Jazz
Blue Note Records China releases “Now’s The Time: An Anthology of Contemporary Chinese Jazz [Vol. 1]” on 23 October, six tracks from musicians in Beijing and Shanghai. The first, “Arc Light”, came out yesterday.
Three producers are behind it: Don Was, president of Blue Note; Zhang Yadong; and Ren Yuqing, founder of JZ Music. According to the label, Was travelled from the United States to China for the project, visiting both Shanghai and Beijing to meet each musician and attending every recording session.
“Arc Light” is performed by the Red Hand Band and written by its pianist, Xia Jia. The group debuted in 2006 at Beijing’s D22 club and toured China in 2025 for its twentieth anniversary.
The rest of the compilation: “One Is Too Many”, by guitarist Zhang Xiongguan; “Harvest”, by trumpeter Li Xiaochuan, inspired by the folk arts of Shanghai’s Jinshan district; “Haven of the Wandering Desert”, by guitarist Zhihan Xu, drummer Zhitong Xu and electronic musician Gooooose; “Song For My Family”, a bass-and-piano duet between bassist Chenhuai Wang and Italian musician Moreno Donadel; and “Where It All Began”, by multi-instrumentalist Eugene Sun.
The label’s note says jazz has been flourishing for more than a century and is blossoming anew today. “The voice of Chinese jazz is part of that new growth. These pieces, full of colour and personality, show the imagination, creativity and artistry of Chinese jazz musicians,” says Ren Yuqing, founder of JZ Music.
Universal Music Greater China launched Blue Note Records China in May 2025.
Text by Aina Torrents