Jazz band keeps old Shanghai alive

Six elderly men keep history alive by performing nightly at a storied hotel on the city's famous Bund

Victor Hugo, the prolific French poet and novelist, once said, "Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent."

These words, written in reference to the musical nature of William Shakespeare's plays, come to mind as I listen to the serenade performed live by the Old Jazz Band at the Fairmont Peace Hotel, along the historic, riverfront Bund in Shanghai, China.

Words cannot do justice to describe the profound and subtle effect the music creates in me and other revelers at the Jazz Bar.

Six men, all octogenarians, play jazz and popular music that reappears as if channeled from old Shanghai of the 1930s and 40s. It was a time of a wonderful mix of jazzy, European influences with Chinese melodies. It was also a time of orchestras filled with great jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, swing and big band music epitomized by Benny Goodman, and rumba and other Latin tunes.

As soon as the music starts, my right hand starts to tap the table softly. My left foot soon joins in and, as the orchestra rises harmoniously in pitch, my head joins in the grand scheme to betray my love for jazz.

Song after song, the band members Wang Daoyun, Sun Jianbin, Hong Ming, Ni Fugen, Chen Xian Guo and Ye Zhihua entertain merrymakers with powerful old tunes of times past. Sounds from the saxophone rhythmically combine with the baritone and brassy trumpet, the bass clarinet and the graceful violin to produce rich, crisp sounds.

The mega bass from the set of acoustic drums and snare shells only serve to enrich the already electrifying performance. The band members also use other instruments such as sand drums, flute, trombone and cello in their performances. They have a sentimental attachment to the instruments, which they have used for decades.

"The Old Jazz Band was formed in 1980. As you can see we are all not young. We are in our 80s," Hong says.

Zhou Wanrong, now 94, is the founder and was leader of the band for many years.

Zhou Wanrong's niece, Zhou Xiaomei, says her uncle served as bandleader until 2006. "He formed the Old Jazz Band after retiring from the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra," she says. Zhou Wanrong now plays once every month with his former band members.

The Old Jazz Band has entertained many dignitaries from around the world, including former prime ministers Lionel Jospin of France and Paul Keating of Australia, and former US presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. The band has a photo of Clinton proudly displayed on the wall from the time he and former US first lady Hillary Clinton saw the show.

The band performs evenings at the Jazz Bar located on the ground floor of the hotel.

The hotel is one of Shanghai's most famous. It was built in the Gothic style of the Chicago School, according to the hotel's website. It is divided into the South Building and the North Building. The South Building that stands today, featuring a Renaissance style exterior, was completed in 1908.

Construction on the North Building, known as Sassoon House, started in 1926. Named after its owner, Sir Victor Sassoon, a prominent British businessman, the building rose 10 stories, the website says. Floors four to nine comprised the Cathay Hotel, which opened in 1929.

The hotel was widely known as the luxurious "No 1 mansion in the Far East", due to its prime location along the Bund, and for its grandeur, including the distinctive copper-sheathed roof that rises 77 meters above ground, white Italian marble floors, and priceless Lalique glass artwork, the website notes.

The Cathay Hotel welcomed distinguished guests from all over the world, including politicians, financiers, entrepreneurs, important Chinese officials and celebrities, such as General George Marshall, Charlie Chaplin and George Bernard Shaw.

The buildings were used by the municipal government at various times in the decades following the founding of New China in 1949, and parts resumed their role as a hotel in the 1950s and 60s. The grand hotel underwent a major renovation in 2007.

The Fairmont Peace Hotel Jazz Bar was also previously called the Horses and Hounds, named after the track once located where the city's People's Square is now.

Shanghai has undergone many transformations in the past few decades, making it a world-class city with a skyline that includes some of the world's tallest buildings and the fastest commuter train in Asia (Maglev Line). Its population of about 24 million makes it the second largest city in China.

The music has, however, not been washed away. The Old Jazz Band of Shanghai has done a fine job guarding old Shanghai's heritage.

The trailer for a video about the group called "As Time Goes By in Shanghai" can be seen on Youku.com and YouTube.com.