|
contents | jazz | |||||||||||||
| Oct. 6 - Vibraphonist Chien Chien Lu's new live album – Giant Step Arts' Modern Masters and New Horizons series Giant Step Arts continues its Modern Masters and New Horizons series with the second album as a leader by vibraphonist Chien Chien Lu. Built In System (Live from New York) features Lu's original music performed by her stellar band with trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, bassist Richie Goods and drummer Allan Mednard. The album is out October 6, 2023. One of "10 Emerging Jazz Artists To Watch in 2023" (Morgan Enos, Grammy.com), Lu says her music on the album comes from "three central themes...fate—what happens to us is predetermined and we are meant to cross paths with certain people and experience certain things; relocating to new communities—an incredibly enriching experience, as it exposes us to new ideas, customs and ways of life; and the importance of cultural inheritance—that our unique perspectives are not lost in the ever-changing world. I refer to them as my built-in system, and I often draw ideas from these themes when I create and play music." The vibraphone has been the hip instrument in jazz for the past few years and one reason is the work of Chien Chien Lu. After a self-released debut in 2020, Lu joins the Giant Step Arts roster with Built In System (Live from New York), recorded at Hunter College's Ida K. Lang Hall as part of Giant Step Arts' Open Recording Session/Concert series. Built In System (Live from New York) is a triply stirring showcase for Lu: as a composer of all eight tracks, as a player of unique influences and gifts, and as an assured bandleader of a group of highly regarded veterans. Born in Taiwan, Lu studied classical percussion before coming to Philadelphia's University of the Arts in 2015 to study jazz vibraphone and graduate with a Master of Music in Jazz Studies. It was in 2017 at the Banff Jazz Residency in Canada that she met faculty member Jeremy Pelt, who was so impressed he invited Lu to be part of his working band and play on three of his recordings. He, bassist Richie Goods and drummer Allan Mednard—all also appearing on Lu's debut—have forged a tight musical bond with her, evident in the wonderful interplay throughout Built In System (Live from New York). Of particular note is the camaraderie between Lu and Goods, who separately have a duet project, and the way Pelt and Pelt and Lu have developed from mentor and mentee to equal partners. Lu composed all the music, which she says comes from "three central themes...fate—what happens to us is predetermined and we are meant to cross paths with certain people and experience certain things; relocating to new communities—an incredibly enriching experience, as it exposes us to new ideas, customs and ways of life; and the importance of cultural inheritance—that our unique perspectives are not lost in the ever-changing world. I refer to them as my built-in system, and I often draw ideas from these themes when I create and play music." These themes are clearly heard on Built In System (Live from New York)'s compositions, from the buoyantly complex opener "Boulanger's Variation" and folksy dance of "Hsiu Chin" to the retro-cool of "Special Things" and limpid beauty of the closing "Full Moonlight, " one of two trio tracks on the album. Lu draws equally on her classical study and jazz training to be both a compelling soloist and highly personal accompanist, at times functioning like a guitarist or pianist in her approach. The other trio track, the album's shortest piece, is a highlight. "Percussion Song (The Wheel of Fate)" is an absorbing mix of textures reveling in dark hues and shifting shadows. That all these songs were written for this project and debuted in a concert setting speaks to Lu's systemic yet flexible approach and how all four musicians have grown together as a unit. Built In System (Live from New York) is the second entry in Giant Step's new series Modern Masters and New Horizons. Specially curated by trumpeter Jason Palmer and drummer Nasheet Waits, the series features artists who have helped shape the modern jazz landscape along with rising voices doing the same for the next generation. Artists currently slated to contribute include Waits, saxophonists Ben Solomon, Neta Raanan and Michael Thomas, drummer Eric McPherson, bassist Edward Perez and trio Tarbaby with Orrin Evans, Eric Revis and Waits. Giant Step Arts Founded by Jimmy and Dena Katz in January 2018, Giant Step Arts is an innovative, artist-focused non-profit organization dedicated to commissioning and showcasing the work of some of modern jazz's most innovative artists. In an era where it is increasingly difficult for musicians to earn a living, Giant Step Arts offers artists the creative and financial resources to create bold music free of commercial pressure and with total control of their artistic projects. write your comments about the article :: © 2023 Jazz News :: home page |