Beijing Jazz Prodigy A Bu Talks Seeking the “Sound From the Future”

He may only be 19 years old, but Beijing pianist A Bu has already attained a lifetime's worth of jazzy milestones. Aside from studying at prestigious institutions like Juilliard and the Central Conservatory in Beijing, he has shared the stage with jazz icon Chick Corea at the tender age of 13. Ahead of his Christmas Eve concert at Blue Note, where he will perform a tribute to the classic Keith Jarrett LP The Melody At Night With You, A Bu tells us more about his prodigious experiences. Read on, and try not to envy this impressive youngster.

What was it like to play with Chick Corea?
To play with Chick Corea was dreamlike. At the time, I was 13 years old and had just finished recording my first album 88 Tones of Black and White. I did not meet Chick until the night of his performance in the Shanghai Mall Theatre, as part of the opening ceremony for the JZ Festival. Luckily, I was invited by the organizer to have a short dinner with Chick and a few others before the concert. I was surprised that Chick himself already knew I was a jazz pianist. During the dinner, we did not talk much, because I was too shy and a little afraid to speak up. However, we did have a calm and peaceful dinner. Chick asked my name once again when he was about to head back and prepare for his concert.

And what do you remember about the performance itself?
Chick played the first half of his concert beautifully. I can still recall that he opened the concert with his “Armando’s Rhumba.” During the second half, he tried interacting with the audience more. He pulled a chair up on stage next to the piano and asked a few audience members to come up one at a time. He would then play something that describes or somehow connects with the person. It was like a musical portrait. After that, he walked up to the microphone again and expressed how lonely he was playing the piano on the big stage all by himself. Suddenly he started talking about meeting me before the concert. And then he said, to the entire audience, that he would like to invite me on stage to join him.

That must've been so surreal!
Yes! As I walked up to the stage, I was in my dreamland, though I was still not sure what to play with Chick. However, he quickly came up with an idea: “Let’s do something in the key of a minor," he said. A few seconds later, he began to play some simple licks on the piano, then I would respond to him carefully. We kept doing that for about a minute before going into a steady rhythm. Meanwhile, the audience was also highly engaged – they were clapping and cheering for our four-hand improvisation. It was certainly a memorable moment which I will never forget. 

Later, I composed a tune named “Meet Mr. Chick Corea,” based on our improvisation together.

What other heroes have you had a chance to perform with or meet?
One of my favorite pianists, who has strongly impacted me in terms of approaching jazz, is Michel Camilo. I discovered Michel through his trio album Thru My Eyes when I was about 12 years old. It was the most exciting, thrilling and passionate piano playing I have ever heard. I got the chance to finally meet Michel in November 2013. I was introduced to him by the outstanding American jazz saxophonist, and my good friend, Antonio Hart, who was sitting in and playing with Michel’s big band concerts at Tokyo Blue Note.

Michel is such an enthusiastic artist, and a true gentleman, who makes the people around him feel warm with his passionate and loving heart.

Tell us about your musical background and how you managed to become successful enough to meet and play with so many legendary jazz musicians.
I was born into a family that did not have any direct connection with music – yet of course, my parents both enjoyed listening to music, especially my father. He bought my first upright piano when I was 4, and I began taking piano lessons regularly. In 2009 I was admitted to the Central Conservatory in Beijing, where I studied throughout primary and middle school. At the same time, I started my “jazz journey”, studying harmony and improvisation with the Chinese jazz pianist Hongwei Kong (nicknamed Golden Buddha).

Before going to New York in 2014, I played in many venues and festivals in China with my jazz trio. At other times, I would go to local Beijing venues CD Blues Café, East Shore Jazz Café and Jianghu Bar for jam sessions, and to play with other musicians. I was blessed to have my teachers in Beijing and to have different people around me who supported me as I established myself as an individual artist.

What’s next for you? What are your goals or short terms plans as an artist?
My audience, especially in China, regards me as a jazz artist. Of course, there is no doubt that jazz is a huge part of my musical life. However, for more than 15 years I have never stopped studying classical music. From Bach, Mozart, Beethoven to Chopin, Shostakovich and Bernstein – these are the people who kept music alive for hundreds of years, and it is disgraceful to not acknowledge their importance, just like if a jazz saxophonist rejected studying Charlie Parker or John Coltrane. We must learn the history, feel the present, and look to the future.

Currently, I am enrolled at the Juilliard School in New York. There are lots of things going on, but I am hoping to give myself more time to keep playing, composing music and seeking for the “sound from the future.”

A Bu will perform at Blue Note on Dec 24. For more information, click here.

Photos: Courtesy of Blue Note, A Bu