With her debut Mack Avenue Records album CRIME ZONE
(available October 12), next generation Los Angeles pianist Connie Han has
created an edgy blend of modern and traditional jazz. Han’s parents, both
practicing classical musicians, instilled an appreciation for music and a
strong work ethic in Han very early on, enrolling her in piano lessons at the
age of five.
“Learning the piano as a child was a gift. By the time I
became interested in jazz at the age of 14, I had great technical proficiency
on my instrument allowing me to focus all of my energy on the more
sophisticated elements of jazz music. More importantly, I was able to tackle
the social equation of learning how to play with others. It takes a lot of time
and patience to internalize the essence and heartbeat of jazz.”
The 22-year-old’s connection to jazz began at the Los
Angeles County High School for the Arts where she met and was mentored by
drummer Bill Wysaske, who produced CRIME ZONE and has also become the musical
director of her trio. Han shares her LACHSA alumni status with several major
players in the entertainment industry such as Josh Groban, Jenna Elfman,
Christina Milian and GRAMMY® Award-nominated jazz pianist and composer Gerald
Clayton. After a three-week stint at UCLA, Han immediately began her
professional piano career at 17-years-old; a step that Han believes gives her
an overall edge against most players her age.
“Because I never received training from a formal jazz piano
teacher, most of my musical perspective actually came from interacting with a
professional drummer when I was just a youngling, trying to hang on for dear
life. I think that experience has given me a unique edge which informs the
heavily percussive elements of my playing.”
CRIME ZONE features Han’s in-the-groove working trio which
includes Wysaske on drums and Edwin Livingston on bass. She’s also enlisted the
considerable talents of guest players tenor-saxophonist Walter Smith III and
trumpeter Brian Swartz for the album.
Recently signed to Mack Avenue Records after her
independently produced 2015 album, The Richard Rodgers Songbook, Han has seized
this opportunity: the pianist’s upcoming release highlights a powerful
statement that is a mix of respect and knowledge of the past, combining an
exciting and innovative vision for her musical future.
CRIME ZONE opens with “Another Kind of Right,” a tune Han
wrote in tribute to the Freddie Hubbard tune, “One of Another Kind.” Han
states, “the bridge is a very tough, swaggering Freddie Hubbard style of
playing. Bill Wysaske arranged and curated a lot of what goes on there. It was
his idea to transition from acoustic piano to Rhodes at my solo, giving the
music a breath of fresh air. It’s definitely inspired by that post-bop,
pre-fusion sound straight out of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.”
The expansive title track featuring the swinging sax
accompaniment of Smith III, which winds to a stoop midway through before
restarting with a lively interplay between Han, exemplifies much of the style and
aesthetic thrust that the pianist wants her debut to embody.
“This record is really meant to be a statement about being
rebellious but within the tradition,” Han explains. “It’s provocative and fresh
in its own way, while still having one foot in the past and honoring the jazz
tradition. The title, CRIME ZONE, reinforces how I hope to brand myself as an
artist, which in the end is being a provocateur of creative music.”
The title track demonstrates the futuristic visual and
aesthetic element that Han has brought to the zeitgeist surrounding CRIME ZONE,
one that draws its inspiration from films like Blade Runner and the 1988
Japanese animated film, Akira. “Not only does jazz capture the rebellious
spirit of cyberpunk culture,” says Han, “but also the forward-thinking essence
of science fiction. These traits are important to my musical philosophy as well
as my style as an artist and person.”
The up-tempo “Southern Rebellion” is a Han original in C
minor that features the pianist's speed and stamina. It’s a tune she wrote
which was focused on challenging herself to not think like a piano player. Han
explains, “I had been listening to a lot of early '70s Elvin Jones with Dave
Liebman and Steve Grossman, where the harmony is more free since there isn't
any piano to dictate the harmony. That concept heavily guided my melodic
inspiration for 'Southern Rebellion,' while my tough post-bop piano influences
like Kenny Kirkland and McCoy Tyner informed it's rhythmic angularity and
aggressiveness.”
One of the things that sets Han apart from most of her
contemporaries is her skill on the always distinctive Fender Rhodes. As the
title suggests, another Han original “Grüvy,” she playfully taps into that
super tasty, laid back Rhodes flavor, one that recalls the playing of Bob
James, but also nods again to Han’s musical education. “It’s an instrument that
has always been a part of the consciousness of my piano heroes, like Herbie
Hancock and Chick Corea. I wouldn’t say it has a pop vibe but it’s definitely
more mainstream,” says Han.
She acknowledges the influence of another one of her heroes,
Joe Henderson, by covering his “Shade of Jade” which was originally recorded on
his Mode For Joe album. Han explains, "The concept for the entire
arrangement is actually based on just four bars of Joe Chambers' polyrhythmic
comping on the head of the original recording.”
On CRIME ZONE, Han has staked her claim as a fresh new voice
on jazz piano, one whose sense of visual style might even draw audiences who
normally wouldn’t listen to straight-ahead jazz. “Even though jazz is meant to
be fearless in its creative limits, I strongly believe in preserving the
musical foundation,” Han states. “As a new artist, I want to show that it is
possible to create infinite fresh ideas without having to deconstruct the
building blocks of the jazz language. To me, that language is universal.”
Connie Han · CRIME ZONE
Mack Avenue Records · Release Date: October 12, 2018
