Most venues in this city don’t make it past their first birthday, let alone into their second decade. But the House of Blues and Jazz has proven itself to be one of the few exceptions to the rule as it turns 15 this November.

Since 1995, it’s been a second living room for those who are hungry for quality live music and a home for blues and jazz musicians from all over the world. It was the first blues and jazz bar in “new” Shanghai, opening initially on Sinan Lu, in a space that’s now a furniture shop, before moving to the Cypress Hotel in Hongqiao, then to Maoming Lu during the street’s glory days before upscaling to its Bund-side digs in 2008.

This month, anniversary celebrations see a host of artists returning to the venue. First up are the Cangelosi Cards, a small, soulful unit that combines the best aspects of old-time swing, hot jazz and acoustic roots and blues. Hailing from New York, the quintet features the inimitable singing talent of Tamar Korn, who takes her cues from old New Orleans jazz.

After that, there’s a week of shows by Shanghai stalwart Carlton J. Smith, who played his first Shanghai gig at the House of Blues and Jazz back in 2005. There follow shows by blues outfit the Sam Hooper Group and high-octane soul vocalist Greg Luttrell, all of them backed up by the HOBJ’s house band, Mike Null & The Soulcasters.

Music at the House of Blues and Jazz feels up-close and personal, which is exactly what jazz and blues needs to be. The management has always supported those who come to Shanghai and try to make a living out of their music, and it’s cited again and again as a favorite place to perform by the city’s jazz professionals.

DETAILS

What: The House of Blues and Jazz Birthday Celebrations

When: The Cangelosi Cards play Mon. Nov. 1 | 9:30PM
Carlton J. Smith plays Nov. 2-7 | 9:30PM
Sam Hooper plays Nov. 9-14 | 9:30PM
Greg Luttrell plays Nov. 16-21 | 9:30PM

Where: 60 Fuzhou Lu

Tel: 6323-2779

How much: RMB50 on weekends