Musicians hit a high note with online shows

"It's really sad to have those shows canceled. I've watched shows at Blue Note New York, which is a great place. But clearly, everyone's health is important," commented a fan.

"Though the shows cannot be staged, we've seen another possible way of enjoying jazz music simultaneously from different parts of the world," wrote another fan.

Founded in 2016, Blue Note Beijing, located in the scenic Qianmen area, near Tian'anmen Square, is the first branch of the famous jazz club brand in China and joins a global network of jazz clubs started in New York in 1981, which target the country's ever-growing middle class and jazz lovers. Last year, it launched Blue Note Shanghai as the jazz club chain's 10th club worldwide.

Many top jazz musicians have performed at Blue Note Beijing as part of their global tours, including legendary jazz pianist Chick Corea and Grammy-nominated saxophonist Ravi Coltrane.

"China has seen a growing fan base for jazz music over the past few years, which has become a lifestyle among young people. Because of the viral outbreak, over 30 shows were canceled in both Blue Note Beijing and Blue Note Shanghai, which inspired us to stage shows online. It is a first-time experience for Blue Note in its nearly 40-year-long history," says Li Si, deputy general manager of Blue Note Beijing. The teams of Blue Note in New York and in Beijing spent over 130 hours testing technologies involved in livestreaming to make sure of the visual and sound quality.

"What we are trying to do is to connect the audiences with music as much as possible during these special days. Whether it's watching the shows at the venue or online, it's about enjoying music," Li says, adding that more livestreaming shows will be planned once the viral outbreak ends.