Cotton Club
Shanghai’s Best Live Blues and Jazz
Back to Cotton Club
Reviewed by: Alex from Shanghai, Shanghai, CHN on Aug 24, 2007
The Cotton Club is widely cited as the premier jazz centre in Shanghai. A recent visit to the Club would question that acclaim. The club is well appointed and the service good. Drinks are massively overpriced and there is only an extremely limited range of food/snacks on offer. The music, can best be described as of high-school standard. The group is led by a self indulgent, seriously over miked guitarist and the horns are pedestrian. The drummer is the most proficient member of the group. The music falls roughly within the jazz genre, but is raw and lacks the subtlety and smoothness that characterizes good jazz. Jazz is noted for its high piercing horn solos and mellow, subtle moods. In good jazz the solos blend smoothly with the surrounding music, but at the Cotton Club screeching unsophisticated volume was relied on, with little or no regard to context in the total piece. Piece endings were mundane and managed to detract further from the pieces as a whole. If this is the best that this major city has to offer, then either jazz in China has a long way to go to reach any kind of international standard, or the performance experienced was a seriously off night. Ratings: premises ****, service *****, food and drinks **, music **
Would you recommend this to a friend?
No
Why? / Why Not?
the standard of the music was poor; the drinks prices are excessive and the food/snacks are not up to standard
Visited the place yesterday, after half-a-year absence in Shanghai.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Aug 10 2009
Cotton Club used to be very good, but when we went there again recently, everything changed. Most of the band members are gone, the black woman singer is drunk and OD, and there's a customer, white guy, who bend down to had a close look at my bag left on my seat when I went away to use the bathroom, so my husband had to tell him to piss off, won't go there again.
Reviewed by: kjljkl from on Feb 08 2009
It's true Cotton Club is the primary jazz and blues club in Shanghai and it is probably the most relaxed one that has the best selection of drinks at a great price. It's also in the most convienient location, being near both club JZ and Mao Ming Rd. Great pictures over in a great bar, great finger-food and great music too! You might very well find me there ....again soon! One other primary factor ...free or nearly free admission!
Reviewed by: misterdrummerman from on Feb 25 2007
As a frequent visitor to jazz/blues clubs and self professed jazz/blues critic, the environment at the Cotton Club rivals world wide settings. The service is friendly, the prices competetivley moderate and the mood relaxing. Along with the servings of world known beverages, you can order side dishes as well. Partons are a good mix of locals along with expatriates. Make reservations on Friday and Saturday night otherwise go very early or be prepared for standing room only. The obvious draw is the house band that plays jazz as well as blues that is as good as you will find anywhere. The band starts a little late, 9:45 catering to a "late evening" crowd however the wait is well worth it. The quality of muscians would draw raves from the highest level of professional counterparts. The jazz and blues selections are as good as it gets. Well worth the taxi ride from anywhere in Shanghai for a memorable evening in a world class club.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Jan 18 2005
Shanghai’s Best Live Blues and Jazz
Back to Cotton Club
Reviewed by: Alex from Shanghai, Shanghai, CHN on Aug 24, 2007
The Cotton Club is widely cited as the premier jazz centre in Shanghai. A recent visit to the Club would question that acclaim. The club is well appointed and the service good. Drinks are massively overpriced and there is only an extremely limited range of food/snacks on offer. The music, can best be described as of high-school standard. The group is led by a self indulgent, seriously over miked guitarist and the horns are pedestrian. The drummer is the most proficient member of the group. The music falls roughly within the jazz genre, but is raw and lacks the subtlety and smoothness that characterizes good jazz. Jazz is noted for its high piercing horn solos and mellow, subtle moods. In good jazz the solos blend smoothly with the surrounding music, but at the Cotton Club screeching unsophisticated volume was relied on, with little or no regard to context in the total piece. Piece endings were mundane and managed to detract further from the pieces as a whole. If this is the best that this major city has to offer, then either jazz in China has a long way to go to reach any kind of international standard, or the performance experienced was a seriously off night. Ratings: premises ****, service *****, food and drinks **, music **
Would you recommend this to a friend?
No
Why? / Why Not?
the standard of the music was poor; the drinks prices are excessive and the food/snacks are not up to standard
Visited the place yesterday, after half-a-year absence in Shanghai.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Aug 10 2009
Cotton Club used to be very good, but when we went there again recently, everything changed. Most of the band members are gone, the black woman singer is drunk and OD, and there's a customer, white guy, who bend down to had a close look at my bag left on my seat when I went away to use the bathroom, so my husband had to tell him to piss off, won't go there again.
Reviewed by: kjljkl from on Feb 08 2009
It's true Cotton Club is the primary jazz and blues club in Shanghai and it is probably the most relaxed one that has the best selection of drinks at a great price. It's also in the most convienient location, being near both club JZ and Mao Ming Rd. Great pictures over in a great bar, great finger-food and great music too! You might very well find me there ....again soon! One other primary factor ...free or nearly free admission!
Reviewed by: misterdrummerman from on Feb 25 2007
As a frequent visitor to jazz/blues clubs and self professed jazz/blues critic, the environment at the Cotton Club rivals world wide settings. The service is friendly, the prices competetivley moderate and the mood relaxing. Along with the servings of world known beverages, you can order side dishes as well. Partons are a good mix of locals along with expatriates. Make reservations on Friday and Saturday night otherwise go very early or be prepared for standing room only. The obvious draw is the house band that plays jazz as well as blues that is as good as you will find anywhere. The band starts a little late, 9:45 catering to a "late evening" crowd however the wait is well worth it. The quality of muscians would draw raves from the highest level of professional counterparts. The jazz and blues selections are as good as it gets. Well worth the taxi ride from anywhere in Shanghai for a memorable evening in a world class club.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Jan 18 2005
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