Music
Monday, 04 January 2010 04:01
Written by Nicky Almasy, Photo by Nicky Almasy

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Three music scene insiders tell us what to expect in local music in 2010...

When you think of the local jazz scene, that beard is one of the first things to pop into your head. So when we’re making predictions about the state of jazz in 2010, who better to ask than the one and only Alec Haavik, American saxophonist and local scene builder.

How's the 2010 jazz scene looking? Any important releases or events?
The problem is that nobody knows how the jazz releases work here. JZ is determined to have a proper jazz label. But the thing is that it’s very difficult to sell CDs in China. They sell very well at the club, but outside it’s very difficult. People come from all over the world to JZ club, hear a live performance and they want to bring a piece of it home with them, the CD is a souvenir item for them. 

But regarding releases, there’s no major label in China doing jazz so it’s hard to tell. The one thing I’m sure will come true is that we’re gonna see a lots of fusion of traditional Chinese with jazz. That’s already happening. This could have some Expo-fever relation, this idea of the world is coming  to Shanghai so let’s see what we could do together. From the most part since I arrived in Shanghai, it’s been more like ’Yeah this is jazz, it’s a special Western thing, which got to have these western foreigners play this music.’ But I’ve always been interested – since we are in China – in using  some Chinese music. Now I think in 2010 we’ll see some more heartfelt and serious efforts in this area.

Our indie rock experts say that the major venues will be forced to close for the Expo. Is it the same with jazz?
No. During the Olympics the only problem we foreigner musicians had that our extra little outside gigs vanished. So that’s the biggest fear for us during the Expo. But I think the venues will stay open. In fact, all the jazz venues are patiently waiting for the Expo to arrive.

So it’s the complete opposite from the rock world?
Yeah, everyone is looking forward to it because especially the jazz venues in the Bund area haven’t had so much business there and they hope the Expo will change that. I think it will have a tremendously positive effect on the business of the jazz clubs that are already going. Let’s face it, even in the 1930s Shanghai was a jazz city and people will want to experience that now, too when the Expo is here.

Is the Shanghai jazz scene up there with international standards?
Yeah, it is. The level of the jazz scene in terms of musicianship and artistic integrity is rising. When I arrived here about 4.5 years ago it was pretty different. It was still the same energy and there were fine musicians here, but the scene was very messy. On an average night I got calls around 6pm to quickly put a band together and we discussed 10 minutes before the shows what we’re going to play, it was very disorganized, but it was a wonderful way to begin. Now, every night of the week it’s highly developed, it has a specific concept and original music, high quality and high standards. Musicians are working hard and putting their souls into it.

Where do you see the Shanghai jazz scene in the future then?
The next order of organization for the jazz scene is on the festival level. In 2009 we saw the most successful JZ festival. It was a full fledged, fully grown up musical event. So that’s a huge project to integrate this into a whole worldwide jazz festival. So that’s another major development we’ll see in the next coming years. And as for the character of the music... to continue this intercultural blending, so that musicians can create something new.

What about your own musical projects for 2010?
The project I’m most excited about is that I’m writing a full scale opera. At first I was calling it a jazz rock opera, because when I was as kid I was very influenced by Tommy, the rock opera by The Who. I was always fascinated with large scale musical works. Back then I was a rock 'n' roll kid, I really liked Rush, where with them oftentimes, the whole album was one story. And then I was into Tommy.

So I started to call this project a jazz rock opera, because my music is jazz rock, but now I just call it an opera, which is tentatively titled, ’Step into the Red Ball.’ The red ball represents intradimensional travel in its all different variations. Intradimensional travel could be a spiritual experience, or it could be a strong connection between two people, or it could be imagination. So that’s the major theme. The methodology is that I’m protecting the improvisation aspect of jazz music. And I’m manifesting this on a large scale. The art form of opera is usually linear like most works of music. The way it’s composed it has a beginning and it proceeds in one direction to the end. In my work, in the act of the opera that sequence will not be determined. It will be improvisational according to the flow of everything else that’s happening. So the major sequence will be improvisational as well as the structure of the music inside. So it’s like a large scale manifestation of how we play jazz and how jazz music is structured.

Are you recording it first or taking it straight to the stage?
It’s been in developments already for years. Actually it has been assembled every time we perform with my band. And this also been recorded on a vinyl record, which has been released in Austria. So another thing is that I’m looking forward to in 2010 is a proper vinyl release of this here and hope it will finally come out on CD, too.

Vinyl? Woah, old school...
Yeah it’s amazing, it’s like a sacred object, which is been made and unlike anything digital it can never be copied. It is what it is.

Like this? Then read interviews with Andy Best and Super Sophia here.

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