Post tag: jazz in china project
Syurpriz! 100 Years of Russian Jazz: The Documentary

"Jazz 100 Russia" documentary posterThe Marlowsphere (Blog #157)

When it comes to documentaries where the subject is jazz, the American catalogue is full of viewing choices, so much so you come away with the impression that jazz is only performed in the United States and if it is performed elsewhere on the planet, well, how good could it be? If it was created and performed on a par with American jazz composers, arrangers, and musicians, well, then, certainly documentaries would be a lot more present.

Syurpriz! That’s Russian for “Surprise!” According to a recently released feature-length  documentary (114 minutes) produced in Russia, jazz has been performed in Russia (more surprise) for 100 years!

The documentary—“Jazz 100 Russia”—was the brainchild of renowned Russian tenor saxophonist Igor Butman (he’s also one of the characters in the documentary as well as one of the producers, along with Yulia Hmelevskaya).

Cyril Moshkow Russian Jazz JournalistIt was written by Russia’s leading jazz journalism Cyril Moshkow. The director is Alexander Bryntsev. The documentary’s major sponsor is the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.

The documentary calls itself “groundbreaking” and it is that. It’s the first documentary to encapsulate the 100 years of jazz in Russia, starting with the introduction of jazz by (syupriz) an innovative dancer, Valentin Parnakh, who brought the jazz sound and aesthetic to Russia from his visits to Paris in the early 1920s.

Second, the six-part feature is a cornucopia of archival footage that no doubt took years of specific and serendipitous research.

Third, along with the archival footage, the soundtrack is wall-to-wall jazz of various stripes paralleling the evolution of jazz in the United 1935 Alksandr Tsfasman Band in Early Soviet TalkieStates, from “trad jazz” to “free jazz” to today’s contemporary styles. This, too, must have required painstaking research.

Fourth, the documentary does not shy away from dealing with the political lefts and rights in Russia since the 1917 Russian Revolution, although the references are subtle and non-critical.

The 100-year span of Russian jazz history brought together in 114 minutes is in itself a work of art: gorgeously shot and edited so well the viewer does not notice the content juxtapositions. It tells a story of not just the jazz players, but also the social and cultural backdrop in which this democratic form of music through improvisation ─ and therefore individual freedom of expression ─ as survived and grown in a country with a long history of adherence to central authority.

1959 Moscow Jazz Club Backstage Rehearsal, photo (c)Vladimir SadkovkinSpeaking of improvisation, one of the best definitions of jazz is articulated by Evgeny Pobozhiy, the young winner of the 2019 Herbie Hancock Jazz Guitar Competition. He says:

[Jazz] is the most perfect musical form that humans have created. Jazz culture
has absorbed the best achievements of humanity: Western traditions and oriental
ethnic traditions, and African, of course. It is based on improvisation, that is, on
spontaneous music-making, and improvisation is impossible without deep knowledge
and understanding. A jazz musician has always been something like a symbiosis of a
creator and a scientist, both involved in a certain spiritual practice.

Well stated. Just like the documentary.

The documentary will become available outside Russia after it has been shown on Russian television. Click here to see the trailer.

Eugene Marlow, Ph.D.
Producer/Director/Writer
“Jazz in China” Winner of the 2022 Free Speech Film Festival

Eugene Marlow, MBA, Ph.D., © 2023

 

 

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See the Award-Winning Documentary “Jazz In China” at the Brooklyn Heights Library April 6th

“Jazz In China: The Documentary,” chronicles the 100-year story of how jazz—a democratic form of music through improvisation—exists and thrives in China—a country with a long tradition of adherence to central authority.

“Jazz In China” is a documentary produced, directed, and written by Eugene Marlow, Ph.D. based on his 2018 book Jazz in China: From Dance Hall Music to Individual Freedom of Expression (University Press of Mississippi).

The 60-minute award-winning documentary reveals the significant influence of African-American jazz musicians with leading indigenous jazz musicians, sinologists, historians, and jazz club patrons in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, and archival and contemporary performance footage.

“Jazz In China” was the winner of the 2022 American Insight “Free Speech Film Festival,” and received the “Award of Excellence” from the Depth of Field International Film Festival.

“Jazz In China” will  be an “official event” of the UNESCO-sponsored International Jazz Day, on April 30, 2023.


Many thanks to those who made this event possible:
Curator Leslie Arlette Boyce
Brooklyn Heights Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library
NYFA  “Jazz In China” is a sponsored project of the New York Foundation for the Arts

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Marlow’s “Jazz in China” Book Nominated for “Best Jazz Book” by the Jazz Journalists Association


BREAKING NEWS! April 15, 2019: Dr. Eugene Marlow’s book Jazz in China: From Dance Hall Music to Individual Freedom of Expression (University Press of Mississippi August 2018) has been nominated by the Jazz Journalists Association in the
“Best Jazz Book” category. Voting ends April 28.Jazz in China: From Dance Hall Music to Individual Freedom of Expression by Eugene Marlow, Ph.D.

January 2019: The New York City Jazz Record names Dr. Marlow’s Jazz in China book one of the “five best books on jazz in 2018.”

November 2018: Reviewer Kevin Canfield writes: “Jazz in China: From Dance Hall Music to Individual Freedom of Expression is a sweeping, informative work of history.” (New York City Jazz Record).

October 2018: Tom Cunniffe (Jazz History Online) calls the Jazz in China “a pioneering study.”

August 2018: University Press of Mississippi publishes Jazz in China: From Dance Hall Music to Individual Freedom of Expression.

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So, You Want to Perform in China?!

Chinese New Year's Gala ShowThe Marlowsphere Blog (#102)

When China began opening to the west again following Mao’s demise in 1976, performers of all kinds began to travel China to entertain. Since the early 1990s, in particular, increasing numbers of entertainers have traveled to China to perform.

The decision to perform in China is not one to be taken lightly. For example, one of those who journeyed to China, specifically Shanghai, was horn player and bassist Willie Ruff in 1981. He was so enthusiastic about performing at the Shanghai Conservatory that he spent a good year learning how to speak Mandarin!

The 18-hour journey from New York City to Beijing or Shanghai, notwithstanding, or the usual 12+ hours of time it takes to cross the Pacific from anywhere in the United States to perform in China aside, the travelling and performing in the People’s Republic of China is merely the conclusion of a potentially laborious bureaucratic first step.

To quote directly from the United States Department of State web site with respect to American performers in China:

US Embassy & ChinaTo perform in China, foreign performing individuals or troupes first need to find a local art agency, company or government organization as their sponsor. When the two parties agree to a performance arrangement after initial discussions, they should sign a letter of intent to confirm the basic agreement that has been reached. After the two sides have worked out details (time and place of tour, number of visitors, and respective responsibilities of the two parties, etc.), they need to sign a contract.

The sponsor may then send a letter of invitation to the invitees, which they will need to apply for Chinese visas (the sponsor should pre-clear all performers’ names with the consulate where they will apply, and will need dates of birth and passport number, issue date and expiration date for all performers). In the meantime, the local sponsor will submit an application, including the signed contract, to the Ministry of Culture for official approval of the planned performing tour. The approval process may take a few weeks as the documents have to move from one department to another in the Ministry.

There are three categories of performing arts agencies/companies in China:

Three Categories of Performing Arts Agencies in ChinaCategory 1 has government authorization both to send Chinese performers abroad on performing tours and to sponsor foreign performing troupes in China. There are twenty-four such agencies/companies in Beijing.

Category 2 refers to those performing agencies/companies that do not have direct government authorization to sponsor performing tours by foreign troupes. Some of them are affiliated to a government institution and undertake mainly non-profit cultural exchange programs. They may still receive some institutional support in carrying out these activities, but they are allowed and encouraged to undertake profit-making projects. Many of the private performing arts companies belong to this category.

Category 3 refers to those agencies/companies that have no authorization to undertake performances by foreign individuals or troupes. They may sponsor performances by Chinese nationals in China only.

Category 1 performing arts agencies in Beijing include: the China Performing Arts Agency, China National Culture & Art Company, Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, China International Cultural Exchange Center, China Century Performance Corporation, and the Yidu Cultural Development Company (Known as Beijing Music Festival).

Category 2 lists only one organization: the Beijing Concert Hall. Category 3 also lists one organization: the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (Affiliated to Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

The Department of State web site adds:

All the above three categories of arts agencies/companies have interests in sponsoring performances by foreign performing artists. It is widely recognized, however, that most of the category 1 performing agencies/companies are stronger in terms of funds, human resources, experience and government support in sponsoring performing tours by bigger foreign troupes. In cases where these agencies take the initiative to invite a foreign art troupe to perform in China, government approval is almost pro forma. Performing arts agencies/companies of category two are still growing in number in China. Usually small, they are quite efficient and flexible. However, consideration should be given to the possibility of tour cancellation due to approval, financial or other administrative problems.

The Department of State also provides the following advice:

Planning of a performance tour of China by big troupes may take a full year or even longer. Usually, the Chinese sponsor covers local board, lodging and transport and provides nominal per diem instead of paying performance fees. In most cases, the Chinese sponsoring organization books the hotels and buses for group tours. It is often necessary for American performing companies, bigger ones in particular, to raise funds to cover their international airfare and performance fees. It is advised that terms for performing tours be set out clearly in the contract.

A few years ago Billboard, the music industry magazine, reflecting on the growing market for artists desirous of touring in China at major venues, offered the following six pieces of advice:

Billboard Magazine1. Understand the History: Live events in China have been government-controlled since the Communists took power in 1949. Until recently, “the government would select a state-run or related company to organize an event. . .The hangover from that culture means selling tickets to the public can be difficult, while local authorities and others may still expect free ones.

2. Get Your Technology Right: “Antiquated” is how Chinese industry insiders describe most domestic ticketing companies’ practices.

3. Understand Government Rules and Regulations: Promoters must acquire a Ministry of Culture permit before announcing or advertising a show or selling tickets.

4. Beware of Scalpers and Fakers: China has a major ticket-scalping problem, mainly because some venue operators and government officials demand “huge” numbers of free tickets in exchange for green-lighting events.

5. Don’t Bank on Advance Sales:  Advance sales are generally not as strong as door sales. Walk up sales compose at least 10-20% of total ticket sales on average.

6. Get Your Pricing Right: Most of the audience for large-scale events is students. 150 yuan (around $20) is not a cheap price for them. It’s the highest price Chinese fans will pay for an international act at one major venue in Beijing.

In others words, organizing a trip to China could prove a formidable bureaucratic task. Getting there and performing there is the easier side of the equation.

Please write to me at meiienterprises@aol.com if you have any comments on this or any other of my blogs.

Eugene Marlow, Ph.D.
June 30, 2014

Dr. Marlow has just finished re-drafting a book on jazz in China, entitled Jazz in the Land of the Dragon ©2014.

© Eugene Marlow 2014

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Tiananmen Remembered

Tiananmen RememberedThe Marlowsphere Blog (#101)

The following blog is excerpted from Marlow’s forthcoming book Jazz in the Land of the Dragon.

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June 4, 2014 people in several parts of the world overtly demonstrated their remembrance of the massacre at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China that took place on the same day in 1989. In China itself, any overt expression criticizing the Chinese government’s so-called crackdown on “counter-revolutionary” dissidents on June 4 25 years ago was suppressed. There were no news announcements and any reference to that event on the Internet was shut down.

June 4, 1989 in Tiananmen Square was a demonstration of the pro-democracy movement, mostly by university students. The Chinese government could not tolerate this overt expression of the younger generation’s desire for change and reform. It sent in tanks. Hundreds died. The actual number is not known.

I visited Tiananmen Square in the summer of 2006. Its size is mind-boggling. It is filled in places with statuary glorifying the 1949 revolution. It was created as a square for the people. On June 4, 1989 it became a battlefield perfect for tank warfare.

In my forthcoming book Jazz in the Land of the Dragon two Americans—Mary Ann Hurst and Dennis Rea—recount their experience of that time in Chinese history: Ms. Hurst in Shanghai, Rea in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China.

Jazz Singer Mary Ann Hurst:

Mary Ann Hurst, Jazz SingerThe first time Ms. Hurst was in China was as a student in 1981-82, just five years after the death of Mao and the beginning of the opening of China. She arrived in Shanxi Province in Taiyuan in the mid-central part of China, about 12-16 hours on the train south of Beijing.

The second time Hurst went to China was in 1985 as a commercial tour guide for Pacific Delight Tours. She took American tourists over in the summer. And then from 1986 to 1989, she went over every summer with the University of Minnesota. She administered an arts program in Hangzhou. It was the only program in the world at the time that had a study abroad program in China for credit.

The program ended in 1989 because of Tiananmen Square. She described the sequence of events as it affected her:

It was ’89, the night of June 4th. We flew into Japan. We were taking a group in and we were in Japan when Tiananmen Square happened. The television was full of news on what was going on in China, and we couldn’t get out of Japan because they weren’t letting flights into China. Finally there was a JAL pilot who flew us in the next day. There were seven people on a 747 going into China, and my boss let me go in because we had one student who got in there before everyone else did. I went in to get him out.

There were, what they called dazibao, big character posters everywhere. Whenever there’s a tragedy or a death or some huge undertaking in China, they pull out the calligraphers and people make these huge signs out of Chinese characters and hang them from buildings. Dazibao-Big Character PostersThere was calligraphy everywhere hanging from buildings, announcing what was going on in Beijing. This is in Shanghai.

They were saying, ‘Do you believe what Li Peng is telling us about our brothers and sisters in Beijing?’ Li Peng was the leader who allowed the tanks to go into Tiananmen Square. There were people with megaphones on corners in Shanghai—it was amazing—announcing what was going on in Beijing. The whole city of Shanghai was covered with posters like that.

What was the feeling among the people there?  Pro‑government? Anti‑government?  Neutral?

It was a mix. I think people didn’t know what to think. The TV had constant news coverage of what was going on in Tiananmen, but it was all from the government perspective. A lot of people were getting the news from outside of China in the five-star hotels that had fax machines. That’s why people say that it was really due to this technical revolution of fax machines in hotels that the news got in. People were taking paste pots and taking these faxes from the hotels and copying them and then pasting them on walls all over the city. People could read in foreign news coverage what was happening in their own capital. That was pretty phenomenal to watch.

Rock/Jazz Guitarist Dennis Rea
       
Live at the Forbidden City by Dennis ReaOne of the significant revelations of Dennis Rea’s recounting of his travels in China in his book Live at the Forbidden City is that the pro-democracy movement–usually reported as only happening in Beijing, China’s capitol, in June 1989, culminating in the massacre of hundreds of people at Tiananmen Square–actually occurred all over China, particularly of university students. Rea’s description of what happened in Chengdu could easily be a description of what happened in Beijing on June 4, 1989.

He writes:

“On April 15 1989, my students excitedly informed me that one-time senior Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang had succumbed to a heart attack. Once pegged to succeed Deng Xiaoping as China’s supreme leader, the relatively liberal Hu had been cashiered by Deng for his tacit support of pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing and other cities in 1986, earning him martyrdom in the eyes of many students and intellectuals. As the news of Hu’s death spread, spontaneous memorial gatherings materialized in cities throughout China, including Chengdu. This nationwide gesture of respect for the popular Hu was widely viewed as a rebuke to China’s current leadership.”

The classic, literary picture of a college or university student is usually one of many books and little money. Rea’s description of his students in 1989 provide a microcosm of the dramatic economic inequality extant in China at the time, not only among students, but also in the populace generally—a condition that gives rise to the student demonstrations in June 1989:

The benefits of China’s vaunted economic boom certainly did not extend to my students, who led lives of sobering austerity. Three times daily, the young academics would troop down to the campus commissary with their dented tin bowls for meals that made American prison fare seem like the chef’s special at Delmonico’s—grisly meat of indeterminate origin, pale, overcooked vegetables, and a couple of scoops of coarse rice that often concealed shards of tooth-breaking stone. Most of the students wore the same clothes to class every day, quite possibly the only ones they owned. And these were the lucky few that actually gained admission to a university, in a Dennis Reacountry where less than one percent of the population was privileged to move on to higher study. Even if a student did manage to make it through college, he or she still faced the depressing prospect of working for woefully substandard wages in China’s financially strapped educational system while their budding capitalist peers laughed all the way to the bank. Was it any wonder that demoralized Chinese students would rise up and demand fairness and an end to corruption at their first opportunity?

June 4, 1989 was the day of the foreign teachers’ annual field trip to the dragon boat races in the small Yangtze River port city of Leshan. Just minutes before they were to board the bus at 10a.m. an American teacher who had been listening to BBC World Service on her shortwave raced up to Rea’s apartment and blurted out the news of the world-shaking massacre at Tiananmen Square. Following, in part, is the BBC report:

Several hundred civilians have been shot dead by the Chinese army during a bloody military operation to crush a democratic protest in Peking’s (Beijing) Tiananmen Square.

Tanks rumbled through the capital’s streets late on 3 June as the army moved into the square from several directions, randomly firing on unarmed protesters.

The injured were rushed to hospital on bicycle rickshaws by frantic residents shocked by the army’s sudden and extreme response to the peaceful mass protest.

The protests began with a march by students in memory of former party leader Hu Yaobang, who had died a week before.

But as the days passed, millions of people from all walks of life joined in, angered by widespread corruption and calling for democracy.

Tonight’s military offensive came after several failed attempts to persuade the protesters to leave.

Throughout the day the government warned it would do whatever it saw necessary to clamp down on what it described as “social chaos.”

But even though violence was expected, the ferocity of the attack took many by surprise, bringing condemnation from around the world.

At a nearby children’s hospital operating theatres were filled with casualties with gunshot wounds, many of them local residents who were not taking part in the protests.

Meanwhile, reports have emerged of troops searching the main Peking university campus for ringleaders, beating and killing those they suspect of coordinating the protests.

Rea’s description of the situation in the center of Chengdu City could just as easily been the story in Beijing:

. . .the crowd has swelled to at least 100,000 citizens in my estimation. We continued to encounter people with frightful wounds, including one poor old fruit vendor who had had his head split open simply for parking his cart in the wrong place at the wrong time. Everywhere we went protestors greeted us with loud cheers, grateful that a few foreign observers were putting themselves at risk to witness their struggle. The official media’s claims that rioters were attacking foreigners were nonsense, for the demonstrators plainly viewed us as sympathizers. Not surprisingly, we later discovered that photographs taken of us that day by plainclothes officers were posted prominently in police headquarters.”

The contemporary impression is that the Chinese government, more specifically, the Chinese Communist Party is probably more afraid of its people than outside attack.

Please write to me at meiienterprises@aol.com if you have any comments on this or any other of my blogs.

Eugene Marlow, Ph.D.
June 16, 2014

© Eugene Marlow 2014

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