The Beijinger Blog - Jazz

Weekend Live Music Roundup: Mamer & IZ, Yaksa, Mr. Antonio Hart

kopde — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:00:08 +0800

How rare is it to see Xinjiang Kazakh music genius Mamer and his band IZ to play in Beijing? When his thrumming voice encounters the layers of instrumentation, it ensnares you, opening up a secret tunnel that you’ll dive into even though you have no idea where it leads. If you missed their album release at Yugong Yishan last night (which was amazing), don’t miss their gig at Jiang Hu on Saturday; or you’ll have to go to Europe to catch their next show.

Journeys Into Jazz at Whiskey Bar Maiden Voyage

thebeijinger — Mon, 02 May 2011 10:00:00 +0800

The old White Rabbit space is now home to three separate venues. Basement level two presents you with a choice of two doors. On the left is Salon Bubble. This place sounds like a hairdresser, and isn’t far removed from the type of Beijing barber shop routinely staffed by scantily clad women. Avoid. Instead, take the door to your right, where you’ll find Maiden Voyage, an appealing closet of a whiskey bar.

Jazz fans will enjoy flicking through the CD collection and choosing what gets played on possibly the largest speakers ever seen in a bar of this size. The choice of whiskey (average RMB 60) isn’t bad, and the cocktails (average RMB 60-80) are fine, but with strong competition on Lucky Street, Maiden Voyage’s greatest asset is the novelty of its subterranean setting.

Bar of the month: Le Zinc

thebeijinger — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0800

At 11pm, Le Petit Gourmand morphs into Le Zinc. What that means: The kitchen winds down to serve only simple bar food, and there's live music twice a week. It certainly looks more like a bar after the recent renovation.

Live Jazz in Lido: Collage Bar

thebeijinger — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:00:00 +0800

For owner George Friddle, Collage is a labor of love. It’s a place where he can relax in the evenings – he has a regular day job – and enjoy live jazz with customers and friends.

Soft Vowels and Melodic Syllables: Boi Akih Debut in Beijing

danedwards — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0800

Moluccan folk fused with modern jazz? If you’re not quite sure what that would sound like, head over to Star Live on Friday, September 10 to find out. Boi Akih, comprising life partners Monica Akihary and Niels Brouwer, plus table player Sandip Bhattacharya, will be taking the stage there in the group’s Beijing debut.

It’s All in the Mix: Cocktails & Jazz with Apothecary’s Leon Lee

thebeijinger — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 10:00:00 +0800

Multicursal mastermind Leon Lee, previously of jazz-spot OT Lounge, has opened a new bar, Apothecary, in Sanlitun’s Nali Patio. His partners in the venture comprise a dedicated team of fellow Beijing food and drink impresarios (Max E. Levy – Chef du cuisine at The Opposite House’s Bei, and the duo behind Er whiskey bar: Motonari Uchiyama and Daisuke Onishi). Together, this brain trust has created a contemporary cocktail bar infused with the buzz and vigor of a vintage New Orleans joint, boasting a vast selection of fine beers, liquor and Creole food. Agenda sat down with Leon to discuss cocktail crafting, the inspiration behind Apothecary and jazz in Beijing.

Flavorsome Big Band Jazz Comes to Beijing

thebeijinger — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:00:00 +0800

Compared to Beijing’s rock music scene, bars specializing in jazz are thin on the ground. Since OT Lounge closed, East Shore Live Jazz Café is only recommendation that springs to mind. Fortunately, we often have international jazz bands visiting town, so you can head to concert hall to experience some jazz – as long as you can pretend to be a sober saint. This month we have the Hessian State Youth Jazz Orchestra, (“Kicks & Sticks”), one of the best youth jazz orchestras in Europe.

Litmus Test: Beijing's Funky Jazz Experiment

thebeijinger — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:00:00 +0800

Beijing’s jazz scene has always been defined by pioneers like Liu Yuan, Liu Yue and Xia Jia, and centered around the hidden bars of Houhai and Gulou. Pleasant enough, but some of us want more dynamite. Back in February this year, a newborn band called Acid Live (aka Hua Acid Live) played their first live show at Tiny Salt Coffee Club. Their sound is as their name suggests: acid jazz charged with wild funk and house beats. Consisting of Zhang Zhang (keyboard), Liu Yang (bass) and more recent recruit Fei Jia (guitar), with DJ Shiva providing the background blend of funk and electro, the band has emerged as a unique addition to the local music scene.