Special Night: 5 Chinese Pianist Heroes/Jazz News

Date: 2010-1-23

Location: Jz Club

Time:10:00 PM

Tickets: Ticket Free

Musicians: Jin Fo, Mark Bai, Huang Jian Yi, Xia Jia, Zhu Mang

Reservation: 64311075

Beginning of the New Year, amazing Jazz performance in JZ club!

5 Chinese Pianist Heroes show their skill, bring the best Jazz piano show to Shanghai fans. The best of best Chinese jazz pianist Jin Fo, Mark Bai, Huang Jian Yi, Xia Jia, Zhu Mang.

Pianist Bio

Jin Fo

He founded the first jazz band “ALAS Jazz Band” in Beijing in 1991, and became China’s first Jazz pianist. He combined Chinese Folk music with jazz. In 1995, he founded the first jazz band to feature Chinese Folk Music: “Tian Chang Jazz Band”, and released his first Jazz CD “Made in China”. In 2000, his band participated in the grand cultural exchange concert held in London.

Mark Bai

Twenty-seven year old pianist, Mark Bai, is making a compelling impression about China’s exploding contemporary jazz scene.  His playing and writing exhibits maturity, sophistication, and subtlety, all which invoke an authentic feeling of artistry derivative from such forwarding thinking jazz musicians as Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner, and Kurt Rosenwinkle. The son of a renowned opera singer, Mark Bai began studying classical piano at age of six.  He continued studies at the Nanjing Arts Institute where he majored in classical composition.  He moved to Shanghai in 2005, and was soon collaborating with both local and foreign musicians.  He currently leads a quintet featuring the international talents of saxophonist, Alec Haavik, Toby Mak on trumpet, Michael Brownell on bass and Charles Foldesh on drums.

Huang Jianyi

Pianist/composer Huang Jian Yi has been a music educator and Art Director at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where he also received Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance.  He founded the Footprints Jazz Band in 1999, one of the first modern Chinese jazz groups in Shanghai.  He has studied jazz piano at the Berklee College of Music with such greats as Paul Schmeling, Ray Santisi, Joanne Brackeen, Laszlo Gardony and Joe Lovano.  Currently, he is completing his Master’s degree in Jazz Performance at Rutgers University, where he is studying with Stanley Cowell, Victor Lewis, Ralph Bowen and Conrad Herwig.  He has performed in New York’s Blue Note club, as well as most recently at the Montreal Jazz Festival with the Possicobilities Band.

Xia Jia

Born in Beijing, Xia Jia fell in love with jazz while attending the Central Music Academy, where he majored in conducting. Classical music made him a first class pianist but failed to satisfy him creatively. Jazz, with looser structures and emphasis on improvisation, was his way forward. Xia studied jazz in New York City for three years, playing with the Grammy winning choral group, New York Voices. Still savoring the cultural and artistic ferment of jazz in an international metropolis, he knows full well the importance of musicians from different nationalities jamming together.

Zhu Mang

Zhu Mang is a prestigious pianist in China with professional performance experience in many countries. His ability has been well reported by media following his numerous shows in Shanghai .He develops his talent through communication with masters from Europe and America such as Wynton.Masalis, and the Manhattan Jazz Quintet.