Chengdu Jazz; Blog News

Sorry for the recent dearth of posts. The music scene in Chengdu has been pretty quiet since the Chinese New Year with nothing terribly noteworthy to report. Fortunately things look very promising heading into the year of the Rat Cow/Ox (thanks Brent!). The band's schedule will get very busy beginning next month. This is our tentative lineup starting next month:

• Tuesday- Suidie Music Cafe 碎碟音乐咖啡
• Wednesday (every other week) - Cafe Panam 巴黎咖啡
• Thursday (possibly moved to Sunday) - Shamrock 三页草
• Friday - Little Bar 小酒馆 / The Music House 音乐房子
• Saturday - Min Shan Hotel Restaurant 岷山饭店 / Suidie Music Cafe 碎碟音乐咖啡

I'm going to make an effort to bring a lot more media to the blog once things get started. I recently discovered my digital camera is capable of recording relatively decent quality movie clips which should finally allow me to bring some life to the music section of the blog. Actually, we are still in the process of mixing the December concert at the Sichuan Music Conservatory. The video came out nicely, but we still have to sync the audio with the visuals.

In fact, I've been getting pressure from readers as well as one of our band members to make some recordings. The original Ma Lao Ban, founder of our band and fellow sax player, Melissa, is currently winding down her contract in Singapore. She has been pushing us to make a demo for use in a press kit. Apparently she has made some connections within the Singapore entertainment scene which could lead to some great opportunities in the future. Also worth mentioning, Melissa has told me that when she returns in May there is a chance she will be accompanied by a very talented French jazz singer...

Well, after being heckled by good friend and fellow blogger, Alex, of the I Want In! blog, I have decided to put a bit more effort into my own blog. I'm going to try to make posting more of a daily event rather than weekly/monthly. After recently getting a few e-mails from readers I've also realized that the jazz world is very tightly knit, and the blog can be a great way to bring interest, people, and resources to the scene here in Chengdu, China. In fact in May we might be getting a drummer from the States to sit in on a few gigs while he travels through on business, and it probably would not be happening had he not stumbled across the blog. So, check back often, and keep me honest!