Blocks away from Tiananmen Square, so near the seat of China’s government that a pedestrian has to cross two security checkpoints just to get there, lies an institution well-known to Western music lovers. A steep staircase leads you down from an austere courtyard into an expansive cavern where young people dine on burgers and fries or share a bottle of wine. Unlike New York City’s Blue Note, you won’t have to worry about bumping elbows with your fellow patrons or musicians tripping over your legs on their way to the stage under these high ceilings.
Cordâme, a Québécois violin-piano-bass trio, acted as master of tonight’s subterranean ceremonies. Their pieces brought a rustic lightness into the dark urban setting. Bassist Jean Félix Mailloux draws inspiration from Impressionists like Ravel and Debussy in his compositions, where nimble geometric motifs alternated with sweeping pastoral brushstrokes trotted out at the unhurried pace of jazz.
A specially invited guzheng player added an otherworldly dimension to the blend. Dating back to around 200 BC, a guzheng (or Chinese zither) is a board with twenty-some strings laid flat across a stand, similar to a steel guitar. Ethereal harp sounds cascaded through the background, while individual notes echoed the piano and violin melodies like waves rippling across a dark pool. Bending a string induced a dramatic inflection, like a Chinese opera singer giving a long sigh.
The performance, one of a small handful of stops on the group’s tour of China, was enjoyed by a mix of local jazz fans, a few for foreign faces, and even a table of French Canadians cheering on their compatriots.
Beijing’s Blue Note doesn’t challenge the bureaucratic world above it, but instead carves a separate underground space where the sounds of east and west, ancient and modern converse in the language of rhythm and harmony.
10 responses to “Cordâme at the Blue Note, Beijing”
This sounds amazing! Thanks for the tip on the group, I’ll check them out. Loved your picture of the Blue Note stairs.
Thanks, Eric! I think Cordâme might be up your alley.
I loved learning more about the Blue Note in China and the blending of East and West. Thanks for this ❤️🙏
Thanks for reading!
Exciting description! Takes me right into your adventure! You are skillful at evoking a musical experience in words!
Thank you for the kind words!
Alec — nice to know that Beijing has a thriving night life. My last musical experience in Beijing was at a bar/cafe in 2012, when a really good Mongolian group did some throat singing. The singing was memorable, but I don’t recall the name of the club or the band…best luck and enjoy this all!
Thanks John! Love throat singing. I’d be curious to know what your FIRST musical experience in Beijing was.
Wonderful piece, Alec. I now know what a guzheng is!
Thanks Rodney! If you want to hear the guzheng played to perfection, I recommend looking up the master Wu Zhongxian.