The annual festival, which has become one of the most welcomed musical events in Beijing, will be held at the Beijing Century Theatre during November 16-18.

"I was always really happy to go to concerts at the jazz festival," said famous rock musician Cui Jian. "Without the jazz festival in 2000, it felt like something was missing."

The event which began in 1993, will continue to be hosted by the China International Culture Exchange Centre and the Beijing Yiren Culture & Arts Exchange Center.

The down side is that the event has been shortened from its usual six days down to just three. However, Beijing is currently offering more and more opportunities for music lovers of various styles nowadays.

In October, Logistix Integrated Communication sponsored two concerts called "The Latest Music Trends from Europe" and presented three bands of mixed nationalities and styles.

At this year's Beijing International Jazz Festival, audiences will be able to hear music from three local bands and four foreign groups.

"This year we will mainly focus on mainstream jazz," said Liu Yuan, artistic director of the 2001 Beijing International Jazz Festival, who is also a well-known jazz saxophonist.

Diversified performers

The most well-known musician is American singer Dianne Reeves, who is known for her strong, agile voice, rhythmic virtuosity and improvisational ease.

To Reeves, music should have "no boundaries," and her singing tends to come from many different influences: Africa, Brazil and the Caribbean; gospel and Rhythm and Blues; classic and contemporary pop.

Born in Detroit in 1956 and raised in Denver, Reeves was born into a family that possessed a rich musical background. Reeves was gripped by music at an early age. She sang and recorded with her high school band and was encouraged by trumpet legend Clark Terry, whom she performed with whilst at college at the University of Colorado.

She did session work in Los Angeles starting in 1976, and toured with Sergio Mendes and Harry Belafonte and began recording as a solo artist in 1982, soon becoming a familiar name on the festival circuit.

In a cover story featured in jazz magazine Down Beat last June, Michael Bourne wrote: "Power. That's the word that comes to mind when thinking of singer Dianne Reeves...to feel Reeves at full force, you have to hear her live."

Along with Reeves, another musician not to be missed at the festival is Rabih Abou-Khalil from Lebanon, who as a child learnt to play the oud, an Arab short-neck lute.

Abou-Khalil grew up in the cosmopolitan climate of Beirut in the 1960s and 70s. Because of the civil war in Lebanon Abou-Khalil was forced to leave his country in 1978. He first studied classical flute at the Academy of Music in Munich under professor Walther Theurer.

While Abou-Khalil followed his own path and pursued his own musical approach, his work nonetheless reflects the musical culture of his country.

Abou-Khalil has already earned the reputation of being one of the most successful instrumentalists on the international jazz scene, which is largely due to the creativity of his music.

Abou-Khalil has consistently tried to find some common ground where he can combine Arab music from his roots with the global music of today. "Vital Information," from the United States are an exciting band whose music resonates from the past but surges fearlessly towards the future. Through reinventing themselves, they have formulated an electric and exciting new brand of music.

In their newest release, "Show 'Em Where You Live," they have substantiated the importance and the eloquence of the music we call "fusion."

Lennart Aberg has been on the Swedish and European jazz scene since the 1960s. As well as leading his own trio and quartet, he is also the artistic leader of the Swedish Radio Jazz Group.

Enthusiasts will have the pleasure of hearing Aberg play with his newly-formed trio, which consists of some of the foremost Swedish jazz musicians, with a specially selected repertoire of classic jazz standards, originals from Aberg, and some Ellington, Monk and Ornette Coleman tunes.

The three local bands are, Golden Bugle Big Band, Xia Jia Trio and Moreno Donadel Trio.

Moreno Donadel is originally from Italy, but has been based in Beijing for several years now. Together with Beijing's bass player Liu Yue and Japanese drummer Izumi Koga, this is a truly dynamic trio that makes good use of the band members' diverse musical backgrounds.

Formed in 1996 as one of the three offsprings of the People's Liberation Army Band, the Golden Bugle Big Band is a 20-piece ensemble and the sole standard jazz big band in China. This is their second appearance at the Beijing International Jazz Festival. The band is expected to perform well-known jazz standards as well as beautiful, traditional Chinese melodies such as "The Serene Autumn Water," "Ahba Girl" and "Melody of Dreams."

The Xia Jia trio is made up of pianist Xia Jia, bass player Liu Yue and guitarist Gu Zhongshan.

Xia graduated from the China Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and is also a former student of Eastman School of Music in Rochester, United States.

During his study in the United States he worked as a pianist at the Eastman School Big Band and performed at the JVC Jazz Festival concert.

"As musicians we owe a huge thank you to the Beijing International Jazz Festival, which has provided us with the opportunity to exchange with top musicians from all over the world," said Xia.

As well as performances taking place in the Century Theatre, other activities linked to the festival will include a workshop by famous drummer Steve Smith, which will be available at the CD Cafe in the afternoon of November 16. Jam sessions will also take place after every main concerts. Dianne Reeves will also be giving a concert at the Shanghai Concert Hall on November 18.

(China Daily November 8, 2001)