Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Allen Won: The Jewel in the Lotus

Allen Won: The Jewel in the Lotus

By Stephen Latessa
June 28, 2005
Sign in to view read count

A slight headache came on as I started to read the liner notes to The Jewel In The Lotus by Allen Won. In the notes, Won explains that the music is "based on the Tibetan chakra system in which there are set points of 'whirling' energy always in motion within the body. He goes on to point out that the scale used in the composition of the songs contains seven tones that each represent a specific chakra. Not being a musician and instantly needing to get out my dictionary when I saw the word chakra, I feared I might be in for a tedious hour or so of listening.

Luckily, the music itself is more grounded and less esoteric than I feared. Won plays tenor saxophone with an appealing rasp. He cuts right through the pounding rhythms on "Fire, allowing some enlivening squeaks and squawks into what is otherwise a very controlled performance. On the same tune, bassist Kiyoto Fujiwara contributes a brief but compelling solo.

Won, it should be noted, is a very different player on soprano saxophone. His airy work on "Heart seems to be kept aloft by the gentle currents the band lays under him. Elsewhere the soprano work on "Thoughts contributes to the pensive and slightly melancholy feel of the composition.

The Jewel in the Lotus is obviously a work with a pronounced intellectual bent. However, to their credit, Won and his fellow musicians have created an album with a considerable amount of emotion as well. You do not need prior knowledge of the Tibetan chakra system to come away with an enjoyment of this disc.

Track Listing

Intro-Earth; Water; Fire; Heart; Village; Thoughts; Spirit; Love And Compassion.

Personnel

Allen Won

Allen Won: soprano and tenor saxophone, rainstick, bird whistles, Tibetan singing bowl; Kiyoto Fujiwara: bass, bird whistles; Mike Sarin: drums, percussion, bird whistles; Rave Tesar: piano, bird whistles.

Album information

Title: The Jewel in the Lotus | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Self Produced

< Previous
Peace Warrior

Next >
Cup of Joe, No Bull

Comments

About Allen Won

Tags

For the Love of Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help

To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.