Blue Note jazz clubs planned for China and Hawaii

The world famous New York club is set to open further venues in Beijing and Honolulu.

Steven Bensusan, president of Blue Note Entertainment Group is behind the move; he wants to capitalise on the growing market for western music around the Pacific Rim. Speaking to The New York Times, he says, “We’ll be on the forefront of helping to build that market. It’s something that we’re in a unique position to do”. 

Blue Note clubs are confusingly not related to the international record label of the same name. Their empire already includes one venue in Italy and two in Japan. The latest clubs will be open around March 2016, with two more potentially opening by 2018. The Chinese jazz scene is developing slowly, and Bensusan is hoping to be ahead of the game, with his sights also set on Taiwan and South Korea. He plans to eventually book whole Asian tours for world-class jazz musicians, while also dedicating at least one night a week to support local talent. Meanwhile, US state Hawaii has been pinpointed as one of the top destinations for Asian tourists.