北京爵士乐: Jazz in Beijing
The first saxophone that I learned to play on was a Chinese alto saxophone that cost around the ballpark of a couple of hundred dollars US. It had Tai Shan engraved on the bell, most likely referring to the famous mountain, and it took me a few years to realize that the entire left hand spatula set-up was completely defective: there was no way to close the low B or Bb keys, which was why I always had so much trouble with the low notes.
This is a venue that features all sorts of music, but Tuesday nights are the jazz jam session. That night, the set list was pretty much as standard as you could imagine: "Out of Nowhere," "Triste," "In a Sentimental Mood," "Someday My Prince Will Come." I meet the bassist, Brandon Gaoiran, after the set, and learn that he's an American ex-pat and Oberlin alumnus who's been living in China for over half a year, but planning to head back to the US in the next few months.
It was a rainy night, but I was pleasantly surprised at the number of people who showed up; by the second set, the place was all but full, although it wasn't standing room only as it often is at Smalls.
Two brief moments to mention: as I got up to play my first tune, I heard another saxophonist tell the rhythm section, "Let's play 'Blue Bossa' as fast as we can!" And you can imagine how that went.
"Confirmation" also got called that night, and I remember feeling pretty good until I heard the bassist shout behind me. "往前走!" It took me a second to realize he was talking to the drummer and not me: "Play ahead! Stop dragging!"
I had the pleasure of hearing a guitarist named 刘玥 (Liu Yue) lead his trio at this comfortable, upstairs club located on a waterfront. Some of the tunes had a distinct Kurt Rosenwinkel-inspired vibe to them, and the arrangement of the room suggested a more serious listening environment than Jiang Hu.
After the set, I headed with Brandon and a few friends to Modernista, a rare Tapas spot that also features gypsy jazz and dancing, as well as 10 RMB flaming shots (caveat emptor!).
The last venue I had the chance to visit was brand new. Opened by a young impresario named Leon Lee, it's located on the top floor of Hotel M, a swanky spot that features a "Tasting Room" and rooftop patio across from the jazz room. It seems like this place hasn't picked up the same following as Dong An or Jiang Hu, but hopefully it will soon: it's a serious place to listen to music, which is evinced in the miniature table-side placards of Miles Davis with a finger placed over his lip, reminding patrons what they're there to do.
I'm tentatively thinking about returning next summer for a more extended stay—I should have more to say about the scene after I properly get acquainted, but if you're headed to Beijing anytime soon, be apprised that there's a growing jazz scene there that's worth checking out.
My parents bought the saxophone for me on a trip to Beijing, but I hadn't checked out any jazz in the city until these past two weeks, when I went on a short family vacation. New York-based saxophone player Sean Nowell put me in contact with a few musicians behind the Great Firewall, and vocalist Jess Meider tipped me off to all the places I ended up checking out in Beijing. Here's what I saw:
江湖 Jiang Hu Bar
It was a rainy night, but I was pleasantly surprised at the number of people who showed up; by the second set, the place was all but full, although it wasn't standing room only as it often is at Smalls.
Two brief moments to mention: as I got up to play my first tune, I heard another saxophonist tell the rhythm section, "Let's play 'Blue Bossa' as fast as we can!" And you can imagine how that went.
"Confirmation" also got called that night, and I remember feeling pretty good until I heard the bassist shout behind me. "往前走!" It took me a second to realize he was talking to the drummer and not me: "Play ahead! Stop dragging!"
东岸 Dong An
I had the pleasure of hearing a guitarist named 刘玥 (Liu Yue) lead his trio at this comfortable, upstairs club located on a waterfront. Some of the tunes had a distinct Kurt Rosenwinkel-inspired vibe to them, and the arrangement of the room suggested a more serious listening environment than Jiang Hu.
After the set, I headed with Brandon and a few friends to Modernista, a rare Tapas spot that also features gypsy jazz and dancing, as well as 10 RMB flaming shots (caveat emptor!).
Yue Fu
The last venue I had the chance to visit was brand new. Opened by a young impresario named Leon Lee, it's located on the top floor of Hotel M, a swanky spot that features a "Tasting Room" and rooftop patio across from the jazz room. It seems like this place hasn't picked up the same following as Dong An or Jiang Hu, but hopefully it will soon: it's a serious place to listen to music, which is evinced in the miniature table-side placards of Miles Davis with a finger placed over his lip, reminding patrons what they're there to do.
I'm tentatively thinking about returning next summer for a more extended stay—I should have more to say about the scene after I properly get acquainted, but if you're headed to Beijing anytime soon, be apprised that there's a growing jazz scene there that's worth checking out.
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