Yuhan Su

After 16 years in the US and despite ICE and Donald Trump’s administration’s immigrant-focused fear-mongering, Taiwanese vibraphonist Yuhan Su’s musical ideas are as much part of the local jazz gestalt as they are international. On OVER the MOONs, her fifth album, Su leads a crew of top New York players through eight tunes no more foreign than the films of US-based countryman Ang Lee.

That doesn’t mean she has rejected her heritage though. The duality of some of the titles reflect the duality of her two-fold language and culture identities. Still the only overt Chinese reference is on “Genius and Dumb”. There she rhythmically recites Mandarin syllables in sync with James Paul Nadien’s drum pops and Yingda Chen’s guitar strokes. The narrative then evolves to feature alto saxophonist Alex LoRe’s expressive note-bending further overlaid with Shinya Lin’s electronic splatters.

Like those of most dedicated creative musicians, rather than being nativist, her compositions succinctly include textures related to her extensive playing experience which encompass work with diverse players as  Greg Osby Amir ElSaffar and the Webber/Morris big band. Tenor saxophonist Anna Webber herself is also featured here and joins LoRe to contribute high-pitched reed riffs on the title tune that contrapuntally confront Su’s perfectly focused resonating vibraphone shapes and stops and solidly cadenced guitar licks. Both saxophonists contribute ethereal flute puff to the balladic “Too Much Time Matching Clouds”. It widens distinctively as Su’s subtle metal bar reverberations and Chen’s carefully rounded guitar notes echo reflectively above Marty Kenney careful bass stops and Matt Mitchell’s expansive piano accents.

Other tracks are tougher and more accelerated and include at points almost as many contrapuntal reed honks, drum rumbles, keyboard clipping, projected guitar flanges, double bass pumps and ringing vibraphone clanks that they skirt ebullient Jazz Messenger territory. At the same time the clarity of clean contemporary interpretations are never abandoned.

Clearly in a non-confrontational and swing-affiliated manner OVER the MOONs metaphorically demonstrates the comprehensive achievements of immigrants to the US that were usually celebrated in the pre-MAGA era

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Pieces Peace 2. Tomorrow 3. Two Moons* 4. Roaring Hours 5. Olfactory Memory 6. Genius and Dumb  7. Double Consciousness 8. Too Much Time Matching Clouds*

Personnel: Alex LoRe (alto saxophone, flute*); Anna Webber (tenor saxophone, flute*); Yuhan Su (vibraphone); Matt Mitchell (piano); Yingda Chen (guitar); Marty Kenney (bass, electric bass); James Paul Nadien (drums) and Shinya Lin (electronics [not 4, 8])