The last two weeks have been a series of surprising events and chance encounters. We'd planned to spend a few days in Beijing – the usual sights coupled with some music-related excursions and here we are, two weeks on, seriously considering a return trip next year. This is Georgia writing - Tom insists that I recount the past two weeks of Jazz and Salsa clubs, auditions, Philippino cover bands and a gig at a Hermes fashion event.

Not long after we got here – the night after the duck to be precise – we found ourselves in a bar (frequented by travellers) in a beautiful courtyard lit with red lanterns. A Brazilian Jazz guitarist called Lucio was playing his guitar and entertaining the crowd with his stories and improvisations. After a couple of songs, a French guitarist joined him and after a few more – I fetched my fiddle. The night ended with a raucous rendition of 'Champs Elysees'.

Lucio and I played as a duo every night for the following two weeks. We were sometimes joined by musicians passing through, particularly guitarists, percussionists and one exceptional American saxophonist from Holland. I began to learn Bossas, Rumbas and Boleros, but more importantly had two weeks practice in improvisation. As compensation we were given the occasional glass of 'Great Wall' Chinese red wine (think Asda 'Smart Price').

One morning, over breakfast in the courtyard, Lucio revealed to me the wealth of opportunities for musicians in Asia. He had arrived in Beijing after finishing a three-month contract playing in a hotel in southern China. The top hotels in Asia all feature at least two house bands with afternoon and evening performances. Jazz clubs are also on the rise, catering for Chinese high society and ex-pats. These opportunities are increasing rapidly in Beijing as the city prepares for the 2008 Olympics: new hotels are being built everywhere and the already vibrant nightlife is gearing up to welcome an extra 10 million people.

Lucio had arrived in Beijing to look for work and kindly offered to let me join him on a few of his escapades. This sounded like a great opportunity to hear music, meet musicians and maybe play some gigs for a couple of weeks. Tom was thrilled to be able to spend some time working his way through every food stall on the street.

We responded to an advert in the 'That's Beijing' magazine – Palma, a live music lounge in a 'lifestyle complex' (looked a bit like a posh shopping centre) seeking live musicians. We phoned and turned up one night with our instruments expecting to play a few tunes with what the Chinese Manager had described as a Jazz band. In fact, they were a Ugandan Reggae band. The guy on the keyboard looked thoroughly bored after spending two hours a night playing root position off-beat chords. I joined in for a couple of tunes but I'm not sure how well the violin is suited to this type of music... The manager promised that there would be some 'proper' Jazz musicians there the following night for us to jam with so we went along (after our set in the bar) and were entertained by a Phillipino pop band, accompanied by a synthesiser, playing classics such as Cher's greatest hits and the Grease soundtrack. It was becoming increasingly clear that the manager didn't really know what Jazz was. Undeterred, Lucio hailed a taxi and we went straight to a Salsa club. I spent the night hanging out with the 15-piece band, putting out feelers for any jobs going and studiously avoiding taking my two left feet out on to the dance floor.

In the daytime I was busily downloading Jazz sheet music onto our laptop and paying regular visits to the lovely man in the violin shop – he invited me there to practise and I got a new bow. My last attempt at finding some musicians to play with was a trip to one of the top Jazz clubs in Beijing, set up by a guy who played with the American trumpeter, Wynton Marsalis. The place was packed and the band were good, if slightly confused – the clarinettist was playing traditional New Orleans jazz while the pianist was running up and down the keyboard playing Blues riffs; the drummer though was excellent and managed to keep it all tied together. I joined them for a few songs: it's a really liberating feeling getting up on stage knowing that if it all falls apart, I can get on the next train.

The manager from the Palma eventually phoned and invited us to an open audition - well, it was more of an opportunity for Lucio to choose a band. I arrived immediately intimidated to hear some high-class Jazz musicians but after an afternoon of playing in different styles, from Cuban Son to Be-bop, I felt more at ease. During a break, I was approached by Carlos, a Spanish Guitarist, originally classically trained, who had been asked by a Shanghai-based music agency to get a band of western musicians together to perform at a Hermes fashion event in the top hotel in Beijing, the Peninsula. I eagerly accepted, particularly as this was a one-off gig – leaving us free to move on a week later.

The agency dictated what we would play, for how long, what we would wear and even insisted that, if asked, we should say we are French. Prior to the meeting I had to send a photo to prove that I was European: every manager would prefer a western face fronting their outfit, regardless of quality. It's no secret either that western musicians get paid more than their – frequently more talented – Chinese colleagues.

After rehearsing a mixture of Brazilian bossas and rumbas, Spanish boleros and Jazz standards we felt ready for the friday performance - Carlos even joined us for a night in the bar. All I had to do was buy an evening dress (what a chore) and some shoes – my walking boots and flip-flops didn't suffice. Off we went to the Silk Market – too much choice and far too much haggling. Throughout this by now familiar game of numbers, both parties are laughing, from the vendor's initial quote to our response, even ten minutes later as we walk off slowly listening to the decreasing numbers being shouted down the street. Eventually a mutually agreeable price is found and both sides part contented, if a little tired.

On Wednesday evening we got a call from the agency – in a last minute panic they had changed their mind about the set and wanted some French songs for their French designer; she even went as far as to say that we couldn't sing songs in any other language meaning that our set of Spanish and Brazilian songs would have to be instrumentals. I spent a frantic phone call singing all the French songs I knew down the phone to Carlos and we both went online to hunt out chords and songs.

We got to the hotel and walked up the grand staircase, being transported from the traditional hutongs to a replica Parisian café. We were led into a conference suite full of Chinese models, fashion designers and make-up artists to meet the head agent. The plans had changed yet again. We weren't to play until six-thirty and our third and last set would be at ten in the dining room during coffee.

The long trestle table was laid immaculately for one hundred circled by fabrics displaying Hermes images and atmospheric lightning. Backstage was a mess of empty champagne bottles, a DJ in sunglasses, stage lights and trendies running around with walkie-talkies. Other than our few short sets we spent the evening in the suite observing the backstage goings-on of this strangely placeless event: we could have been in any hotel, in any city.

Back in the hutongs, we're planning the next stage of the trip: a train to Pingyao, an old walled city north of Xian. For our last weekend in Beijing we want to hear some more traditional Chinese music so we're off to one of the parks – always filled with musicians – and a traditional teahouse with nightly folk music performances. I'll also have to say a fond farewell to the man in the violin shop.

Music Files

Here are some extended highlights of Georgia, Lucio, Carlos and an American saxophonist called Mo getting together in the bar. While this was a jam and not a pre-rehearsed concert, we still managed to record some lovely moments. Enjoy!

• Besame Mucho
• Georgia
• Impression
• My Way
• Chinese Food

Links

Carlos, the Spanish singer and guitarist, has been working in Asia for the last few years. You can hear more of his music at his website, http://www.artsmusic.org.