From jazz to Irish music

By He Jianwei

Drawing from its rich repertoire of Irish songs, Blackwater is a band of international musicians based in Beijing that was founded last year.

Singer Desmond McGarry is Irish-Canadian, guitarist Daniel Brustman hails from the US, accordionist Zoe Wang is from China and Nico Torrese on tenor banjo and mandolin is from France.

The band released its self-titled debut album last year, which features 16 songs from ballads to frenzied jigs and reels. It played in a concert in front of Ireland’s President Mary McAleese last June.

The band originally consisted of just two members: Brustman and Torrese, who met in Beijing in 2004. They adapted famous guitarist Django Reinhardt’s repertoire and began performing in pubs.

In 2007, Brustman and Torrese teamed up with Wang, who studied French accordion style in France, to form No Name.

Two years later, No Name became a quartet when German bassist Sebastian Meyer joined to inject some jazz and pop to the band.

V.A Open Jazz!!! Jam Session

Event information

Event name:V.A Open Jazz!!! Jam Session

Host:Bj_va_bar

Event typeMusic – Concert

LocationNo.13 Wudaoying Hutong,Dongcheng District,Beijing北京市东城区五道营胡同13号

Time & Place

Date:March 6, 2011

Time:21:00 – 1:00

Neighbourhood:东城区(Dongcheng) District

Phone:58443638, 13910228025

E-mail:bj_va_bar@hotmail.com

Event Description

Jam Session
Every Sun. night is jam session. Jazz fans and musicians are warm welcomed. Come and enjoy the impromptu jazz, ticket for free!
Equipment List：
Guitar Amplifier：Roland CUBE-80X/Marshall AVT100/Marshall VS100
Bass Amplifier：Ampeg BA115
Digital Pianos：Casio PX-120
Drums：Sonor Force 3005

V.A Open Jazz!!!
Jam Session
3月6日 星期日 21点00分
6th March, 2011(Sunday) 21:00
北京市东城区五道营胡同13号
No.13 Wudaoying Hutong,
Dongcheng District,Beijing
www.myspace.cn/bj_va_bar
www.douban.com/host/vabar
All events are publiced at
http://www.thebeijinger.com/user/91758/track
http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijing/people/bj_va_bar/
http://www.bjstuff.com/profile/vabar
http://u.youku.com/VABar
E-mail:bj_va_bar@hotmail.com
Tel:010-58443638 13910228025

1930s Jazz Waltzes Under Shanghai’s Bund

(Beijing Today website’s blog section does not represent any view of Beijing Today or its reporter. Anyone interested about the story can find the original text from the link above the article. The Blogger column aims to introducing foreign media’s interesting stories and expat blogs in China to more Chinese readers, as 50 percent of Beijing Today readership remain young Chinese who have experience of living abroad, white colors or school students. Authors who does not want his or her story linked at Beijing Today’s website, please email to info@beijingtoday.com.cn to take down the stories.)

http://www.chinaexpat.com/2010/09/24/1930s-jazz-waltzes-under-shanghai%e2%80%99s-bund.html/

By Chris Devonshire-Ellis

Now that Shanghai’s Peace Hotel has been renovated in spectacular style, and the famous Jazz band lovingly re-installed, its time to reminisce about other aspects of Shanghai just close by that have now sadly been lost forever.

Staying at the Peace Hotel some 20 years ago, I was able to enjoy a massive suite of rooms; now part of the “heritage” wing. There were seven huge suites all decorated in the style of different nations. Somewhat presumptuously I stayed at the Indian suite. It was huge. Back in the 1920s and 1930s moving to Shanghai was a big deal – passengers tended to arrive by ship, a journey that may have taken three months from Europe, and if staying at the then Cathay Hotel (as the Peace was then known) traveled in style, with butlers, maids and gigantic amounts of luggage. The seven suites were designed for such use – essentially 200 square meter apartments with rooms for the staff as well as the lord and lady living it up. Those have now been re-sized, and predictably are much smaller than they were. But as a throwback to when travel really was stylish, the Cathay certainly put on a great show.
The Jazz Band of course still played on, with the original members still just about clinging on as I caught them, then in their 80s, in their prime they had been a hot ticket. Not restored however has been the pine sprung dance floor that used to be just in front of the band. Ripped up several years ago to make more space for tables, the bar has lost a priceless piece of history. Just outside what is now the main entrance (the original entrance faced the Bund, and is a partial homage to the discoveries of Ancient Egypt that captured the imagination of the day) and to the side of the soon to open Swatch Peace Hotel was a night market. Replaced long ago by a shopping mall, its delights included roast sparrow on sticks, and boiled thrush eggs. You’ll be hard pushed to find such proletarian cuisine in Shanghai today, least of all just off the Bund.

The remake of the Bund itself has seen the underpass just outside the Peace Hotel disappear. That used to be the haunt of an elderly gentleman with a wind-up gramophone and a stack of vintage Shanghai jazz 78s. Elderly Shanghainese couples would pay a few jiao, request a favorite tune and he’d dig out the recording and play it. Couples would dance, slowly, remembering the halcyon days of Shanghai’s 1930s. To remember the past then, here’s a snip of one of the tunes of the day.

Jazz Jam Session, Free Entry!

Event information

Event name:Jazz Jam Session, Free Entry!

Host:Jianghu Bar

Event typeMusic – Concert

Location7 Dongmianhua Hutong, Jiaodaokou Nandajie

Time & Place

Date:December 21, 2010

Time:21:00 – 23:30

Neighbourhood:东城区(Dongcheng) District

Phone:13488735783

E-mail:jincanzh@gmail.com

Event Descriptio

nDo you like Jazz?
Do you like Jam?
Do you like communication?
Then come to Jianghu Bar for the Jam Session!

Every Thursday, Here will have different musicians coming for Jam, and no only Jazz, but also Blues, Fushion, Avant-Gard, Progressive, Experimental, etc.
If you are a player, then come here playing with different kinds players;
If you are a listener, then come here for comfortable and freedom music;

Time: Every Thursday 21:00
Venue: Jianghu Bar
Tel: 64014611，18610087613

Jazz Jam Session, Free Entry

Event information

Event name:Jazz Jam Session, Free Entry!

Host:Jianghu Bar

Event typeMusic – Concert

Location7 Dongmianhua Hutong, Jiaodaokou Nandajie

Time & Place

Date:December 21, 2010

Time:21:00 – 23:30

Neighbourhood:东城区(Dongcheng) District

Phone:13488735783

E-mail:jincanzh@gmail.com

Event Description

Do you like Jazz?
Do you like Jam?
Do you like communication?
Then come to Jianghu Bar for the Jam Session!

Every Thursday, Here will have different musicians coming for Jam, and no only Jazz, but also Blues, Fushion, Avant-Gard, Progressive, Experimental, etc.
If you are a player, then come here playing with different kinds players;
If you are a listener, then come here for comfortable and freedom music;

Time: Every Thursday 21:00
Venue: Jianghu Bar
Tel: 64014611，18610087613

Li Tieqiao Experimental Jazz Quartet

Event information

Event name:Li Tieqiao Experimental Jazz Quartet

Host:Jianghu Bar

Event typeMusic – Concert

Location7 Dongmianhua Hutong, Jiaodaokou Nandajie

Time & Place

Date:December 14, 2010

Time:21:00 – 23:00

Neighbourhood:东城区(Dongcheng) District

Phone:13488735783

E-mail:jincanzh@gmail.com

Event Description

Saxophonist and free jazz improvisationalist Li Tieqiao has long been one of the most innovative performers in Beijing’s jazz seen. He’s joined by Pierre Brahin on guitar, Ye Penggang on bass and Nicolas Mege on drums.
The Quartet is:
Li TieQiao [Alto Sax](China)
Pierre Brahin [Giutar](France)
Ye PengGang [Bass](China)
Nicolas Mege [Drums](France)

李铁桥：http://www.douban.com/artist/litieqiao/
Pierre Brahin：http://www.douban.com/artist/ElvaTrioBang/

Time: Dec. 14th, 9PM
Ticket: 50/40(Presale)
Add: Jianghu Bar
Tel: 64014611, 13488735783

Gypsy Jazz

Event information

Event name:Mademoiselle <Gypsy Jazz>

Host:Jianghu Bar

Event typeMusic – Concert

Location7 Dongmianhua Hutong, Jiaodaokou Nandajie

Time & Place

Date:October 15, 2010

Time:21:00 – 23:30

Neighbourhood:东城区(Dongcheng) District

Phone:13488735783

E-mail:jincanzh@gmail.com

Event Description

This unique French “Chanson” musette and American jazz project has been playing on Beijing scene since 2002. Surrounded by French Guitarist Mathieu Wahiche, Vincent Vahramian, clarinette Antoine Ooesterom, Chinese Doubble-Basist ET and French drummer Nicolas Mege, the French Canadian singer and accordion player Marie-Claude LeBel was the first to bring this kind of music on beijing scene. The Band has been touring all around China, playing for festivals, TV Shows, Hotels, Bars, restaurants, and numbers of foreing and chinese compagnies events. The band play traditionnal French songs from Piaf, Brassens, Montant and also French Jazz standards.
Ticket: 30

Nine Gates Jazz Festival

Event information

Event name:Nine Gates Jazz Festival OCT 14 performances

Host:Nine Gates Jazz Festival

Event typeMusic – Concert

Time & Place

Date:October 14, 2010

Time:20:00 – 23:00

Neighbourhood:朝阳区(Chaoyang) District

Event Description

Keeping with the tradition with the previous years, this Nine Gates international music will also invite internationally recognized artists and bands. Besides groups like Golden Buddha Jazz Group, Liu Yue or Liu Yuan already invited previously, this year will also see FRØY AAGRE from Norway, The Shem-Tov Levy Ensemble from Israel, The Swingin ‘Fireballs from Germany and other top bands and musicians. A variety of different styles, from different countries and ethnic backgrounds, all meeting up at “Nine Gates”

Venue:
愚公移山 YuGongYiShan Live House (Ticket: 80 yuans)
20：00
克莱兹摩弗比尔乐队（丹麦）
Klezmofobia （Denmark）

Venue:
凹现场 Ao Live House (Ticket: 80 yuans)
20：00
安吉拉与莫塞克（奥地利）
Angela Trondle&MOSAIK（Austria）

Venue:
CD布鲁斯咖啡 CD Blues Cafe&Bar (Ticket: 80 yuans)
21：30
夏佳三重奏（中国）
Xia Jia Trio （China）

Venue:
东岸爵士咖啡 East Shore Live Jazz Cafe (Free)
22：00
雅尼克·瑞约三重奏（加拿大）
Yannick Rieu Trio （Canada）
00：00
中外音乐家交流
JAM SESSION

Every Sun Jam Session

Event information

Event name:EVERY SUN. JAM SESSION

Host:Ferrytian

Event type: Music – Concert

Location:Unit 1-30 on 3rd floor of tower S1.No.19 Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang District,Beijing

Time & Place

Date:September 12, 2010

Time:21:00 – 0:00

Neighbourhood:朝阳区(Chaoyang) DistrictPhone:18701329192

Event Description

Club Le offers every Beijing musician the most wonderful communicate platform
No matter who and what level you are
You will find out the best understanding of symphony
Every musician who performs will get a free drink

Read more: http://events.myspace.com/Event/View/7256952#ixzz0yvCRryf7

The 10 best jazz musicians

(The Guardian)

From the traditional to the spiritual and the really out-there, acclaimed performer Jamie Cullum picks his favourite jazz inspirations

US jazz musician Wynton Marsalis plays trumpet in 2003.

Charles Mingus 1922-79
Most people know Mingus as a pioneering bass player, but to me he’s the most raucous and inventive composer of his era. His music has the energy of a revolution and, indeed, soundtracked many revolutions during the 50s and 60s. I was 15, aware of what was in the charts and flitting between dance music, indie rock and pop, and his particular style of free-form spoke to me as a rejection of the mainstream. There’s nothing polite about it, but I responded to his style of dirty jazz tinged with violence in a positive way. It seemed to be the epitome of rebellion, yet educational.

John Coltrane 1926-67
By 19, I was learning the mathematics of jazz, which is hard for someone with no grasp of maths. Coltrane is the master of well-formulated, perfectly composed music. He also played a very spiritual style of jazz. It was almost religious. You could even say he channelled the divine through his sax. It was A Love Supreme from 1965 which I connected with. It took a while, for some reason getting into Coltrane felt like a slow process, but he taught me the basics, so it’s no surprise I got into him when I was taking a year out after school to decide what to do with my life. He was my epiphany.

Mary Lou Williams 1910-81

Mary Lou spanned the entire history of jazz. She started out playing in a swing band and moved every decade into a new arena of music, doing modal stuff in the 70s, and later playing avant garde. I discovered her on a jazz compilation I found in Oxfam. The song was “Zodiac Suite” and I was staggered that she managed to straddle both jazz and classical music. She was one of the few jazz musicians to be accepted by the classical world, and even played in Carnegie Hall with an orchestra. She was a fantastic composer, pianist and mentor and the most important woman in jazz.

Herbie Hancock 1940-
Herbie Hancock is one of the few jazz pianists who progressed with the times. From fusion funk through to electronic music using synthesizers and toys, he’s always been way ahead. It was Head Hunters, the record that fused funk and soul with pop, that I fell in love with. I grew up in the west country with little exposure to jazz and although I wasn’t rejecting pop, I knew there was more to music. Through Herbie, electro and drum’n'bass, I developed an understanding of improvisation. I aim to operate somewhere between Herbie and Ben Folds at all times.

Nat King Cole 1919-65
By my late teens I was really getting into the singers. Nat King Cole was a household name and I adored his voice but wasn’t into the big orchestral pieces. At a record shop this guy handed me a record of him doing Gershwin, Cole Porter, that style, with strings and a piano, and I realised this was the Cole I wanted to emulate. He was an immense talent in his own right as a jazz performer, not just with the big band stuff. I guess I was, by then, a music snob and geek and consciously rejecting obvious, accessible jazz. Listening to Cole’s alternative side made me think I was right to be a snob.

Miles Davis 1926-91
The Miles I know is Miles Davis in the late 60s, the Bitches Brew era. I’d heard of Miles via Herbie Hancock. I was 18, reading Jack Kerouac and beat writers who bang on about jazz all the time, and felt I needed to be challenged musically. That psychedelic inaccessible jazz works at an age when you are working stuff out for yourself. It was like a culture shock in my bedroom. I didn’t understand the music, I didn’t even like it that much , and yes, I knew there was heroin involved but I didn’t know in what way. I just knew I should be listening. It mattered that I’d heard it. And that combined experience of sound and literature felt very exotic.

Keith Jarrett 1945-
I was about 18 when I saw Jarrett play in the Barbican. I was fond of what he had done with Miles Davis in the 1970s so the fact that he was still alive, well, I had to see him play. He has the most phenomenal technique. I’d never heard that level of free form improv piano playing – he looked like a mischievous magician. It honestly felt like he could set fire to the piano if he wanted. Keith struck a chord for me as a performer in the way he commanded the whole audience. It was almost as if we weren’t there, yet he knew we were his. It was through Jarrett that I started to understand what it must be like to play jazz at that level to a crowd.

Kurt Elling 1967-
It was during a documentary about Ella Fitzgerald that I first heard Kurt’s voice. I was in the kitchen and I could hear the sound of a man almost chanting over music. He was performing vocalese, the art of performing words over jazz solos, and he was just singing about Ella. Kurt just had this swooning, Sinatra sound combined with an intellect for the words, it was very moving. He makes vocalese look so easy and sound so gentle, like a saxophone. He’s relatively unknown outside of the jazz world, but revered as a singer among musicians. They view him as an academic and intellectual authority on jazz as well as a performer.

Thelonious Monk 1917-82
The best way to describe Thelonious Monk would be to say that if Picasso’s work was musical, it would sound like Monk. The first time I heard it was in a record shop in Bristol while hunting for new sounds. I found his to be so angular, like tiny piano mazes, in which you lose yourself without realising. I was freaked out. It’s minimalist and child-like, but deceptively so, because underneath is a raw complexity which you only get after several listens. Since my peers were listening to pop, Monk was a private pleasure. Black culture in the middle of Wiltshire: that’s what I experienced behind closed doors.

Wynton Marsalis 1961-
Wynton is more about the poetry of jazz and the building blocks of music. He made me want to go to New York, which I did, and I watched him play four nights in a row. I didn’t always agree with his style but having saturated myself with the masters, it was good to return to something traditional. After seeing him, I decided actually to do the music, properly. He’s an excellent ambassador of jazz, a mentor for kids and a 21st-century Duke Ellington – nothing more, nothing less.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/may/23/jamie-cullum-best-jazz-musicians