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Big band taking the summer off

Sunday, June 29th, 2008

The JZ All-star big band is taking a break for most of the summer, but will start up playing Saturdays again in mid-August. The band’s director, Rolf Becker, has left town for a well-deserved vacation with his family and will return ready to bring the band back with renewed vitality and a continuously expanding repertoire.

The big band is a favorite at JZ Club (at least it’s MY favorite) and has been rocking most Saturday nights there already for almost two years. It’s probably about time for a break, but I’ll be ready for the time when it comes back!

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Erik Truffaz, Mike Stern coming to JZ club this week

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

They’re not coming to play together, but rather in two separate shows happening this week. Swiss trumpeter Erik Truffaz is performing Thursday (tomorrow) at JZ Club with his band, and Saturday is Mike Stern‘s show. Each of them are bringing a quartet, ostensibly touring to promote new albums. Mike Stern’s quartet consists of Bob Franceschini, Lincoln Goines, Lionel Cordew. Erik Truffaz is bringing Marcello Giuliani, Marc Erbetta, and Patrick Muller in his band. Both of these guys are pretty big names, and so the cover will be 100RMB each of the nights. As usual, the show will start at 10pm.

Also, after Mike Stern finishes his show Saturday, the “In Between Band” will play one late set. This is a group that has been playing the pre-big band set for the last few Saturdays while Flamenco guitarist Abraham Carmona is off touring for one month. The group consists mostly of members of the JZ Latin Project, but rather than playing salsa for dancing like they do on Friday nights, this show is more oriented toward original Latin jazz. Abraham’s Flamenco-jazz group will return in two weeks to take over the early Saturday set again from June 14.

For all the musicians out there

Mike Stern will also give an hour-long master class earlier on Saturday, to answer questions about music and offer advice on playing and practicing, etc. This short session should be an interesting opportunity for musicians to learn what makes him tick. My guess is that the question he gets asked the most often is “What was it like to play with Miles Davis?” He’s probably sick of that one, so we’ll see if it gets asked…and what the answer will be if so.

The master class is 50RMB and will also be at JZ Club.

UPDATE: Erik Truffaz will also give a master class the day after his concert, it will be Friday at 6:30pm at JZ club, admission is free. Here are some more details on the facebook event listing.

to recap:

Erik Truffaz – Thurs May 29, 10pm at JZ Club, 46 w. fuxing rd – 100RMB

Erik Truffaz master class – Friday May 30, 6:30-7:30pmpm at JZ Club, 46 w. fuxing rd – free!

Mike Stern master class – Saturday May 31, 5pm-6pm at JZ Club, 46 w. fuxing rd – 50RMB

Mike Stern quartet concert – Saturday May 31, 10pm at JZ Club, 46 w. fuxing rd – 100RMB

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Upcoming jazz shows in Shanghai

Friday, April 11th, 2008

Just a quick update on what’s happening in the coming few weeks here in town. Once again, the Speakeasy party will be tonight (April 11) featuring Five Below with Marta Taylor on vocals at JG Bar, Jean George in 3 on the Bund, 4F with music from 11pm-2am. Free entry. This party, currently held every second Friday, is turning into a great hang with more and more people dressing up in the 20s garb to fit into the speakeasy atmosphere each time. With legendary barman Markus Bernthaler and his staff of bartenders serving up some great drinks, it makes for a fine evening.

This Sunday, April 13, will be the first performance in the JZ Jazz Concert Series at the Oriental Arts Center in Pudong. This monthly series will take place on the second Sunday of each month, and will feature some locally-based acts and some foreign greats. The concert this month will be the Frank Harrison Trio featuring Poet RD Pennant from the UK. More details here.

At JZ Club on April 21 will be a performance by Chinese-born American jazz vocalist Xu Bei, who has become popular especially in Japan, where she is signed to Universal Music. This is a CD release concert. Not sure if there will be a cover charge, but I’m guessing there will be, usually around 50 RMB.

Coming up later in the month, we have a number of performances by the fantastic Danish Brazilian jazz group Mais Uma around town. Their schedule will see them performing on April 17, 23, 27, and 29 at JZ Club, as well as at at JG bar for the month’s second Speakeasy party on April 25, plus a night at each of the three Melting Pot clubs in town. At the Taikang lu Melting Pot they play April 24, at Hengshan lu Melting Pot on April 18, and at the pudong branch on April 19. Free entry.

At the end of the month, as I mentioned in an earlier post, the piano and cello duo Brubeck Braid will be gracing Shanghai with some exquisite music before they head to Beijing for some more performances. They will perform in Shanghai at twocities gallery on April 26 and at the Glamour Bar on April 27. Both are 50 RMB.

To recap, here’s the whole schedule:

Tonight, 11pm-2am at JG Bar, free, 3 on the bund, 3 Zhongshan yi lu – Speakeasy Party featuring Five Below

April 13, 3pm at Oriental Arts Center in Pudong, 100-200RMB – Frank Harrison Trio

April 17, 23, 27 and 29, 10pm at JZ Club, free, 46 Fuxing xi lu – Mais Uma

April 21 at JZ Club, possible cover charge – Xu Bei

April 26, 7:30pm at twocities gallery, M50, 50 Moganshan lu bldg 0, 50RMB – Brubeck Braid

April 27, 4pm at Glamour Bar, 20 Guangdong lu 7F, 50RMB – Brubeck Braid

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Fusion night at JZ now on Thursdays, 5 below to play Tuesdays

Sunday, March 30th, 2008

You might have noticed the new poster in front of JZ with life-size photos of yours truly and a few other players staring at you as you walk by or eat a sandwich at the cafe across the street.  Starting in April, which begins this coming Tuesday in fact, the JZ performance schedule will see some changes, just as the poster promises. Nothing huge actually, just a switch between Tuesday and Thursday nights. The two bands affected are Alec Haavik’s Friction Five and my own band that plays both straight-ahead and modern original jazz, Five Below.

April also will see lots of special shows happening at JZ and a few other venues in Shanghai. The first special concert will replace Alec’s band’s first Thursday night show in April, and will feature a Norwegian organ trio including Shanghai’s favorite Hammond organ player Steinar Nickelson and guitarist Bjorn Solli (who will be featured guest in 5 below as well this week for our first Tuesday night appearance). Later in the month will see the arrival of Danish jazz group Mais Uma, who specialize in a unique mix of Brazilian jazz and other musical styles. They will play in a few different venues in town, including 3 nights at JZ, a night at each of the branches of the Melting Pot, and a Speakeasy party at the JG bar on the bund.  And at the end of the month, Canadian pianist David Braid will be joined by son-of-a-jazz legend Matt Brubeck for a couple of concerts in town before the duo plays in Beijing.  More on all that as the time nears…

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