Jazz Articles

Jason Kao Hwang: Sing House

by Jerry D'Souza
October 2, 2017

Jason Kao Hwang stirs the melting pot with several stylistic approaches to his music. His contribution to the Asian stream has manifested itself well enough. His immersion in free jazz with an impressive voice for the unusual, adds a daring, eclectic presence. Hwang has worked with the members of his group in different conglomerations. The understanding between them is seen in their interaction which takes off in free flight on No Such Thing. Hwang sets the head before ...

Jason Kao Hwang: Sing House

by Karl Ackermann
July 30, 2017

From the earliest part of his solo career, violinist and composer Jason Kao Hwang has employed an eclectic blend of Western and Eastern influences. His recording roots were no less wide-ranging, beginning with Anthony Braxton's Sextet (Istanbul) (Braxton House, 1995), even if the influences were harder to pin down. Hwang later recorded with William Parker and then Henry Threadgill and Dominic Duval but as he progressed, his music was less married to a recognizable jazz language. He arranged and performed ...

Jason Kao Hwang: Sing House

by Troy Dostert
June 11, 2017

Violinist/violist and composer Jason Kao Hwang has explored the intersections of avant-garde jazz and classical music for some time, and his commitment to drawing inspiration from the well of Asian musical idioms gives his pieces much of their distinctive character. Here he's working once again with bassist Ken Filiano and drummer Andrew Drury, longstanding partners from his EDGE ensemble and Burning Bridge group, and trombonist Steve Swell, who's also played and recorded with Burning Bridge. Rounding out the band is ...

Jason Kao Hwang / EDGE: Crossroads Unseen

by Troy Collins
October 4, 2011

Crossroads Unseen is violinist Jason Kao Hwang's third release with his all-star ensemble, EDGE, following Stories Before Within (Innova, 2007) and its 2006 self-titled debut (Asian Improv). Exploring uncharted territory between chamber music, jazz improvisation and traditional East Asian forms, EDGE boasts some of New York City's finest improvisers, including stalwart contrabassist Ken Filiano, rising cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum and undersung percussionist Andrew Drury.For many Asian-American artists, incorporating traditions from cultures outside the Afro-European Diaspora has become one ...

Jason Kao Hwang / EDGE: Crossroads Unseen

by Karl Ackermann
October 3, 2011

Composer/violinist, Jason Kao Hwang has been firmly establishing his credentials in free jazz since his quartet, EDGE, released its self-titled debut (Asian Improv, 2006). His résumé includes work with genre luminaries William Parker, Anthony Braxton, and Henry Threadgill. There are inevitable comparisons to Billy Bang, with whom Hwang has also played, but the two masters typically utilize a different line of development. Crossroads Unseen features the original EDGE personnel, a stellar line up of free jazz veterans, in outstanding performances ...

Jason Kao Hwang / Sang Won Park: Local Lingo

by Kurt Gottschalk
November 9, 2007

Through the 1990s, violinist Jason Kao Hwang mined an exploration of East Asian music filtered through the improvisatory language of downtown New York. Primarily with his Far East Band--with Sang Won Park on the stringed ajeng and kayagum and Yukio Tsuji on the flutelike shakuhachi, later augmented by Joe Daley's tuba--Hwang created an avant-garde take on the immigrant experience, representing the so-called melting pot of New York City with ingredients that still retain their individual flavors. Hwang ...

Jason Kao Hwang / Sang Won Park: Local Lingo

by Jerry D'Souza
October 4, 2007

For a collaborative effort to be successful the protagonists need to be antagonists as well. A similar vision helps, but a divergent focus creates tension. Jason Kao Hwang (violin) and Sang Won Park (kayagum, ajeng, voice) have shown this over the sixteen years they have collaborated. Among their projects was the quartet, Far Eastside Band, which recorded The Urban Archealogy (Victo, 1996) and Caverns (New World Records, 1994). This time they work as a duo

Hwang uses several styles in ...