We did not plan this tour around an anniversary. Only later did we discover its extraordinary connection to the spirit of Sun Bear Concerts.
—Gio Guido
Guitarist Gio Guido and Swiss-based drummer Silvano Borzacchiello will present the San Gennaro Japan Tour 2026, a 14-concert journey across Japan from September 17 through October 3.
The project is centered on real-time composition. No predetermined repertoire or fixed structures will be used. Melody, harmony, rhythm and form will emerge through the interaction between guitar and drums, making every concert a completely new work created for that place, audience and moment.
Guido and Borzacchiello first met in Los Angeles in 1992 while studying at Musicians Institute. Their musical relationship continued across different countries and stages of their careers.
In 2012, they reunited in Italy to record Moment Now, an entirely improvised guitar-and-drums album.
More than 30 years after their first meeting, they now bring that musical dialogue to Japan for their most extensive project together.
Gio Guido was an official member of The Jazz Crusaders from 1994 to 1998, touring internationally and recording on the albums Sketches of Life and Break’n da Rules.
In 2000, he won first prize at the International Jazz Soloist Competition in Monte Carlo.
An Unplanned Connection to Sun Bear Concerts: The tour was not conceived as an anniversary project. However, during its preparation, Guido and Borzacchiello realized that 2026 marks 50 years since Keith Jarrett’s historic 1976 Japanese performances and recordings associated with Sun Bear Concerts.
Keith Jarrett’s philosophy of improvisation and spontaneous composition has been a profound influence on both musicians.
Apart from Sapporo, the San Gennaro tour will visit every city on Jarrett’s historic 1976 route: Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo, Yokohama and Fukuoka.
The duo will not perform Jarrett’s compositions or attempt to reproduce his music. Rather, the tour has become an unplanned tribute to the spirit of creating music entirely in the present moment.
The connection became especially meaningful when JazzTokyo editor-in-chief Kenny Inaoka interviewed Guido and Borzacchiello about the project.
Inaoka was directly involved with the Japanese side of the original Sun Bear Concerts project.
JazzTokyo interview | JazzTokyo tour article
All 14 concerts are planned to be recorded in high-resolution multitrack format, with the intention of documenting the changing acoustics, audiences, and musical interactions throughout the tour for future live releases.
On September 27 at Jazz Club GALLON in Osaka, flutist Yuri Sakino will join the duo as a special guest.
Silvano Borzacchiello — drums and percussion
The project is centered on real-time composition. No predetermined repertoire or fixed structures will be used. Melody, harmony, rhythm and form will emerge through the interaction between guitar and drums, making every concert a completely new work created for that place, audience and moment.
Guido and Borzacchiello first met in Los Angeles in 1992 while studying at Musicians Institute. Their musical relationship continued across different countries and stages of their careers.
In 2012, they reunited in Italy to record Moment Now, an entirely improvised guitar-and-drums album.
More than 30 years after their first meeting, they now bring that musical dialogue to Japan for their most extensive project together.
Gio Guido was an official member of The Jazz Crusaders from 1994 to 1998, touring internationally and recording on the albums Sketches of Life and Break’n da Rules.
In 2000, he won first prize at the International Jazz Soloist Competition in Monte Carlo.
An Unplanned Connection to Sun Bear Concerts: The tour was not conceived as an anniversary project. However, during its preparation, Guido and Borzacchiello realized that 2026 marks 50 years since Keith Jarrett’s historic 1976 Japanese performances and recordings associated with Sun Bear Concerts.
Keith Jarrett’s philosophy of improvisation and spontaneous composition has been a profound influence on both musicians.
Apart from Sapporo, the San Gennaro tour will visit every city on Jarrett’s historic 1976 route: Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo, Yokohama and Fukuoka.
The duo will not perform Jarrett’s compositions or attempt to reproduce his music. Rather, the tour has become an unplanned tribute to the spirit of creating music entirely in the present moment.
The connection became especially meaningful when JazzTokyo editor-in-chief Kenny Inaoka interviewed Guido and Borzacchiello about the project.
Inaoka was directly involved with the Japanese side of the original Sun Bear Concerts project.
JazzTokyo interview | JazzTokyo tour article
All 14 concerts are planned to be recorded in high-resolution multitrack format, with the intention of documenting the changing acoustics, audiences, and musical interactions throughout the tour for future live releases.
On September 27 at Jazz Club GALLON in Osaka, flutist Yuri Sakino will join the duo as a special guest.
San Gennaro Japan Tour 2026
- September 17 — Studio WUU, Kashiwa
- September 18 — Jazz Spot DOLPHY, Yokohama
- September 19 — Kin No Tsubo, Tokyo
- September 20 — Chandrasuria, Yamato
- September 21 — LIFETIME, Shizuoka
- September 22 — HERMIT DOLPHIN, Hamamatsu
- September 24 — JAZZ CLUB Mr. Kenny’s, Nagoya
- September 25 — Gion CAPOTASTO, Kyoto
- September 26 — ROYAL HORSE, Osaka
- September 27 — Jazz Club GALLON, Osaka Special guest: Yuri Sakino, flute
- September 29 — SPACE TERRA, Fukuoka
- October 1 — CANTALOOP II, Oita
- October 2 — Restaurant Bar CIB, Kumamoto
- October 3 — Jazz Spot LILETH, Kagoshima
Silvano Borzacchiello — drums and percussion
