The hustle and bustle of Paramount has remained a fascinating part of Shanghai's nightlife over the years. Chinese jazz started in Paramount, and the golden age created by Shanghai old songs still provides precious nutrients for local jazz. Now, leaving the dance hall and gramoph

The hustle and bustle of Paramount has remained a fascinating part of Shanghai's nightlife over the years. Chinese jazz started in Paramount, and the golden age created by Shanghai old songs still provides precious nutrients for local jazz. Now, leaving the dance hall and gramophone, the Shanghai Jazz Big Band unveiled the past and present life of Shanghai Jazz on the lawn of the Summer Music Festival. It allows today's audience to be in a different venue than in the past, and to feel the tenacity and rebirth of Shanghai jazz, a unique musical genre, over the years.

Jazz Shanghai Big Band was founded in 2006 by Ren Yuqing, founder of the famous Chinese jazz brand jz. The band has obvious "Shanghai genes" from its name to its repertoire. On the one hand, the jz brand represents the top level in China, and Shanghai is an important location for jz activities; on the other hand, the sound of old Shanghai has never left this modern jazz band. In fact, before the band was established, Ren Yuqing participated as the bassist in the album "Shanghai Jazz" (2003) published by EMI. In this album, Shanghai's old songs are given new twists by Shanghai's new jazz talents. Compared with this album from 20 years ago, the interpretation in the form of a big band has become more "current" in the new millennium.

In the opening instrumental ensemble, the solos of each part of the band already made people full of expectations for the following tracks. The musicians and conductor seemed to have nothing to do with the hot outdoor space they were in, and showed an extremely comfortable and vigorous enthusiasm. The blessing for today's audiences is that musicians perform at a higher level than in the past. The Jazz Shanghai Big Band does not waste the talents of each musician, interspersing particularly exciting solo parts between the short songs in the past, making the instrument suddenly become the eye-catching protagonist from the status of accompaniment of singing in the past. At the same time, as the conductor of the jazz band, Alek seems to be wanton on stage and dances from time to time. In fact, he coordinates the band in a free jazz style and has different conducting skills from the orchestra.

As an "old song", the vocal part is an important part. Jazz male singer Liu Kefu and female singer Chen Yinxi have two completely different styles. Liu Kefu's singing can be said to be "natural". Compared with previous female singers, his songs such as "Without You" and "Scent of Roses" lack the tenderness and charm. His sincere and skillful singing complements the gentle swing rhythm and bossa nova rhythm. The reduction of the retro charm instantly brings the old songs into the present, making people want to be nostalgic but cannot, and just listen to the old songs as new songs. In "Without You", he also sang Li Bai's "Drinking Alone under the Moon", which combined ancient and modern rhymes, Chinese and Western styles, to highlight the universality of human emotions, and this is what is still sung today. The cuteness that Shanghai old songs possess. In contrast, Chen Yinxi is like an active version of Zhang Le, but she retains the usual mellowness and charm of a jazz diva, and her singing voice is reminiscent of the past. The last song, "I Want Your Love," lacked the boldness and boldness of the original singer Gulen, but was more provocative, which triggered a particularly exciting solo "competition" by the big band in the middle of the song, pushing the concert to a high point.

Even without the nostalgic feeling brought by the noise of the turntable, the old songs still retain a place in the memory. It was the never-diminishing charm of Shanghai jazz that made the audience overcome the high temperature and get drunk on the music on the misa lawn. It is worth mentioning that among the songs performed, "Shanghai Shanglow", as a new voice of Shanghai jazz, was interpreted most appropriately among the old songs sung by Liu Kefu. As a work of the jazz Shanghai big band, its lyrics are hilarious. With the high-level band cooperation, people have deeper expectations for the current Shanghai jazz. Under the Chinese and Western keywords of "Shanghai" and "Jazz", there is also the overlap of "Chen" and "Xin". In this way - Shanghai's night has a deeper dimension.

Author: Cheng Zerui

Text: Cheng Zerui Picture: Organizer Editor: Jiang Fang Editor: Xing Xiaofang

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