Stunning debut album by Macy Chen featuring both originals and classic Chinese songs that defined an era now faded in memory, re-interpreted by veteran New York jazz musicians and delivered with heart-wrenching soul, by a voice that speaks to the truth and longing in us all.
Taiwanese jazz vocalist Macy Chen has released a unique jazz album in the United States that has intrigued American listeners and culminated a 10-year journey of exploration into her passion.
"After 75 Years," the first Chinese jazz album released in the U.S., features both original western jazz elements and classic Chinese songs. According to a mastering engineer who worked on it, the album has succeeded in breaking down cultural barriers.
"Macy Chen has built a beautiful bridge between two very different cultures. Although I do not speak the language, I marvel at how musical her new lyrics sound in that exotic ancient tongue," said Alan Silverman, a two-time Grammy nominee in the Album of the Year category for mastering.
The album also gave U.S. radio stations the chance to play the new sounding jazz based on classical Chinese songs -- or even old American jazz tunes -- for the first time.
"It's a pleasure. I wouldn't play it if it wasn't good. It makes my show look good. I really did like the combining of Harlem Nocturne and Caravan. Very creative," said Mel Lipton, a veteran jazz radio DJ at WDNA in Miami.
Chen remixed the two American favorites into a song called Harlem Fantasia and gave it Chinese lyrics, one of the many creative twists in the album's 10 songs.
Born in central Taiwan's Nantou, Chen's mother led her to the world of music, teaching her to play the piano when she was a child.
She fell in love with jazz after taking a jazz ensemble class at Soochow University in Taipei that gave her the chance to sing improvised melodies, Chen said.
Her talent earned her a number of jobs in the pop music field, such as vocal coach, chorus singer, and music producer for Asian pop singers.
Her achievements in pop music, however, could not dim her aspirations to pursue her true love -- jazz -- and she decided in 2002 to head for New York to hone her jazz knowledge and skills.
Once there, Chen was surprised to learn that Americans were intrigued by her Chinese-style jazz music.
One afternoon, when Chen was singing in a jazz bar in Harlem, members of the band told her they were tired of playing English songs and wanted to perform a different style of music. They chose a Chinese song, and were amazed at how she performed it, Chen recalled.
That gave her the confidence to move forward, and her passion and persistence culminated in the release of her first jazz album in 2011.
"It represents my legacy," said, Chen, whose reinterpretation of Chinese classical music has not only caught the ears of some American jazz enthusiasts but also stirred up a sense of nostalgia among Asians there.
"'After 75 Years' is a rare and special treat. I played a few selections from the album for my graduate audio mastering class at New York University and students from both China and the U.S. were very enthusiastic in praising Macy's voice and style," Silverman said. (By Leaf Chiang and Pin-yu Chen)
Source: CNA
