????Cao Zhen ????caozhen0806@126.com ????FEW things are better than listening to live music on a late summer evening, enjoying drinks and hanging out with friends. The Third OCT-LOFT Jazz Festival, from Sunday to Oct. 4, offers the perfect opportunity to seize some late summer cool. ????The event features 17 nights of jazz by regional and international bands, as well as a few casual lectures. Set inside what was formerly industrial warehouse space in OCT-LOFT in Nanshan District, the festival includes more than 100 jazz musicians from Indonesia, the United States, Belgium, Germany, France and Italy, to name a few locations. Organizers said they hope to create a magical atmosphere that blends an old-style feel with contemporary art and jazz for audience members. ????This year’s festival continues its tradition of bringing unparalleled jazz musicians to the event, with a lineup that includes Stephan Micus from Germany, Savina Yannatou from Greece, Emil Viklicky from the Czech Republic and Wouter Hamel from the Netherlands. ????Micus’ musical style is heavily influenced by his study of traditional instruments and musical techniques from around the world. He plays all of the instruments on his recordings, combining styles from different countries and using instruments in unprecedented ways in each of his pieces. He often uses layers of a single instrument to create unusual combinations of sounds. ????Yannatou is a renowned Greek singer. Her repertoire consists mainly of Greek music with extensive vocal techniques that include throat-singing, glossolalia and ululations. ????For people interested in domestic performers, shows by Xu Fengxia with Shangyin Trio and pianist Luo Ning should not be missed. Xu has mastered four traditional Chinese instruments and began living in Germany in the ’90s. She founded the Shangyin Trio with Hayden Chisholm from New Zealand and Michael Kiedaisch from Germany. They focus on creating a new ensemble sound that combines a Chinese flavor with global styles. ????Luo is famous for his consummate skill, ebullience and enthusiasm. Since 1998, he has frequently played on domestic and international stages, performing jazz, classical, pop and folk music. | 