The Macau Jazz Club, an informal group of musicians and fans rather than a venue, was established in 1979. Over the years it has organised gigs at a variety of spaces by local and overseas artists - the latter generally at conventional concert hours, the former more often in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday mornings in inaccessible locations.
After a quiet patch without a regular venue for its events, the club is active again, holding shows mostly in the Casa Garden auditorium. "The Jazz Club restarted activities in early 2012 and has been building up a regular schedule of jazz gigs," its vice-president, José Duarte, says. "Last year we organised 10 shows, featuring local musicians and also bands from Taiwan, the Chinese mainland, Europe, and even one from Hong Kong."
And now, "we are about to relaunch the jazz festival after a decade-long absence", he says.
The club began organising festivals in 1985, although hopes of making it an annual event were frustrated over the years. However, Duarte thinks that this time, it can be achieved.
Macau Jazz Fest, the 14th Festival Internacional de Jazz de Macau, takes place on Friday and Saturday at the Sands Theatre, featuring a well-balanced bill of artists.
The Chinese and Portuguese elements of Macau's cultural heritage are both represented, one on each night.