JZ Club Shanghai Weekly Lineup: April 27–May 3, 2026

Join us for the Jazz Cat Party on Monday night!

Since the first half of the 20th century, jazz musicians have had a mysterious nickname: “Jazz Cool Cat.” Their melodies move with the free, nimble spirit of a cat out at night—sometimes showing off their individuality, sometimes gathering in the heart of the city to find the most elegant landing place through improvisation.

Every Monday night at JZ Club is a time for the “jazz cats” to play together. If you’re a cat too, join this party of musicians!

The Etienne JEANNE Quartet is a modern gypsy-jazz group led by French guitarist Etienne Jeanne, who has lived in China since 2007. This special quartet offers a distinctive musical experience, blending original compositions with classic jazz standards in a bold fusion between Django Reinhardt’s legendary gypsy swing and Charlie Parker’s signature bebop. With dazzling technique and a keen improvisational instinct, the Etienne JEANNE Quartet promises a heart-pounding jazz performance.

Trumpeter Jeremy Sinclair, from Dallas, Texas, graduated from the world-renowned Berklee College of Music. His explosive, creative, and technically accomplished playing has taken him on tours throughout the United States and around the world, including Japan, France, and China. Jeremy has performed at some of Boston and New York’s best-known jazz venues, including Blue Note, Jazz Standard, Smalls, Wally’s Jazz, Sculler Jazz, Regattabar, Iridium, and the Apollo Theater. He has also appeared at the internationally renowned Montreal Jazz Festival and Nancy Jazz Pulsations, as well as all the major venues in the Dallas area. His collaborators include Steve Winwood, Phillip Bailey, Rosa Passos, Howard Shore, McCoy Tyner, and Terri Lyne Carrington.

Huang Jianyi is a jazz pianist, composer, educator, and principal of JZ School. He earned an undergraduate piano degree from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and master’s degrees in jazz piano from Berklee College of Music and Rutgers University in the United States. He is a founding member and keyboardist of the top fusion-jazz band J3 Trio and the electronic-jazz group +++++. In 2015, J3 Trio and its new album The Red One won Best Band and Best Fusion Recording at the inaugural Chinese Jazz Awards. The group received the LivePower Award for Jazz Live Band of the Year in 2017, and Crystal Purple was nominated for Best Jazz Recording by the China Recording Arts Society in 2018.

In 2016, Huang composed the kunqu opera The Washing Silk, starring renowned kunqu performer Shen Yili; it premiered successfully in September at the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall. In 2023, his solo piano album April: Part One won Best Instrumental Album at the Tencent Wave Music Awards. His recording credits include Shanghai Jazz; the Zhao Kexing Band’s Dreamscape; Shanghai Blue by German jazz harmonica player Jens Bunge; J3’s The Red One and Crystal Purple; and his original solo piano album April: Part One.

North American musician and composer Byron Hill was born into a musical family and began playing piano at age five. His father, Willie Hill, was a freelance musician and educator who performed with leading artists of the day, including Sammy Davis Jr., George Burns, The Temptations, Liza Minnelli, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dizzy Gillespie. Growing up among these exceptional musicians set Byron on his own professional path. At 13, he began playing local bars and clubs, honing his skills in jazz, funk, and R&B. After high school, he attended Howard University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in jazz studies and piano. After graduating, he remixed Dru Hill’s Grammy-nominated hit “In My Bed” and worked with artists including 702, Kvrasi Brone, Master P, and Ronnie Henson. In 2009, Byron came to Shanghai with funk master DNote and began performing there as a resident musician.

Celebrate the great artists of soul and funk! Led by Selin MilesSupafly, this show takes you on a journey through the spirit of stars including James Brown, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder. Selin and the band do more than imitate their heroes: they capture the sound of that era’s soul music through original work of their own. With the crowd cheering, shouting, and dancing, step back into the Apollo Theater’s golden age!