ABSTRACT
This chapter reveals the story of jazz in Beijing from 1976 to the late 2010s. It examines the political, social, and cultural conditions that led to the emergence of Beijing’s jazz scene and points at the way this metropolis turned to act as a modern jazz center. This chapter explores the role certain individuals and establishments in Beijing – music institutes, clubs, and festivals – have played in generating and expanding its jazz scene. It further questions the connection between the status of Beijing as China’s political hub and the functioning of its popular music and jazz industries. The raised topics and analysis in this chapter are presented mainly through the perspectives of musicians who have been involved in the establishment and development of this jazz scene. Finally, the case of Beijing jazz reveals that despite the progress and centrality of this scene, it is still a marginal phenomenon that exists off-center of China’s musical landscape.
