Susan Chen

Susan Chen: Harris' Nights

by Mark Corroto
December 1, 2000

Susan Chen’s name is new to my eyes, but her piano stylings are comfortably seasoned to my ears. She is a pianist with a delicate graceful touch and plenty of vibrant swing. Her prior association with saxophonist Warne Marsh yielded one record Posthumous (Interplay), but her approach is nothing like Marsh’s former employer Lennie Tristano. She prefers warmth to Tristano’s distance.

This date, recorded in San Francisco this past April, offers the classic trio approach to jazz. Thoughts of early ...