Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jen Shyu: Jade Tongue

423

Jen Shyu: Jade Tongue

Jen Shyu: Jade Tongue
Jen Shyu's approach to musicianship is what many would call consummate. Having begun musical studies at a very early age, she has become a highly accomplished pianist, vocalist, dancer and composer. She began to explore improvisation during her studies at Stanford University and has since become a regular collaborator with saxophonist Steve Coleman. This association is reflected in much of her recent work. With her formal studies providing a firm musical foundation, Shyu deftly integrates ethnographical research with innovative new musical structures, producing work that is both cerebral and visceral.

Though born and raised in the US, she has done extensive research into her own ethnic heritage, traveling to Taiwan, Cuba and Brazil to research the Chinese Diaspora. With excerpts from the Tao Te Ching and Cuba Commission Report: A Hidden History of the Chinese in Cuba combining with the work of various contemporary poets and Shyu's own original work, the texts Shyu has assembled for Jade Tongue all reflect this work. The mood is somber, often taking a strikingly tragic look at the euphoric heights and moribund depths of the human condition.

The rhythm pairing of bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Dan Weiss is as compelling as ever, providing a subdued push on tracks "Chapter 33" and "Lunation," meanwhile creating intricate complexity on "Soomi Line," "Elliptical" and "Eye (I) Inside." Trumpeter Shane Endsley, saxophonist David Binney and guitarist Miles Okazaki often operate in a more supportive role, until the moment when one is given room to demonstrate his prodigious improvisational capabilities. Okazaki's solo on "Chapter 33" is particularly noteworthy, as is Binney's on "Li Bai." Jade Tongue is a moving exposition of Shyu's compositional, conceptual and musical abilities.

Her vocals segue seamlessly between bilingual spoken word and wordless improvisation, as on "Elliptical/Wayward Son." Her evocative unaccompanied opening, "Mother Cow's Companion," sets the tone exquisitely, while "Moonlight Sorrow," a feature for Shyu's singing with only piano accompaniment, ends the record with a return to a more even-tempered melancholy.

Track Listing

Mother Cow's Companion; Chapter 33; Li Bai; Soomi Line; The Chinese-cuban Queston Part 1: From What Places?; Part 2: What Were the Causes?; Part 3: the Human Color; Su Xiang Gee (Thinking Back); Elliptical/Wayward Son; Lunation; Leo Strong; Eye[i] Inside; Moon Night Sorrow.

Personnel

Jen Shyu
vocals

Jen Shyu: vocals; Thomas Morgan: bass; Dan Weiss: drums; Shane Endsley: trumpet; David Binney: saxophone; Miles Okazaki: guitar.

Album information

Title: Jade Tongue | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: Self Produced

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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.

Near

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.