Back in Hong Kong

posted May 2007

I can hardly believe that I've been back a whole month. It's been an unusually intense time settling in, getting the band and stage properly organised and battling with my health a little.

But this year's line up is better than ever - I'm joined once again by my HK guitarist-of-choice, Joel Rasco, and his two brothers, Jervis on Drums and Jino on Bass. Already we're playing with a lot of cohesion and sounding quite tight a lot of the time. I'm definitely having more fun playing with these guys than I've ever had here before, so that's quite a bonus. The Rasco brothers are innately musical and particularly adept with the Brazilian tunes which I so adore playing and singing. I've already added a few new tunes to my repertoire since being here, and enjoy having my keyboard with me this year in my spacious room.

The Chinese are not as well-versed with the Jazz idiom as the Japanese, who have the highest standards, even for background music. They seem to respond most enthusiastically to pop-inflected songs. Thankfully, being such a stunning venue, this lounge attracts a very mixed clientele, and I often find that Americans, Japanese and European patrons sit closest to the stage and seem to appreciate our fusion of swing, bossa and blues.

The hotel pool is closed for renovation so I've joined the local Y.M.C.A. which I toddle over the road to every second day to swim my laps.

Hong Kong surely is a wondrous metropolis; a 'Pandora's box' of exotic delights, not to mention its banking and business prowess. Nevertheless, everyone seems to agree that it is a demanding and very intense environment to exist in.

On my last day off I found the perfect antidote to which I'm sure I'll return repeatedly to recharge my batteries and earth my self - Lantau Island.

This lush green haven is often referred to as "the lungs of Hong Kong" because of its abundance of indigenous forest and relative scarcity of high-rise residential developments that characterise Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, where I live.

I hired a bicycle for a few hours and pedaled around the sleepy port town of Mui Wo where cars are prohibited and time seems to have stood still for years. The villagers were so friendly and unremarkably, seemed happy. I don't blame them. The only other place I've been to which compares in ambience was the countryside of Portugal which I got to know very well when I lived there for a short time back in the 90's.

As Lantau Island is twice the size of Hong Kong Island, I still have a lot to explore on future excursions including the Big Buddha, the Trappist Monastery and the deserted pristine beaches.

Of course I miss certain things about my life at home, especially my friends, but it feels like a great honour to perform here every night. Every gig's a musical adventure, and an opportunity to learn, explore, and hopefully open people's hearts, and dispense happiness.