"Autumn Winds in Summer"

Just found another old letter, this one from 2004, and it 

astonishes me just how different life in China is now compared 

with what it was even six years ago. 

And I also find it hilarious that I didn't yet realise

that "Talk wid manager" actually meant "I don't speak 

English so have no idea what you're saying." 

Oh wow, I think this is actually a historic document:

Went to see a Shanghai Jazz band last week. They have a name like 

"Autumn Winds in Summer" or something but since these guys are the 

first of the new Shanghai bands to be allowed to perform outside China, 

everyone calls them That Shanghai Jazz Band. 

It was really fun!  Terribly camp. Very West meets East and clever. 

Best bit of the night, however, was all the US record company execs

there afterwards trying to get them to sign up ... being charming to 

the musicians but sinister to each other and all trying to cut each other 

out of the loop and these Autumn guys were being so cool about it, 

going "Talk wid manager!" and being cutely dismissive of the whole lot 

of them. Loved it! 

We also met two old ladies who sang with the original Shanghai Jazz 

bands back in the 30s and wrote a number of songs this new Jazz 

band was doing.  Gorgeous ladies, very chic and elegant and I just loved 

the bling on their cheong sams.

Quite slow, this, but there are heaps of shots of Shanghai

back in the 30s and I think a couple of these 1930s 

beauties could just be our sweet ladies from this lovely

night.