Fusing the ancient traditions of Chinese classical and folk music with Western pop, classical and jazz on their 2007 all instrumental CD, Shanghai, the 12 Girls Band uphold their reputation for blending an entertaining blend of Chinese traditional folk music with fresh interpretations of modern western pop hits—including instrumental covers of Sting, Celine Dion—all played on ancient Chinese stringed instruments like pipa, erhu and guzheng. On Shanghai, the girls also feature a ‘backing band’ of western rock-based instruments including electric guitars, bass and drums. Amid this glorious sounding traditional Asian music, there’s even a tasty cover of the Dave Brubeck jazz classic “Take 5.” A tangy Chinese main course indeed. A great companion piece a Live From Shanghai DVD on Manhattan features the 12 Girls Band live in concert. www.12girlsbandusa.com

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