The Squid's Ear Magazine


Shyu, Jen & Jade Tongue: Sounds and Cries of the World (Pi Recordings)

Experimental jazz vocalist and pianist Jen Shyu with her Jade Tongue band of Ambrose Akinmusire on trumpet, Mat Maneri on viola, Thomas Morgan on bass, and Dan Weiss on drums in an intimate album that incorporates world traditions, instruments and languages.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Jen Shyu-vocals, piano, traditional instruments

Ambrose Akinmusire-trumpet

Mat Maneri-viola

Thomas Morgan-bass

Dan Weiss-drums


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UPC: 808713006124

Label: Pi Recordings
Catalog ID: PI 61
Squidco Product Code: 21256

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2015
Country: USA
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold 3 Panels
Recorded at Brooklyn Recordings, Brooklyn, New York, on August 27th, 2014 by Andrew Taub.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Sounds and Cries of the World is the latest from experimental jazz vocalist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Jen Shyu, who is best known for carving out new improvisational terrain for the voice through integrating traditional music discovered through rigorous research and fieldwork. The Guardian has called her "a remarkable phenomenon" and The Wall Street Journal "invigorating" and "enigmatic." A 2014 recipient of the prestigious Doris Duke Impact Award, Shyu is well-respected for her uncanny vocal precision and formidable musicianship. She is perhaps best known as a member of influential saxophonist Steve Coleman's band Five Elements - most recently on the critically lauded Synovial Joints (Pi 2015). Her new release is a culmination of her travels through East Timor, Korea, Indonesia, and Taiwan, where she has spent months to years in each place immersing herself in the language and under-recognized music of various indigenous cultures. Utilizing specific musical forms, dream-like narrative, and language of these various cultures, her work is utterly unique. The New York Times said that the effect "could remind you of ancient court music or Joni Mitchell. Everything Shyu did - every turn, every breath - came with mindful emphasis."

Since her first trip to Matanzas, Cuba, in 2001 to study Lucumí songs from the Santería tradition, Shyu has traveled to Brazil and Vietnam, and to places connected to her own ancestry: Taiwan, her father's homeland, where she studied Hengchun minyao, a Southern folk song tradition accompanied by the gat kim, the 2-stringed Taiwanese moon lute; China where she researched shuochang, a form of narrative performance that involves a combination of singing and speaking; and East Timor to research and document the music of her mother's birthplace. Soon after she released Synastry (Pi 2011), an album of duets with bassist Mark Dresser, Shyu departed for Java, Indonesia, on a Fulbright for almost two years during which she studied sindhenan, the improvisational singing of Javanese gamelan music, and took fieldwork trips to Kalimanthan, Bali, East and West Java. Toward the end of her stay, she spent six months in South Korea studying the traditions of pansori (musical storytelling) and gayageum byeongchang (singing while playing the gayageum, a 12-string zither like instrument). A year later, she went back to Korea for another six months to further deepen her linguistic and musical studies. This peripatetic itinerary is not arbitrary: her focus is on music that is rarely heard outside of their regions, especially narrative storytelling from women and shamanic chant from ritual ceremony. Her approach is completely opposite to the sometimes slickly-produced Western notion of "world music," which is often only interested in mining foreign cultures for its surface exoticism. Shyu, on the other hand, fully submerges herself in the language, culture, history, musical traditions and ritual practices at each of her destinations with heartfelt intensity. What arises from her is an authentic offering that is both grounded in its solid foundation and groundbreaking in its singularity.

Sounds and Cries of the World is an intimate reflection of Shyu's absorption and study of all of these musical traditions and revelations. Singing in English, Korean, Indonesian, Javanese, and Tetum - she is also fluent in Mandarin, Portuguese and Spanish - her lyrics evoke a range of emotions from plaintively wistful to emotionally anguished, with imagery that is by turns brutally explicit and fantastically surreal. Much of the music has a free-floating feel progressing via internal cues in a system that Shyu was developing before going to Indonesia and further solidified after her Javanese gamelan studies of palaran, in which the form follows the sung melody. The music sounds free across a steady pulse, but in actuality, everyone including the singer must listen and be perfectly aware of the order in which all the instrumentalists' cues fit together before they move forward. Helping her carry out her vision are the remarkable contributions from Ambrose Akinmusire on trumpet, violist Mat Maneri, bassist Thomas Morgan, and drummer Dan Weiss. Each one is a master improviser completely attuned to the music's lush and subtle flow, allowing the melody and harmony to breathe and shift organically. Shyu's voice stands in sharp relief: her enormous vocal range, refined control of shadings and textures, deep sense of rhythm, and ear for lyrical improvisation all exist to get to the kernel of some clear emotional truth.

All the compositions here are original works except for tracks 3, 5, and 9, where she involves traditional melodies to which she feels particularly close. Each song features a great deal of improvisation within the structure of the music. Half of the compositions on the album (tracks 5 through 9) are taken from Shyu's multi-disciplinary one-person performance piece Solo Rites: Seven Breaths, which saw its premiere at Roulette Intermedium in Brooklyn, New York in 2014. That work, a collaboration with the acclaimed Indonesian film and stage director Garin Nugroho, encompasses theater, dance, and Shyu accompanying herself on a variety of instruments. A dramatically powerful, often frightening work filled with longing and sorrow, it is a brilliant distillation of ritualistic traditional music and the power of the voice to transport an audience to an altered state of consciousness and far-off emotional space. But the songs on Sounds and Cries of the World also celebrate and honor the musical cultures and people whom she has encountered in the course of her travels: both the studies with elder practitioners of ancient rituals and the collaboration with contemporary artists who join her in creating new variations on these forms. Case in point is the song "Mother of Time," which marries Shyu's English lyrics, inspired by a Taiwanese poem, with a melody based on a Javanese song that ends with a Korean ritual prayer. It all miraculously comes together seamlessly, a testament to Shyu's complete immersion into each of these art forms and the strength of her intuition and creative voice.

While she still considers jazz at the core of what she does musically, Shyu is intrepidly forging her own way, creating music with complete disregard for notions of style or genre. MacArthur Fellow Steve Coleman says of Shyu: "What has impressed me has been how hard Jen works on her projects; on the musical composition, the performance, and on the connection between the music and the underlying symbolism…. It is extremely rare for a vocalist to make this kind of complete contribution to the world of creative music. This path requires a unique blend of musical skills, a passion for original research, an insatiable curiosity, and an ability to merge seemingly disparate elements into a holistic expression. Jen's work sets an excellent example for future vocalists and musicians. The world definitely needs more creative work on this level." Looking to the future while seeking inspiration from the deeply-rooted past, Shyu has created a sui generis work of art that is impassioned, ecstatic, and ultimately transformative."-Pi Recordings


Artist Biographies

"Jen Shyu ("Shyu" pronounced "Shoe" in English, Chinese name: 徐秋雁, Pinyin: Xúqiūyàn) is a groundbreaking, multilingual vocalist, composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, 2016 Doris Duke Artist, and was voted 2017 Downbeat Critics Poll Rising Star Female Vocalist. Born in Peoria, Illinois, to Taiwanese and East Timorese immigrant parents, Shyu is widely regarded for her virtuosic singing and riveting stage presence, carving out her own beyond-category space in the art world. She has performed with saxophonist and 2014 MacArthur Fellow Steve Coleman since 2003 and has collaborated with such musical innovators as Nicole Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, Wadada Leo Smith, Vijay Iyer, Bobby Previte, Chris Potter, Michael Formanek and David Binney. Shyu has performed her own music on prestigious world stages such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rubin Museum of Art, Ringling International Arts Festival, Asia Society, Roulette, Blue Note, Bimhuis, Salihara Theater, National Gugak Center, National Theater of Korea and at festivals worldwide.

A Stanford University graduate in opera with classical violin and ballet training, Shyu had already won many piano competitions and performed the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto (3rd mvmt.) with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra by the age of 13. She has studied traditional music and dance in Cuba, Taiwan, Brazil, China, South Korea, East Timor and Indonesia, conducting extensive research which culminated in her 2014 stage production Solo Rites: Seven Breaths, directed by renowned Indonesian filmmaker Garin Nugroho. Shyu has won commissions and support from Doris Duke Performing Artist Awards, MAP Fund, Jerome Foundation, Chamber Music America's New Jazz Works, New Music USA, Jazz Gallery, and Roulette, as well as fellowships from the Fulbright Scholar Program, Civitella Ranieri Foundation, Asian Cultural Council, Hermitage Artist Retreat, Yaddo, MacDowell Colony, Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Korean Ministry of Sports, Culture, and Tourism.

Shyu has produced seven albums as a leader, including the first female-led and vocalist-led album Pi Recordings has released, Synastry (Pi 2011), with co-bandleader and bassist Mark Dresser. Her critically acclaimed Sounds and Cries of the World (Pi 2015) landed on many best-of-2015 lists, including those of The New York Times, The Nation, and NPR. Her latest album Song of Silver Geese (Pi 2017) is receiving rave reviews and was also included on The New York Times' Best Albums of 2017.

Even with the acclaim she has received for her recordings, Shyu is just as renowned for her dynamic performances. Ben Ratliff wrote in The New York Times that her concerts are "the most arresting performances I've seen over the past five years. It's not just the meticulous preparation of the work and the range of its reference, but its flexibility: She seems open, instinctual, almost fearless." Her duo performance with Tyshawn Sorey was among The New York Times' Best Live Jazz Performances of 2017. Larry Blumenfeld wrote in the Wall Street Journal that "her voice, a wonder of technical control and unrestrained emotion, tells a story dotted with well-researched facts and wild poetic allusions. She claims both as her truths."

Currently based in New York City, Shyu premiered her latest solo work Nine Doors at National Sawdust June 29, 2017, kicking off a 50-state U.S. tour of "Songs of Our World Now / Songs Everyone Writes Now (SOWN/SEWN)," planting seeds of creativity and threading communities together through art."

-Jen Shyu Website (http://www.jenshyu.com/bio.html)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Born and raised in Oakland, California, Ambrose Akinmusire (pronounced ah-kin-MOO-sir-ee) was a member of the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble when he caught the attention of saxophonist Steve Coleman. Akinmusire was asked to join Coleman's Five Elements, embarking on a European tour when he was just a 19-year-old student at the Manhattan School of Music. After returning to the West Coast to pursue a master's degree at the University of Southern California, Akinmusire went on to attend the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles, where he studied with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Terence Blanchard.

In 2007 Akinmusire won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, decided by a panel of judges that included Blanchard, Quincy Jones, Herb Alpert, Hugh Masekela, Clark Terry and Roy Hargrove. That year Akinmusire also won the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition and released his debut album Prelude...To Cora on the Fresh Sound label. He moved back to New York and began performing with the likes of Vijay Iyer, Aaron Parks, Esperanza Spalding and Jason Moran. It was also during this time that he first caught the attention of another discerning listener, Bruce Lundvall, President of Blue Note Records."

-Ambrose Akinmusire Website (http://www.ambroseakinmusire.com/biography)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Mat Maneri was born in 1969, and started studying violin at age five. He studied privately with Julliard String Quartet founder Robert Koff, and with bass virutuoso Miroslav Vitous. Mat received a full scholarship as the principal violinist at Walnut Hill High School, but left school to pursue a professional career in music. By 1990, Mat founded the critically acclaimed Joe Maneri Quartet with Randy Peterson. Mat started releasing records as a leader in 1996, and has developed four working ensembles. Pianists Paul Bley, Cecil Taylor, Matthew Shipp, and Borah Bergman have called upon Matt to perform with them in such venues as the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Library of Congress, and concert stages across Europe. Mat also enjoys a strong relationship with bassists Ed Schuller, Mark Dresser, William Parker, Michael Formanek, Barre Phillips, and John Lockwood. Never to be boxed in, Mat has also worked with Joe Morris, John Medeski, Tim Berne, Cecil McBee, T.K. Ramakrishnan, Franz Kogelman, Roy Campbell, Spring Heel Jack, Draze Hoops, and appears on an Illy B Eats remix CD. Mat presently teaches privately and through the New School / NYC, and performs and records worldwide."

-Aum Fidelity (http://www.aumfidelity.com/maneri.html)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Thomas Morgan (born 14 August 1981 in Hayward, California) is an American jazz musician (upright bass, cello) in contemporary jazz.

Morgan began playing the cello 7 years of age, before switching to upright-bass at 14. In 2003 he received his bachelor's degree in Music from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Harvie Swartz and Garry Diall. He also took lessons with Ray Brown and Peter Herbert. Morgan worked with David Binney, Steve Coleman, Joey Baron, Josh Roseman, Brad Shepik, Steve Cardenas, Timuin ahin, Kenny Wollesen, Gerald Cleaver, Adam Rogers and Kenny Werner throughout his career. He is also cooperating with Jakob Bro, Dan Tepfer, Jim Black, John Abercrombie, Masabumi Kikuchi and the Sylvie Courvoisier-Mark Feldman Quartet. Morgan lead his own trio."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Morgan_(bassist))
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Shifting Foundation grantee Dan Weiss has been hailed as one of the top five jazz drummers in The New York Times, and his large ensemble recording "Fourteen" made the top ten list of their best recordings of 2014. Weiss's innovative drumming and forward thinking compositions have been pushing musical limits for years.

With his piano trio, he's released two recordings entitled, "Now Yes When" (2006) and "Timshel" (2011), which have been critically acclaimed for their unique approach to song structure and endless creative improvisation. Weiss also leads his sixteen piece large ensemble that features some of NYC's most gifted musicians. The two albums " Fourteen" (2014) and "Sixteen: Drummers Suite" (2016) released on the Pi record label have made numerous critic polls. His newest project features Craig Taborn, Matt Mitchell, Ben Monder, and Trevor Dunn and is an amalgam of jazz, metal, and new music. The recording will be released on the Pi record label in the Spring of 2018.

Weiss has been studying tabla under Pandit Samir Chatterjee for twenty years. He has performed with the legendary Ashish Khan and Ramesh Misra and recorded a solo tabla cd "3dcd" (2007). Weiss recorded two groundbreaking cds "Teental Drumset Solo" (2005) and "Jhaptal Drumset Solo" (2011) where he performs classical Indian repertoire on drum set.

Weiss was named 'The Top Up and Coming Percussionist' 2 years in a row in the 60th and 61st annual Downbeat's Critic's Poll and earned a spot in Modern Drummer's coveted Top 5 Jazz Drummers of 2014."

-Dan Weiss Website (https://www.danweiss.net/about-1/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Song of Kwan Wen 3:23

2. Bloom's Mouth Rushed In 5:34

3. Mother of Time 8:22

4. Moxa 3:36

5. Aku Yang Lahir Dari Air Mata | Bawa Sida Asih 6:41

6. Para Pembakar Ombak 7:59

7. She Held Fire 3:45

8. Rai Nakukun Ba Dadauk Ona 5:41

9. Song for Naldo 9:49

10. Thoughts of Light and Freedom 6:16

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
Unusual Vocal Forms
Quintet Recordings

Search for other titles on the label:
Pi Recordings.


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