Francis Wong has had a hand in guiding the San Francisco Bay Area Asian Improv label, along with such musicians as Mark Izu, Jon Jang, and the late Glenn Horiuchi. Wong has been a member of both Izu and Jang's groups. He also leads groups of his own, including the Great Wall, the eight-piece Asian Improv Arts Composers Workshop, and the trio Ming. Wong has worked to integrate jazz and traditional Japanese and Chinese music, and is a founding member of the San Francisco Gagaku Society. As a saxophonist, Wong acknowledges John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and David Murray as models. He has recorded extensively for the Asian Improv label, both as a leader and sideman. ~ Chris Kelsey