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Eugene Pao, a guitarist extraordinaire, is one of Asia's top jazz musicians. His fretboard artistry has earned him praise and respect from dozens of international jazz greats he has played with in recent years. Born in Hong Kong, Pao spent more than a decade in Seattle at school and college, all the while absorbing music. Upon his return to Hong Kong, Pao's passion and commitment to music grew and is now total. He worked fulltime at various jazz clubs and one of his early recording projects is an album with bass legend Eddie Gomez in and acoustic setting called Chance Encounters in 1986. In 1987 he performed with Japanese guitar superstar Kazumi Watanabe in Tokyo and Hong Kong as a featured artist in that year's "Live Under Sky" jazz festival. In 1990 he performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival, one of the premiere showcases for international jazz virtuosos, and in the same year he released a CD called Outlet featuring Michael Brecker on saxophone. In 1991, he released a CD with blues legend singer, Jimmy Witherspoon, called Spoon Meets Pao which showcases Eugene's blues playing. In 1992, Pao appeared on sax great Ernie Watts' album called Stand Up. Also in the same year be began hosting his own popular radio programme called "The Jazz Show" in Hong Kong. Later that year, Japanese trumpet legend Terumasa Hino asked him to join his Asian All Star Band featuring jazz musician from different Asian countries. They have since toured all over Asia, Canada and have performed in Chicago and New York. In October 1994 he made his breakthrough by recording in New York, with Jack Devohnette on drums, John Patitucci on acoustic bass and Michael Brecker on tenor saxophone. This CD was entitled By The Company You Keep and released in 1996. Later that year Pao appeared with Terumasa Hino's Asian All Star Band at the prestigious Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival. In 1998, he participated in a group project and recorded a CD called Hong Kong Jazz Quartet. His second solo album, This Window, was released in 1999. An accomplished composer as well as a soloist, Pao has gained widespread acclaim also for the music he has written for film soundtracks and television commercials. Being a busy session player, he has arranged and played on numerous projects for local pop artists. He performs regularly in jazz clubs, jazz festivals and concerts. Some of the jazz greats he has played live with include vocal legends Jon Hendricks, Jimmy Witherspoon, trombonist Ray Anderson and Art Baron, trumpeter legend Red Rodney and Terumasa Hino, pianist John Taylor and sax greats James Moddy, Tommy Smith and George Young. Graham Earnshaw, Reuters
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