* With obi
* First complete limited production
A jazz album that transcends identities is completed by Chien Chien Lu, a vibraphonist from Taiwan, and Richie Goods, an African American bassist who has played in Alicia Keys' band! BIGYUKI will also participate as a guest!
Chien Chien Lu, a rising star in the world of vibraphone who hails from Taiwan and is currently at the forefront of the jazz scene in NYC, is also the producer of her debut album "The Path" and a bassist who has played as a band member for Alicia Keys and Common, Richie Goods, a bassist who has played in bands such as Alicia Keys and Common, and the producer of her debut album "The Path". The album, titled "CONNECTED," began as a result of Chien Chien Lu and Richie Goods exchanging ideas on topics such as BLM and hate crimes against Asians during a lockdown, while talking about their respective roots. Richie, who is African American, and Chien Chien, who is Asian, thought about the stereotypical divide that exists between their respective communities and decided to create the concept of Love & Peace, in which people of different identities unite to bridge the gap. The album is the result of their friendship. The album opens with "Water/H20" featuring Sy Smith, another NYC-based R&B singer, which opens with over 7 minutes of soulful, euphoric vocals and a gentle vibraphone sound. The third track, "Embrace the Now," features Japanese keyboardist Bigyuki, a pure Asian who has been active in the same position as Chien Chien Lu in terms of competing at the forefront of the NYC jazz scene. In particular, I was taken aback by Bigyuki's synth sound that creates a spacey, psychedelic atmosphere, which gradually enters the vibraphone, bass, and drums-only part in the latter half of the piece. This album is of course a definite work for enjoying jazz music, and the cover of the fifth track "Rain," a beloved staple of rainy days, is truly calming, but there is also a recording of a conversation between two people on the topic of hate crimes against Asians over a loose jazz sound in the style of a jazz cafe, "2021 Interlude," and the current work, "The Last of Us," which is a song about a man who is a victim of a hate crime against Asians. The songs "2021 Interlude" and "Rain Interlude," in which the two are talking about their motivation for making this album, also accompanied by gentle background music, are also characteristic of this album and leave a lasting impression on the listener.
