minaie

“We will be playing mostly original compositions by myself and Ted,” Pao says. “We send them online and when Nate and Sam arrive in Hong Kong we will have one rehearsal.

“With top-class musicians like them I’m sure they’ll not only nail the parts, but also bring their own contributions to take our tunes to another level.”

 Pao says it is important to keep jazz’s spirit of improvisation alive. “The interaction between musicians, and not being afraid to explore, is key,” he says.

“This makes it appealing for the musicians. And when musicians are having fun – a musical conversation when the soloist takes you on an emotional journey with the other musicians giving support – the listeners can really see and feel that.”

He began performing at the Cultural Centre under his own name in the early ’90s and also appeared in a guest duo with American vocalist Bobby McFerrin and with Australian multi-instrumentalist James Morrison and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.

“With all the history I have had with this great venue, I’m honoured to be invited to be part of this anniversary jazz gala, and excited to be making music with these great musicians!”

 He is also delighted to be showcasing the jazz scene in and around Hong Kong. 

“Jazz has never been mainstream, so opportunities and audiences can’t compare with pop. However, if you can really play and have something special to offer in your music, you will find your audience.”