The Oct 12-13 Beishan Jazz Festival Hengqin and Oct 14 Goodone shows will entertain with 17 jazz musicians comprising five bands from six countries.

The Hengqin show opens at 6:30 pm and closes at 9, whereas Goodone at the former Beishan Theater in Nanping will go from 7 to 10:30 pm, according to a news release by the Beishan Music Festival Organizing Committee.

Goodone, former Beishan Theater

On the marquees are B's Bees, a hard-swinging jazz outfit that brings high energy to the music of past masters. The Canadian quartet is known for writing compelling original music. Their first album reached the Number 1 spot on several jazz radio charts in Canada.

Jazz trio Dusha Connection from Vienna will intertwine the language of modern jazz with archetypical Balkan folk songs. In June last year, they released their new album "Merak," which is reportedly a brilliantly daring, new interpretation of classic jazz. It indicates that their goal of modernizing jazz of the past by fusing the classic and modern has been achieved.

Beishan Jazz Festival 2018 poster

Norwegian jazz group Espen Berg Trio, called "the biggest and most important musical discovery in the first half of 2016" by Jazz Japan, will be front and center. They blend American and Nordic jazz traditions with elegance, virtuosity, and tight communicative interplay. The trio was chosen to participate in the European Talent Program. They released a second album, Bølge (Blue Gleam/Odin Records), in March 2018. Jazzwise (UK) writes that Bølge is a mature statement from an artist whose personal style, concept, and seemingly bottomless wellspring of ideas set him apart from his contemporaries.

In the meantime, the Finnish Kari Ikonen Trio, an emerging European piano band active since 2012, should arouse much attention. Their albums "Bright" and "Beauteous Tales and Offbeat Stories" on German label Ozella have gained international acclaim, keeping the band busy playing at clubs and festivals all over Europe and in Japan, South-Korea, Russia, Turkey, Australia, and the USA.

Finnish Kari Ikonen Trio

Jerry Bergonzi Quartet will also demonstrate their repertoire. Tenor saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi is an internationally recognized performer, composer, author, and educator. He has appeared throughout the world at major jazz festivals and venues, with his own ensembles as well as with numerous jazz greats. His music is renowned for innovation, mastery, and integrity. His discography includes more than 60 recordings, notably "Standard Gonz" with the Jerry Bergonzi Quartet on the Blue Note label; he also has 60 recorded song titles registered with ASCAP.

Located in Nanping Town of Xiangzhou District, Beishan Village has a history of over 800 years. It was listed as a Chinese & Western Cultural Creative Industries Base in 2016.

Buy the 138 yuan ($20) ticket for 98 yuan ($14.30) by pressing and holding the QR code below.

(Photos provided by Beishan Music Festival Organizing Committee)