Larger than Jazz: JZ Festival Returns
The citywide JZ Festival is back this month to deliver its seventh instalment in as many years, and the offerings are good. The Masters Hall portion will again stage five days of nightly performances from international jazz legends, while the emphasis remains on ‘Green Note’, the outdoor festival that brings Shanghai residents together for an entire weekend of artists as diverse as the city itself.
The JZ Festival has grown and evolved each year; its considerable efforts resulting in last year’s extravaganza at Century Park. This year, the outdoor segment has been moved to the new Expo Garden Park in order to accommodate six stages and a significantly later end time. Overflowing with more than 100 acts, the JZ Festival will feature legends like Tower of Power (see box), Roy Ayers and Jazzanova Live headlining the extensive lineup, and that’s only for the weekend festivities.
The Masters Hall series shows the true roots of the annual gala by hosting a number of exclusive performances from stars like American jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli and the Grammy Award-winning gospel a cappella group Take 6. With performances being held in the sizable Shanghai Centre Theatre, JZ will also host the storied McCoy Tyner Trio, playing their own rendition of Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane in honour of the revered Impulse! Records’ 50th anniversary.
Owner of the JZ Club and resident bassist in the house band, Ren Yuqing has spearheaded organising duties for the event each year, not always to great commercial success.
“The second year we put on the festival, I used all my savings to finance the project and the tickets didn’t sell very well,” Ren says. “At first I was in a bad mood, but the audience really enjoyed it. In fact, many people approached me at the end and thanked me for hosting such good music. I knew that it was all worth it; it’s all about sharing beautiful music with as many people as possible.”
He’s soldiered on with his labour of love, expanding on years past to reach the biggest event yet. In fact, the most frustrating part of this year’s JZ Festival has been finding a location to fit all the acts. This year, it’s opening its doors to even more genres than before, from experimental rock to reggae and everything in between.
“There are all kinds of music here so that each person can find their own sound to enjoy,” Ren says. “It’s a joy to bring people together like this.” Seemingly out of place oddities, like Siesta, the ‘queen of drum-and-bass’, and the unconventional country leanings of Dana & Vlad, ensure that everyone will find a group or style that suits their tastes.
As owner of the influential club House of Blues & Jazz, Mr Lin Dongfu sees no problems with bringing so many styles of music and art into the festival. “Jazz is always learning from something else,” he says. “It has never refused anyone.” As an integral part of the Shanghai music scene on a daily basis, Lin welcomes the ultimate recognition the festival brings to the Shanghai music scene and to his venue as well, and he has fond memories from festivals past.
“The year that Wynton Marsalis played, my daughter was four years old. Backstage, she started singing ‘Summertime’ and Wynton began playing the trumpet beside her,” says Ren. “I told my daughter, ‘You have no idea who just played the trumpet beside you’. Marsalis nicknamed me Shanghai Slim that day and told me to keep it.”
In addition to providing opportunities to meet legends and inspirations, this year’s festival also presents ways for audience members and fans to get involved, an idea Ren had in order to encourage more people to enter the world of music and have it become a part of their lives. Over the past year, the Love My Music contest has invited all local musicians to showcase their talents, focusing on a different instrument each month, for a chance to play at the festival. JZ is also hosting a creative writing contest open to poetry, fiction and short stories on any topic, and a poster design competition, allowing fans to truly exhibit their own originality in a completely new fashion.
“This will certainly be our biggest festival so far, but for us there is always room for improvement and expansion,” says Ren, keeping an eye on the horizon. “Shanghai is such an international city, but what about an international, universal language?” Luckily for the city, the JZ Festival will be here to express and develop that language for years to come.
JZ Festival. 15 October to 23 October. Web: www.jzfestival.com, www.smartshanghai.com/smartticket
WIN! TALK is giving away two pairs of tickets to JZ Festival. Email [email protected] with the name of the act you're most excited to see for your chance to win!
