Shanghai's pulse comes alive in concert led by American jazz icon

American jazz trumpet master Wynton Marsalis recently performed two concerts in Beijing with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, a renowned big band ensemble. One of the concerts featured an innovative piece titled Shanghai Suite.

Since his debut in the 1980s, Wynton Marsalis has been a jazz legend for over three decades, earning nine Grammy Awards and becoming widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in American music.

This suite, composed by Marsalis after his previous performance in Shanghai, reflects his unique perspective on the city. Divided into nine movements, it captures different aspects of Shanghai—from the bustling energy of the Bund to the essence of traditional Chinese culture and the city's modern, cosmopolitan spirit.

"He not only portrays the soul and vibrancy of this Chinese metropolis but also weaves its multicultural heritage into the improvisational and diverse nature of jazz, creating a distinctive fusion of Eastern and Western cultures," commented Zou Shuang, artistic director of the Beijing Music Festival, which announced that the American jazz icon's two concerts were a key highlight of the event.

The other concert led by Wynton Marsalis, along with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, focused on classic works from the 1920s and 1930s, opening with Summertime. Coincidentally, Summertime is also the theme for the closing concert of this year's music festival, which will feature a new semi-staged production of George Gershwin's iconic opera Porgy and Bess.

Founded in 1988, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is a prestigious big band ensemble and one of the world's leading jazz ensembles. They have toured globally, earning acclaim for their technical mastery and captivating performance style.