The Works：Summer Music Special II – Piano: Johnny Yim, Ted Lo & Chris Carpio

Last week, in the first of our two summer music specials, we featured new music from two local ensembles, Teriver Cheung’s Transience Ensemble and neo-chamber group Sea Island & Ferry. This week, we focus on the piano, one of the most played instruments, and one for which, and on which, much music is written and composed. Later on, we have a little extra for you from two pianists: Ted Lo, widely known as the “godfather” of jazz in Hong Kong, and Chris Carpio, both of whom recently joined us in our studio. First though, we’re talking to arranger, producer and pianist Johnny Yim. He’s well known for his work on the Cantopop scene, and he has a classic Cantopop concert with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra coming up in September.

In June, guitarist Eugene Pao and his jazz buddies, including pianist Ted Lo and others from the younger generation of musicians, performed an opening concert for, “Jazz in the Neighbourhood”, a four-year project bringing jazz to Tsuen Wan. It also marked the launch of both a new album from Eugene and Ted’s first solo album. The Tsuen Wan jazz project also included a concert in which pianist Chris Carpio paid tribute to his dad Tony’s band that used to play regularly in the Dickens Bar of the former Excelsior hotel. While they were in our studios, both Ted and Chris played a little something extra for us.