by Alexa Peters, Downbeat “For the performance, each member of The Kaleidoscope Quintet brings fluency in the jazz tradition, as well as a taste for abandon.” Read the full review here.
By Alexa Peters, Audio Femme Music has always served as a battle cry and a balm during particularly tumultuous times, and in 2020—when injustices like the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on BIPOC, the slaying of George Floyd by police, the assault on immigrant, women’s, and LGBTQIA rights by the Trump Administration became apparent—music … Read More
By Alexa Peters, Downbeat Before 2012, Chien Chien Lu had never heard jazz. Having spent her childhood taking piano lessons and playing marimba in prominent orchestras, the Taiwanese-born vibraphonist was well-studied in contemporary percussion, but her musical diet was that of her country’s—primarily classical, Taiwanese traditional music, Chinese pop and K-pop. Read more here. … Read More
by Alexa Peters, Downbeat Before 2012, Chien Chien Lu had never heard jazz. Having spent her childhood taking piano lessons and playing marimba in prominent orchestras, the Taiwanese-born vibraphonist was well-studied in contemporary percussion, but her musical diet was that of her country’s—primarily classical, Taiwanese traditional music, Chinese pop and K-pop. Less than a decade … Read More
By Alexa Peters, Downbeat Contrary to popular belief, playing standards in 2020 doesn’t necessarily require excessive innovation. In fact, with a relaxed, straightforward and familiar approach to the repertoire, vocalist Lauren Henderson’s The Songbook Session excels at refreshing jazz and Latin standards for the modern ear. Read the full feature here.
