The Hong Kong International Jazz Festival 2008 took place in 16-22 November 2008.

The opening of the Festival was kicked off by an open-air concert at the Hong Kong Cultural Center Piazza, which attracted thousands of audience who stayed from afternoon to evening, enjoying vibrant and wonderful performances. Various master classes, jam sessions and performances also happened in chic jazz locations like Backstage Live Restaurant, Lanson Place Hotel and Sevva (17-22 Nov).

Two world-class finale concerts were presented at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium (20th-21st Nov), featuring two-time Grammy winners Bob James and Angels of Shanghai with Tetsuo Sakurai (ex-Casiopea bass player), Yellowjackets featuring Mike Stern (two-time Grammy winner), multiple Juno Award winner Alain Caron with his group, featuring Frank Gambale, alongside a New York Session featuring top New York players such as Jay Azzolina (ex-guitarist for Spyro Gyra) with local jazz guru Ted Lo. The Festival ended with beautiful music and vivid applauds from the audience.

As an integral part of the Festival, there was also a showing of the full version of the documentary ICONS AMONG US at Hong Kong Art Centre, Agnes b CINEMA!  Directed by Michael Rivoira and Lars Larson and Peter J. Vogt, this is a dynamic and engaging documentary that explores the thoughts and lives of the musicians spearheading today’s jazz front lines.  And it hits us: with Jazz constantly undergoing changes of monumental magnitude and importance, the future is now.