Since the surprising April closure of JZ Club, Shanghai has been a sadder place for its jazz cats. However, they will have plenty to rejoice about this month when the iconic club reopens in its new location in Found 158 (the former Datong Mill) on October 14, with JZ Festival returning to Expo Park on October 15-16.
With three-time Grammy Award winner Corinne Bailey Rae headlining both nights, JZ Festival looks to polish the stellar reputation that has made it China’s largest jazz festival.
Over 40 artists will rock five stages, touching on a dizzying range of genres from neo-traditional jazz (Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau Duo) to more electronic sounds (Death in Vegas).
“For me, jazz isn’t just about music. It’s a lifestyle,” declares JZ laoban Ren Yuqing. “When people think of jazz they think of someone sipping wine or whiskey, but jazz is full of choices and can suit anyone’s tastes.”
“JZ Festival should be like that. We sort of have two different lineups. One is for the public and the other is for jazz people, but we want to show people that jazz has many different styles, including newer ones that are more electronic. We want everyone tojoin this big party and live this jazz life.”
The former bass player for Cui Jian chuckles when asked if he’s enjoyed time off following JZ Club’s closure. After all, he spent the summer touring European jazz festivals with an all-Chinese band that featured Shanghai stalwarts, singer Coco Zhao and guitarist Lawrence Ku.
“The Prince of Morocco came up to us and said he wanted us to play there,” Ren smiles. “We talked to a few more jazz festivals. Next year, we hope to have a China Jazz Day at Umbria Jazz Festival, Paris Jazz Festival and Copenhagen Jazz Festival.”
In addition to spreading the gospel of Chinese jazz around the world, Ren has been busy plotting the October 14 reopening of JZ Club.
Cologne’s WDR Big Band Koln (“for me, they are the best big band in the world”) will headline the opening, and Ren promises they have gigs lined up with big international acts.
Reluctant to divulge any specific details of the new locale, Ren promises it will rectify one problem that its previous location had.
“The Fuxing Lu JZ Club had a nice building and vibe, but if we had too many people there it was hard for everyone to watch the performances,” he admits.
“This place we’ve created allows everyone to have a good music experience.”
It is located in the former Datong Mill development on Julu Lu. Ren chuckles that when JZ Club first committed to the area, they were one of the few tenants.
However, recent crackdowns mean that Yongkang Lu refugees like Café des Stagiaires and El Luchador, as well as acclaimed Xixi Bistro, will soon be their neighbors.
“It’s so exciting,” he says. “It’s going to be a cool block where you can get some nice food or cocktails. It’s very cool.”
With a growing chain of livehouses across the nation and a music festival to juggle, Ren remains motivated for the same reason that made him start JZ Club in the first place.
“We love music,” he shrugs. “We want to share the experience and just keep going.”
JZ Club will reopen on October 14. See listing here.
JZ Festival: Oct 15-16, noon-11pm, RMB260 (per day). Expo Park.
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