YUHAN SU

OVER THE MOONS

Endectomorph Music

Yuhan Su, vibraphone/composer; Matt Mitchell, piano; Yingda Chen, guitar; Marty Kenney, acoustic & electric bass; James Paul Nadien, drums; Shinya Lin, electronics; Alex LoRe, alto saxophone/flute; Anna Webber, tenor saxophone/flute.

Yuhan Su is a Taiwanese vibraphonist.  “Over the Moons” is her fifth album release.  It features an eight-piece ensemble, interpreting Su’s original compositions with a flair for the Avant-garde and a blend of acoustic jazz and electronics.

In a search for dual consciousness, Yuhan Su uses these compositions to express her exploration of balancing two languages, two cultures and two identities simultaneously.  The ensemble opens with two English words pronounced exactly the same, yet having different meanings and different spellings. Perhaps this is a silent expression of her dual exploration in this music simply using words.  The tune is called, “Pieces Peace.”  It gives the saxophone a platform to shine upon. At first, Yuhan Su solos wildly on the vibraphone, pushed ahead by the power drums of James Paul Nadien. Those two rhythm instruments have an impressive musical conversation before the saxophone enters. Also, Matt Mitchell’s piano solo is exciting and noteworthy. I find myself intrigued by this opening Su composition.

“The majority of the compositions were written in February 2024, during my time at the Ucross Residency in Wyoming, one of the most inspiring and carefree creative periods I’ve ever experienced. Jeffrey Allen, a writer friend I met during my residency, introduced me to the idea of Dual/Double Consciousness. The feeling of having two identities housed within one’s mind.  This concept captured the feeling I’d been having regarding my Taiwanese and English identities, and when I began writing music for this album, I wanted the music to capture these colorful conflicts, while embracing the sweet chaos of it all,” Yuhan Su shared in her liner notes.

This music that Yuhan Su has written and recorded features her distinctive approach to vibraphone, employing pickup systems and effects pedals that allow for distortion and pitch manipulation.  These effects create a remarkable texture in her soundscape and enhance her instrument projection.

Yuhan Su was the recent winner of Taiwan’s Golden Melody Award for “Best Instrumental Composer.” She was also nominated for DownBeat Magazine’s Rising Star.

Her tune “Tomorrow” is a flurry of energy and excitement that flutters from my listening speakers like drunken birds.  This song embraces chaos as a vehicle of expression.  Her composition, “Two Moons” changes the mood with Yuhan Su offering a very tender solo on the vibraphone.  I find this tune to be beautiful, sensitive and hypnotic. Marty Kenney’s bass moves with precision in the background, but still is ever present and solidifying. Yingda Chen makes his guitar contribution evident, taking an improvised solo that blends like coffee and cream with Su’s vibraphone.

Here is an album of original compositions and ideas that combine cultures.  Yuhan Su brings something fresh and intriguing to her vibraphone music and arrangements.  She offers us the concept of a Dual Consciousness, inviting us into her world to experience her music and take a ride, “Over the Moons.”

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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