(google translation of Polish)

JASON KAO HWANG /Burning Bridge:  /Blood/2018

Born in 1957, and for years living in New York, the Chinese violinist Jason Hao Hwang, is a co-founder of the Far East Side Band - a cross-cultural band combining Chinese, Korean, Japanese and American elements of music. He is also a valued composer of film music, also known on Broadway where he was entrusted, among others, with performing the position of musical director of several local productions. As part of various projects oscillating around the modern avant-garde, he was able to cooperate, among others with Anthony Braxton, David Murray, William Parker, Henry Threadgill or the creator of the legendary Revolutionary Ensemble, Leroy Jenkins. In 2013, the artist's album was recorded in a duet with guitarist Ayman Fanouse: " Zilzal ". Five years later, on the other hand, we meet a new project of a Chinese violist, which is the international 8-person formation of Jason Kao Hwang Burning Bridge. 


Composed by Hwang musician filling the album " Blood " is a neat combination of free jazz improvisation and elements of traditional Chinese music. The sound of the formation is based on a fusion of world-renowned violins, tuba, trombone and cornet, with exuding Chinese string instruments: erhu and pipa.  The whole took the form of a 48-minute suite, conventionally divided into five interpenetrating parts. The enormity of emotions, the multiplicity of ecstasy and the almost ecstatic parts of individual instruments, make the album "Blood" an exciting and captivating experience of each of the recipients open to new experiences. Jason Kao Hwang gave each of the instrumentalists a lot of improvisational space, which resulted in music being the resultant of the imagination and variation imagination of each artist.  "Blood" is not only a fascinating clash of Asian folklore with the free jazz formula, but also a unique show of virtuosity of each musician and an example of an ideal artistic correlation.

- Robert Ratajczak, longplayrecenzje.blox

Read at longplayrecenzje.blox