Interview by William Chan
On Saturday night, local saxophonist Lam Chak Seng and Hong Kong jazz pianist Ted Lo will perform together in Lam’s original project “Möbius’s Trip” at Hong Kong’s Muse Gallery in Lai Chi Kok, Lam told the Post in an online interview last week.
Ted Lo, who graduated from the Berklee College of Music in the United States in 1976, was the first Chinese graduate of the institution. He began his career as a freelance jazz pianist in the 1970s, collaborating with numerous renowned musicians, including Astrud Gilberto and Herbie Hancock, and has performed in numerous jazz festivals.
Lam, a regular featured artist in the Post,* is a jazz musician who also plays the flute and the piano. He is one of the top jazz musicians in Macau and is currently based in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). He studied at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague in the Netherlands as a master’s degree student on a full scholarship.
Möbius’s Trip
“Möbius’s Trip” is an original composition by Lam, which records his life experiences in recent years, and the duo will perform these works together in the concert. “The ‘Möbius’s Trip’ project stems from my speculation about the Möbius strip.* It is a surface with only one side and one boundary, an interface that appears to be an infinite loop from the inside. With infinite possibilities of what it is, this metaphor is almost the same as life and improvisation; how can we find a breakthrough in our music-making process?”
In a previous interview, Lam mentioned that his music is constantly evolving alongside his life experiences and ongoing musical explorations. “I tend to let things emerge naturally, just like in improvisation. We don’t write down a song ahead of time; improvising will never sound exactly the same the next day or even in different sets.” He emphasised that this process is a valuable opportunity for musicians to understand themselves better and reflect on their life journeys amidst the rush of everyday life.
“Beyond drawing experiences from music, we also need to seek opportunities and freedom in life. These experiences, both musical and personal, constantly shape my music, representing a transition from ‘Steps Forward,’ my previous album, to ‘Möbius’s Trip,’” he added.
The Hong Kong-Macau duo
Lam’s first collaboration with Ted Lo occurred in the band for Russian jazz trumpeter Alex Sipiagin’s concert in Hong Kong a few years ago. More recently, during the hush! music festival on Hac Sa Beach last year, Lam invited Ted Lo to be a special guest to perform with his quintet.
He remarked, “While Ted is perhaps more well-known for his collaborations with Hong Kong pop stars such as Eason Chan, Janice Vidal, and Jacky Cheung, we jazz musicians definitely look up to his impeccable history of playing with legends like Ron Carter and Herbie Mann.” Lam emphasised that Ted Lo has influenced generations of musicians not only in Hong Kong but also in neighbouring regions like Macau. “As a local musician, I often have sought inspiration from nearby jazz musicians, and I am grateful to have been inspired by a top player like Ted Lo. Over a decade has passed, and I am thrilled to collaborate with him again in a concert.”
The performance will take place at Muse Gallery on Saturday, April 12. Muse Gallery’s manager, pianist Ison Cheung, will also perform as a special guest. Tickets are priced at HK$280. For more information, visit the Muse Gallery Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/musegalleryhk/
*The Möbius Strip, discovered by German mathematician August Möbius, is a mind-bending geometric shape with only one side and one edge. It’s a classic example of a non-orientable surface. - DeepSeek
**https://www.macaupostdaily.com/news/20893
https://www.macaupostdaily.com/news/15994
This file photo shows Lam Chak Seng playing the saxophone.
This file photo shows Ted Lo posing.
Local saxophonist Lam Chak Seng (right) and Hong Kong jazz pianist Ted Lo perform last November at hush! music festival on Hac Sa beach. – All photos provided by Lam
