Erica Lee with Friction Five...

Special guest vocalist Erica Lee will sing with Friction Five on Thur Oct 16, 10:30pm (first set only). Don't miss this special event!

JZ Festival is here!!! Friday - Sunday,
Sept 19 - 21, at Jing An Park. Don't miss it!

Alec is performing in Bai Tian Sextet, David Friesen Quartet, and Laura Fygi with Rolf Becker and the JZ All-Star Big Band, and also the After-Party on Saturday night at JZ Club. Get ticket and schedule information at www.jzfestival.com

Oriental Art Center show postponed...

Originally scheduled for Sunday, October 12, the performance at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center has been postponed until Sunday, January 11, 2009, due to a problem with the venue. Those who bought tickets already will be able to exchange them for January's performance. This will be a special event, and well worth waiting for. The show is called "Life, Death, and Everything Else", and will explore the musical and spiritual themes of Messiaen, Schoenberg, and Bach, transforming them into improvisational music.

"More Than Jazz" Video Posted

Here are some clips of Alec Haavik Friction Five performing on Shanghai TV. This installment of the show "More Than Jazz" profiled Alec and his music, and aired on ICS (International Channel Shanghai) on Feb. 17, 2008. Dig the checkerboard suit! See the Video page for more stuff to watch.

Latest Press

There has been lots of press recently covering our new CD "Ye Shanghai" -- check out this article from the August issue of That's Shanghai magazine, a beautiful nice long interview for SmartShanghai.com, and an announcement of the CD in City Weekend. For more press, please see the Media page.

CD Launch Party

Thanks to everyone who came out last Thursday July 24 to celebrate the new Friction Five CD, "Ye Shanghai"! It was an absolutely packed house at JZ Club, and great fun. If you were there you'll recognize the "thermometer" pictured at left, which was updated in real time to show CD sales. If you weren't there, fear not, you get your copy of "Ye Shanghai" from JZ Club, or Graceland store on Wulumuqi Rd., or Music Pavilion on Taikang Rd. in Shanghai.