I gave a review of this place last year, where I was not amazed but not too disappointed neither.

I went there tonight to have a quiet night with some friends and see what the Sunday set was like. The music was fun, a good mix of songs and not too loud or too quiet.

However as often happens in bars in China we had problems with the management.

We arrived at 8.45 and decided to take advantage of the happy hour that lasts till 9pm, so after ordering our first drinks we ordered a couple more drinks at 5-10 minutes before 9 and assumed that the drinks would be put under the happy hour price. 3 hours later we got the bill for almost 700rmb. We had had a long pleasant evening and had ordered a lot of drinks, so we were annoyed that we hadn't been charged happy hour price for some of the drinks. After talking to the waiter, the shift manager and finally the owner we were thoroughly annoyed that they kept insisting that the order had been put into the computer at 9.02 and therefore we could not qualify for the happy hour.

When you run a bar (especially one thats quite empty on a Sunday night) i feel its not too much to ask to get some decent service. We all know that any manager worth his salt in the west would have focused on happy customers putting down a decent chunk of change on a sunday and taken off 100rmb from the bill, sadly not in China.

Thankfully there are other good live music venues in Beijing, so hopefully for the those still frequenting CD Jazz after this, the management will get with the program of decent service.

If your looking for a place thats not too crowded, where you can go with a group of friends and relax to the live music this place is worth the visit. The big room means you can sit far enough from the music and chat without having to shout.

hi i am coming to Bejiing and would like to jam playing harmonica blues I will bring bullit mike if i can get it through cutoms does anyone have valve amps to crank it up !
looking forward to trip in late may/june
cheers amigos harpos blues
i am sorry its not a review i wanted to post a comment really

The quality of the jazz and blues music at CD Blues was wonderful--I arrived earlier in the evening and was able to see how quickly the place filled up as the band members arrived, and the wait for the live music was worth it! It got crowded, but the people that came were all really enthusiastic and friendly; the atmosphere was so relaxed and enjoyable. There was also the opportunity to watch some amazing swing dancing and even join in a little bit, which made the evening a great deal of fun. If you're looking for an evening to enjoy some blues and jazz music in a relaxed and fun atmosphere, I would definitely recommend CD Blues!

I'm a blues and jazz junkie. Every night there is music here. Wednesday is open mic jam night and every last Sunday (I think it is) they have the Beijing Jazz Symphony Orchestra. A huge dozen or so piece orchestra that makes you want to get up and swing. Big John is a fantastic guy, killer bassist and a voice to match. The Blues have struck Beijing and they are warmly invited. As I am a college student, I like to get drunk before I come because I don't have any money. But, most college students aren't into this type of scene so I'm sure you can afford the drinks. Dress to impress is classy but not required. Feel free to chat up John at any time, he's really fantastic, and is easily identifiable by his hats. Alright! I'll see you there!