Blue Note Records China Releases Now's The Time, an Anthology of Contemporary Chinese Jazz Co-Produced by Don Was

Blue Note Records China has released Now's The Time: An Anthology of Contemporary Chinese Jazz, Vol. 1, a six-track compilation produced by Blue Note Records president Don Was, Chinese producer Zhang Yadong and Ren Yuqing, the founder of JZ Music. Blue Note announced the release on Oct. 23.

According to the label, the album opens with "Arc Light" by Red Hand Band, composed by the group's pianist and core member, Xia Jia. Blue Note says the band made its debut at Beijing's D22 Club in 2006 and marked its 20th anniversary with a national tour in China in 2025. The label quotes critic Nate Chinen describing Xia's improvisations as "soulful, harmonically forward and marked by painterly restraint."

The other five tracks are guitarist Zhang Xiongguan's ballad "One Is Too Many"; trumpeter Li Xiaochuan's "Harvest," which the label says was inspired by the folk arts of Shanghai's Jinshan district; "Haven of the Wandering Desert" by guitarist Zhihan Xu, drummer Zhitong Xu and experimental electronic artist Gooooose; "Song For My Family," a bass-and-piano duet by bassist Chenhuai Wang and Italian pianist Moreno Donadel; and multi-instrumentalist Eugene Sun's "Where It All Began."

Blue Note says Was traveled from the United States to Shanghai and Beijing for the project, met each featured artist and was involved in all of the recording sessions. In the release, he said: "The incredible depth of talent and musical sophistication that characterizes China's current jazz scene will blow people's minds! We are looking forward to spreading that musical message across the globe."

Ren said the pieces "represent one possible future for jazz—a new direction for the music," adding: "We hope the world will hear the sound of Chinese jazz and feel the creative force behind it." Zhang called the sessions "a remarkable encounter and a truly inspiring collision of ideas."

Universal Music Greater China launched Blue Note Records China in May 2025 to work with local jazz artists and bring their music to international audiences. Timothy Xu, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Greater China, described the anthology as "an important milestone" for that plan and "an exciting first chapter for Blue Note Records China."

The title borrows the name of Charlie Parker's jazz standard "Now's the Time." Blue Note says it also signals that "now is the time for Chinese jazz to be heard." The "Vol. 1" in the title suggests further editions, though the label's announcement does not give plans or dates for a second volume.