New York-based Taiwanese vibraphonist and composer Su Yuhan (蘇郁涵), along with the other members of her quintet, presented her newest original compositions at Soapbox Gallery in New York.
The concert, titled “Liberated Gesture,” features a suite dedicated to German-French artist Hans Hartung. Su wrote this series of music during her 6-month artist residency, supported by the Taiwan Cultural Center in Paris, at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris in 2019. The concert is free of charge and made possible by the Ministry of Culture.
Elaborating on the concept behind "Liberated Gesture," Su said that "Among the various museums I have visited [in Paris], I was most deeply amazed by the abstract master Hans Hartung's work in the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris. His work motivated me to develop my jazz series. I intended to use a musical language to deliver linear, dotted, and color-block motifs in this work. It shows dramatic power and visuals. The music is movable to unknown places without any limitation."
Su was listed for the 2018 DownBeatCritics Poll in the category of "Rising Star" for vibraphone. Her previous records, City Animals, A Room of One's Own, and Flying Alone were released to widespread acclaim. She has also received numerous awards and nominations such as Best Jazz Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Jazz Single, and Best Instrumentalist at the Golden Indie Music Awards; Best Performance Album of the year and Best Composer at the Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan; and Best Release of the Year by both All about Jazz and Downbeat.
"Liberated Gesture" features Su on vibraphone, Caroline Davis on saxophone, Matt Mitchell on piano, Chris Tordini on bass, and Dan Weiss Bell on drums.
For more information, please visit Soapbox Gallery's website.