Jen Shyu

Vocalist Jen Shyu performs ritual invocation about Chinese laborers in 19th Century Colonial Cuba at The Jazz Gallery

September 27, 2007 (One Night Only)
2 Sets: 9:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.
Jazz Gallery, 290 Hudson Street, New York, NY
$12 ($10 members)

(New York, NY – September 27, 2007) – Known mostly for her virtuosic singing with saxophonist/composer Steve Coleman & Five Elements, Jen Shyu takes her own group and compositions to the Jazz Gallery for one night only, September 27, 2007. Shyu’s powerful and sensuous music paints the throbbing landscape of Chinese labor narratives from 19th century colonial Cuba and other stories in the form of ritual invocation. Joining her in bringing these stories to life are virtuosos David Binney on alto saxophone, Shane Endsley on trumpet, Thomas Morgan on bass, Miles Okazaki on guitar, and Dan Weiss on drums.

Biography

Born and raised in Peoria, Illinois, from immigrant parents of East Timor and Taiwan, Jen Shyu is a musician, composer, dancer, and band leader based in New York City. She also records and tours with saxophonist/composer Steve Coleman and Five Elements since appearing on his latest albums Lucidarium (Label Bleu 2005) and Weaving Symbolics (Label Bleu 2006). Having studied dance from age 6, piano from age 7, and violin from age 8, she performed as piano soloist at age 13 the Finale of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra and placed 6th at age 9 at the Stravinsky International Piano Competition. Jen studied opera at Stanford University (B.A. 2000), Oxford University in England, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, and the Lake Placid Institute in New York. Before moving to NY, Jen lived three years collaborating with Bay Area musicians, producing her debut album of standards, “For Now” (4am Music).



Since 2001, Jen has traveled twice to Taiwan to research Taiwanese folk and aboriginal music, twice to Cuba to study Afro-Cuban music and dance and to investigate the history of the Chinese Cubans, and to Brazil to study dance with Rosangela Silvestre and Vera Passos. Jen recently composed for and performed with actress/performance artist Soomi Kim on her piece "Lee/gendary" inspired by Bruce Lee at the first National Asian American Theatre Festival. Having also worked with late great poet Sekou Sundiata on his "51st Dream State" which previewed at Aaron Davis Hall for APAP in January ‘06, Jen is currently fostering her multidisciplinary composition project "Jade Tongue" in collaboration with dancer Lenora Lee and artist JD de Saram. (more: www.jenshyu.com)

Jazz Gallery ~ Jade Tongue
September 27, 2007, 2 sets 9:00pm & 10:30pm
290 Hudson Street (between Spring and Dominick)
NY, NY 10013, tel: 212.242.1063 for reservations
Cost : $12 ($10 members)

Jen Shyu, vocals, er hu
David Binney, alto saxophone
Shane Endsley, trumpet
Thomas Morgan, bass
Miles Okazaki, guitar
Dan Weiss, drums

Watch Jade Tongue live: http://www.jenshyu.com/
http://www.myspace.com/jenshyu