When I first moved to Hong Kong from New York, I wasn't sure
what I would be doing and what to expect. I had been selling
industrial real estate in NY and trying to recover from the
'carpal tunnel syndrome' affecting my playing wrist. Shortly
after arriving I met and 'sat in' with pianist-singer-teacher
John Meir, who had been entertaining Hong Kongs' elite. He
was moving to Portugal to take on a new teaching post and
he turned over his music business contacts to me.
I was a regular visitor to guitarist Tony Carpios' Sunday
Jazz performances at the Dickens
Bar , and I met many fine musicians there, enjoying Tony
and Rosalies' excellent Philippine hospitality. Soon, I was
active on the music scene.
I spent two years in Hong Kong, from 1992 till 1994, and
was a guest soloist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra,
and a member of the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts presentation
of "West Side Story". I was the featured classical
soloist at the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Country
Club, and led swing big bands for the Royal Hong Kong Yacht
Club and the American Chamber of Commerce annual ball, playing
for such dignitaries as Governor Patten and real estate mogul
Stanley Ho, and I played with famous jazz artists Curtis
Fuller and Richie Cole at the Jazz Club in Hong Kong,
where I also recorded my first CD, "Everything I Love".
Featured performances:
(2001 tour) Outdoor Jazz Concert
Series
Leader of the Greg Chako Quintet, sponsored by the Urban Council
(2001 tour) Browns Jazz Club
Leader of the Greg Chako Quintet (3 nights)
(2001 tour) Asian Internet
Awards Ceremony @ The Grand Hyatt Hotel
Leader of the Greg Chako Quartet
Peninsula Hotel
(1994) Lobby Jazz Quartet co-leader
Mandarin
Oriental Hotel Captain's Bar (1993-4)
Regular Sunday Jazz Jam Session
Greg Chako Trio Live CD Recording, during an annual fortnight
of Jazz
The Jazz Club
Leader of the Greg Chako quartet
Greg Chako Trio Live CD Recording
Hong
Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Guest soloist for a series of Pops Concerts at the Hong Kong
Coliseum. First call guitarist for orchestra
"West Side Story"
Orchestra member in Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts
presentation (conducted by Wing Sie-Yip)
"Barnum"
Orchestra member for the Original West End production at
the Cultural Centre, HK
Royal
Hong Kong Yacht Club
Featured act for annual ball. Bandleader of an 8-piece swing
band in a 1940's theme (co-led a dance rock band for the same
event the previous year). Booking agent for club's private
functions
Hong
Kong Country Club
Bauhina Grill Room, weekly entertainment, booking agent and
solo performer Weekly "tea dance" band, and private functions
American Chamber of Commerce
Organizer of 16-piece Big Band for the annual ball
Ladies
Recreation Club
Regular performer and booking agent for the club and members.
Organized 7-piece Salsa/Brazilian Band, strollers, and belly
dancers for "Rio Night Out" party
Art
Asia, Hong Kong
Provided entertainment including classical duets, pop-rock
band
Other
performances include appearances at the Cultural
Centre lobby performance series, Urban
Council events, among others.
Also
provide performance and booking agent services
on a regular basis for prominent individuals, several leading
Hong Kong corporations, restaurants and private clubs including,
but not limited to: The Royal HK Jockey Club; Pacific Club;
Hong Kong Club; Aberdeen Boat Club; Foreign Correspondents
Club; Norwegian Club; Jewish Club; Freemasons; Hong Kong Land
& Property Co.; Pacific Place (Swire Group); Manager
Media Group (Asia Inc., A&M); Access Asia Company; Hong
Kong Bank; Standard Chartered Bank; Svenska Handlesbanken;
Bank in Lichtenstein; Creative Media Ltd.; Elite Concepts;
Deloitte Ross Tohmatsu; Harris & Sutherland; Wilbur Smith
Associates; McCabe, Frenzel & Co.; Grand
Hyatt Hotel; Marriott Hotel; Island Shangri La; Omni Hong
Kong Hotel; Repulse Bay Hotel; American Pie; La Rose Noire;
The Peak Restaurant; Tartuffo; Brown Sugar, Gov. Patten, Lady
Dunn, Simon Ho, etc...
Press Clippings:
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