Michael Simon & Asian Connection: East West & Beyond

If you find yourself in need of a lift, you may find it on Michael Simon and Asian Connection's uplifting album East, West & Beyond. Born in Venezuela, Simon, now resident in the Netherlands, has spent over two decades combining western jazz with music from the east and collaborating with some of Asia's best musicians.

Joining Simon to deliver his vision are Taiwanese saxophonist Minyen Hsieh, Hong Kong drummer Huang Tzu Yu, Taipei-based Japanese bassist Ikeda Kinya, Indonesian pianist Sri Hanuraga and Taiwanese multi-instrumentalist Hauyi Tsai who completes the sextet on pipa (Chinese lute). The music abounds with influences from South America, Asia and the Caribbean, and this, together with the integration of the pipa into the jazz format, gives the group a distinctive identity.

Simon composed four of the seven tracks here, including the lively opener "Cross Streams." Huang's drums bustle as Simon builds a classy trumpet solo, calling and swooping as the pipa dances around the melody, adding colour before some tight drum flurries close the track. Hanuraga's gentle piano leads into his composition, the moody "Sawunggaling." The precise pipa playing is to the fore as trumpet and sax blend over fine support from Ikeda's bass.

Simon knows how to write catchy hooks for trumpet and sax, as can be heard in his composition, "Soul Food." Rhythmic piano, bass and pipa drive the pace as trumpet, sax and piano solos excel. "Inner Flame" is also a standout, building from a brooding pipa introduction through Ikeda's bass lines to Simon's trumpet motif and a melodic and fast-flowing sax solo. "New Year's Resolution" gives space for solos and trumpet, sax, piano and drums stretch out and take full advantage.

Composer Simón Díaz is a national hero in Venezuela and his well-known song "Tonada del Cabrestero" reflects Simon's Venezuelan roots. Simon also has Lebanese ancestry, and this is reflected in Marie Seferian's "Liban." This is arranged by Minyen Hsieh and features fine soprano sax and piano improvisations.

This is a complete sextet enterprise with all members providing equal voices in the spirited musical flow, skilfully moving their contributions from sympathetic to exuberant as needed. They bring their musical heritages to bear and should find a wide audience for their cultural fusion. The tunes often swerve in unpredictable ways and the skilful integration of the pipa adds a fascinating new layer alongside the more usual instrumentation. A highly original, uplifting and consistently creative album.

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