Shanghai jazz institution JZ Club have announced that they're to leave their Fuxing Xi Lu location. The people behind JZ are attempting to put a positive spin on the news by stating that they are 'in the process of upgrading to a newer and larger venue to be unveiled later this year', but the number of teary emojis all over our WeChat Moments right now suggests that it'll be a wrench for them to leave the location they've called home for over a decade when the venue shutters on May 15.
Having begun life in 2003 on Huaihai Zhong Lu, JZ Club has been at the centre of jazz in the city almost ever since, nurturing Shanghai's jazz scene through its Fuxing Lu live venue, the nearby school and its annual festivals. Their guanxi is not inconsiderable - as their takeover of Jingan district with JZ Spring at the end of this month shows - but they've nevertheless been unable to hang on to such a prime spot.
A statement from JZ mentions plans for a series of celebrations of the jazz institution, which by that point will have hosted over 8,000 performances. 'With great appreciation to the United Front Work Department of Shanghai Municipal Party Committee, JZ Club seeks to move forward with Shanghai's jazz renaissance,' reads the statement. 'To commemorate JZ Club's storied history, they would like to invite all fans to join their "Farewell to West Fuxing" festivities beginning this week.'