At House of Blues and Jazz, trumpeter Thaddeus Ford II has put together an exciting quintet for his four-month stay at the Maoming Road S. mainstay that is very much an exercise in some very freeform jazz.

Over on the other side of the Huangpu River at the Pudong Shangri-La, the luxury hotel is staying true to its commitment to making The Bar establishment into a jazz venue with an appearance by noted American pianist/singer Scotty Wright.

New Orleans' native Thaddeus, who very much lives up to his "Fabulous" nickname, is appearing in Asia for the first time. To mark the occasion, he has assembled a group of jazzers he has performed with over the years.

The group, featuring multi-instrumentalist Quinn Lawrence on piano, award-winning drummer Jamil Byrom aka the "Cat in the Hat," bassist Michael Brownell and vocalist Evelyn Champagne, started rehearsing shortly before arriving in Shanghai three weeks ago.

Ford, who comes from a musical family with a history dating back to the early days of the New Orleans' jazz scene, said the musical style is never the same each time it is played due to the improvisation. During a performance, any member can call for a new direction at any time and the other musicians will respond accordingly.

"We are free, but with limits, within a framework, like democracy," Ford said. "During rehearsals, we establish that framework. Experiences, musical tastes, trainings and practices assure that we don't go outside of the frame."

Ford said jazz had always been part of his upbringing as one family member, Narcisse Gabriel, was actively involved in the creation of the music genre way back in 1875.

"If you are a jazz musician in New Orleans, you are king," said Ford, who follows in the footsteps of such legendary trumpeters as Louis Armstrong and Al Hirt.

Ford really is a king on the stage, taking control of both his trumpet and the audiences' ears. He uses various tricks in his playing technique to get different sounds, even using the base of a toilet plunger to create a muted effect.

"Playing trumpet is a lot of fun and it fits jazz perfectly since this is fun music. The trumpet is loud and energetic, which is why people use it in war to motivate soldiers."

Ford called the trumpet one of the most important instruments in jazz, as well as one of the oldest instruments in the world. Yet many jazz bands today don't have a trumpeter due to a lack of good musicians.

"It is one of the hardest instruments, much harder than saxophone or piano. This has stopped a lot of people at the very beginning."

Even though Ford's father was a trumpet player with the US Marine Corp Band, it was not until Ford the younger met trumpet virtuoso Wynton Marsalis at age 14 that he started to take the instrument seriously.

He then entered the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts where future legends such as the Marsalis brothers, Harry Connick Jr and Terence Blanchard studied.

Since then, Ford has studied under various masters and gradually developed his musical tastes and skills. But the most important thing in jazz, for Ford, is the soul.

"I play with my soul, trying to communicate my emotions and stories through the trumpet. That's why we admire and respect the old in the jazz world. They have plenty of stories to tell through the music."

Following on the success of Emma Franz and The Band, South Carolina native Scotty Wright moves into the spotlight at Pudong Shangri-La for a two-month residency.

The singer/piano man has a long association with Asia having lived in Taiwan as a child and having performed all over the region dating back to the mid 1990s.

During his diverse career he has opened for legendary comedian Richard Pryor, performed in a film with "Shaft" man Richard Roundtree and sat in with such jazz legends as Dave Brubeck, Art Pepper, Eugene Wright and Jack Sheldon.

He last appeared in Shanghai in 2002 with residencies at the House of Blues and Jazz and CJW.

House of Blues and Jazz
Address: 158 Maoming Rd S.
Tel: 6437-5270

The Bar, Pudong Shangri-La
Address: 1/F, 33 Fucheng Road, Pudong
Tel: 6882-8888