Famed jazz club hits a high note in Beijing

Audience at Blue Note Beijing. Grammy winners, bassist Stanley Clarke and pianist Chick Corea performed at Blue Note Beijing last year. [Provided to China Daily]

The genesis of the club was more than three years ago, when veteran Taiwan songwriter and record producer Jonathan Lee introduced Tian to Steven Bensusan, president of the Blue Note Entertainment Group, who was pushing the global expansion of the brand. Steven is the son of Danny Bensusan, who opened the first Blue Note Jazz Club in 1981 in Greenwich Village, New York,

"About three decades ago, I had a great night at Blue Note Jazz Club in New York. At that time, I was just a new songwriter and record producer. I couldn't help thinking if one day we could have a place like Blue Note Jazz Club in a Mandarin-speaking city, it would be amazing. You can take a taxi and after driving several blocks, you can enjoy a live performance by the best musicians in the world. Thirty years later, the music world has changed dramatically and we have the first Blue Note in Beijing," said Lee on the opening night Blue Note Beijing.

Lee, 59, who spent over a decade in Beijing and about two years in Shanghai before he moved back to Taipei four years ago, has witnessed the growth of China's music market for decades and collaborated with big-selling artists, such as Hong Kong singer-actress Karen Mok and Hong Kong singer Sandy Lam.

Tian's company, Beijing Winbright Investment Group, which specializes in the entertainment and hospitality industries, has become Blue Note Entertainment's partner in China.

The location for the club was crucial for Tian. He spent three years looking for the right venue for Blue Note Beijing, which is located at the renovated site of the former US embassy near Tian'anmen Square. The two-floor venue is the biggest of all the Blue Note jazz clubs, with a space of around 2,600 square meters and a capacity to host 300 people. Ticket prices range from 150 ($22) to 400 yuan.

As well as hosting big-name international artists and bands, the venue is also dedicated to presenting local Chinese musicians. About one-third of the shows are performances by local Chinese musicians, such as 18-year-old Chinese jazz pianist A Bu and jazz-pop duo Mr. Miss, who won the best vocal collaboration award at Taiwan's Golden Melody Awards in June.

"We want to introduce young Chinese musicians, as well as offering them opportunities to perform with established musicians from around the world," says Tian.

chennan@chinadaily.com.cn