More than 200 shows staged at venue in the past year
For music lovers in Beijing, it can seem like they are forever mourning the closure of another live venue, usually due to financial pressure. But one of the most prominent names in jazz bucked that trend last year with the opening of a new venue in the capital.
Blue Note Beijing, which opened on Sept 13, has hosted some of the biggest names in jazz, including Grammy winner bassist Stanley Clarke, who performed at the club last September, and said: “The place is beautiful. This could be the most beautiful Blue Note venue I have ever seen. It has the flavor of the New York Blue Note and embodies the Blue Note tradition.”
More than 200 shows have already been staged at Blue Note Beijing, including a show by the legendary jazz pianist, 22-time Grammy winner Chick Corea, who performed at the club’s opening on Sept 13, and the club will celebrate its one-year anniversary with jazz luminaries such as saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, Cuban pianist Harold Lopez Nussa and American saxophonist Kamasi Washington.
“I am quite satisfied with what Blue Note Beijing has achieved during the past year,” says Tian Tan, the owner of Blue Note Beijing. “It’s different from Blue Note clubs in other cities. People, who have come here, get that we have blended New York’s famous Blue Note jazz club with Beijing, a place where jazz doesn’t have a large audience.”
Because of that, he didn’t envision Blue Note Beijing being a pure music live venue.
“The place is not just about the music, you can also have great food and drinks” says Tian. “Basically, it’s a place in Beijing, where you can enjoy a fun night.”
The food offered at Blue Note Beijing caters to international as well as local tastes, and over the past year, the venue has attracted about 40,000 people.
The genesis of the club was more than three years ago, when veteran Taiwan songwriter and record pro-
The place is not just about the music, you can also have great food and drinks.” Tian Tan, the owner of Blue Note Beijing
ducer 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 Mandarinspeaking 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 onethird 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.