Live Music Reviews

Donald Jackson Trio featuring Richard Jackson at the WFC

February 15th, 2009 by

Last week I made the trip out to the Park Hyatt in the World Financial Center to drown the sorrow of the Daft Punk hoax, which is not to say that I bought a ticket but that I, like Bill Clinton, feel your pain. I went to check out a band that I had been hearing a lot about and my sorrows were well drowned.

Alec Haavik at the Oriental Arts Center

January 13th, 2009 by

Mahler once said that a symphony should be like the world, and Alec had similarly grand intentions for this concert.

Leighfield goes it alone for Xmas

December 29th, 2008 by

If there is one thing you can say about the British it’s that they love their sporting analogies. Listen to a conversation between two or more for a while and you’ll hear endless mentions of ‘fair play’, ‘playing with a straight bat’ or ‘knocking one out of the park’.
The one that came to my mind after seeing Luke Leighfield at Yuyintang on Christmas Day was undoubtedly ‘it’s a game of two halves’.
With his show split by a 20-minute break, those who stayed for the second half were [...]

Psychedelic Purple Jam

December 23rd, 2008 by

Last Wednesday Anar began their Jam Sessions featuring John Nguidjol and Magnetic, the resident band. Anar has been a place of intermittent success and continuous change until it became Anar (before was Pirates, and before that Shuffle); now, with these Jam Sessions and Magnetic as the house band, maybe Anar will become more prominent in [...]

Hedgehog Pie

December 17th, 2008 by

It is with some reluctance that I write this post, because I had decided to try to minimize my writing about “rock” music (please excuse my ignorance of genres). While there are a good few rock bands that I absolutely love, I just can’t get that excited about a rock band that does everything well except have its own strong identity. For many people, going to a good, solid, rocking show is like pizza. Even if it doesn’t change the way they understand their role in the universe, it’s something that they need to have once in a while–or more often in some cases. In my case, if the pizza is not really really good, I’d just as soon not eat pizza. Hamburgers—ie jazz, stick with me people!—I’m not so picky about. If the band is really swinging and the soloist plays with conviction and energy, I can listen to clichés all night. Sure I’d rather be hearing someone’s totally realized unique self, but it’s a hamburger. Melrose Pizza I can definitely take or leave, emphasis on leave.

Free Your Ears: A Sunday Night in Shanghai

December 11th, 2008 by

Sunday in Shanghai has a special mood, especially if the previous days have been intense, full of important gigs around town. When Sunday comes after all the revolution, the music feels a bit tired, a bit lazy–and then something unexpected happens. I guess that’s why Sundays are good for Jam Sessions: lazy musicians, hang-overs, and strangely creative sounds.

Welcome Back Français Swing!

October 13th, 2008 by

We had already been hearing about the gypsy jazz phenomenon in Shanghai for more than one year (Winter ’07 to Spring ’08) before of the closing of one of its well-known venues (LaBella Café) and the beginning of a quite long silent phase from its most beloved band, as well. However, as soon as we [...]

Summer is over, but Music is not!

October 3rd, 2008 by

Last weekend (and month) we were in a roller coaster of music, so intense I even forgot to complain about the ‘cold’ air coming back to Shanghai last Friday. OK, not cold, but not hot anymore and I’ve never forgot before to complain about summer ending. This week hass been also full of things to [...]