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Jo-Yu Chen

Jo-Yu Chen’s fourth trio album “Savage Beauty,” featuring special guest saxophonist Mark Turner, has been released on March 15, 2019 by Sony Music. She is the first Taiwanese jazz artist signed to a major record label, and has also joined the distinguished international roster of Steinway Artists. 

The title composition "Savage Beauty" was in memory of the British avant-garde fashion designer Alexander McQueen. “Musically, I’ve always wanted to express myself as delicate, dramatic, and playful but ultra-powerful. McQueen mixed strength and fragility to create a picture of an empowered woman warrior who is ultra-feminine yet powerful. I found myself deeply resonating with McQueen’s aesthetic approach and the dark romanticism of his style. I also respect how he challenged the market by staying true to himself as an artist in such a commercial and consumer lead fashion industry. “, says Chen. 

As an artist who pursues creativity and breaks the boundaries, Chen, along with this new album "Savage Beauty" release, starts exposing on various media platforms in Chinese speaking regions. Her new album “Savage Beauty” has been featured on Vogue and GQ fashion magazines and in addition, she is now in collaboration with one of the most luxurious supercars brand, McLaren.

British supercar McLaren has had continuous breakthroughs and innovations in the car technology. Wildness may be found in its elegance which matches the concept of Chen’s new album “Savage Beauty” perfectly. She combines the exquisiteness in classical music with uninhibited character of jazz to accomplish her uniqueness. Chen, similarly, matches the same spirit of McLaren. McLaren was born by the race track. It has obtained various success on the race track, later committed to a new field of cars production and continuously insists on pursuing perfection. 

McLaren’s supercar 570S Spider will also be exhibited in Chen’s concert at Opera House in Taiwan on May 23, 2019.  McLaren Taiwan will also attend to celebrate and support the new star in jazz music. Together they will bloom glamorously in their uniqueness and charm. 

Besides the collaboration with supercar McLaren, Jo-Yu’s concert in Taipei was collaborating with Italian luxury jewelry brand Bvlgari. Bvlgari’s jewelry is not only glamorous, but also exotic and wild which matches the concept of Jo-Yu’s new album “Savage Beauty.” Jo-Yu also was wearing Bvlgari’s jewelry during her concert and autograph session. She has set another new record in jazz world. In addition, Jo-Yu is now in a new collaboration with Danish high-end brand Bang & Olufsen (B&O).

A native of Taiwan, New York-based pianist and composer Jo-Yu Chen began her formal musical training on piano at the age of five. Later, at the age of nine she also began studying the oboe. Despite picking up a new instrument, she always remained deeply committed to the piano. After moving to New York City to study oboe and piano at the prestigious Juilliard School, she discovered a diverse musical scene thriving in the heart of the city and decided to take the leap from classical music to jazz. 

This adventure began when Chen enrolled in the New School to study Jazz for two years. During that time, she studied with some of today's great jazz piano masters, including Jason Moran, Sam Yahel, and Kevin Hays. While there, her talent was quickly recognized. 

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Album Review

Jo-Yu Chen: Savage Beauty

Read "Savage Beauty" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


La brava pianista taiwanese allieva di Kenny Barron e Jason Moran è tornata a incidere dopo quattro anni di silenzio, confermando il suo valore e le linee di fondo della sua estetica. Anche in quest'album Jo-Yu Chen aggiunge al suo stabile trio un ospite (Mark Turner prende il posto di Kurt Rosenwinkel) e conferma la co-produzione con Aaron Parks. Una piccola sorpresa viene dal look trendy e un po' sexy che la pianista mostra nelle foto in copertina ...

5
Album Review

Jo-Yu Chen: Savage Beauty

Read "Savage Beauty" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


The cover art of pianist Jo-Yu Chen's fourth album, Savage Beauty, is provocative and beautiful. So is the music. There is a sense of a “stepping up of the game," in terms of public persona and artistry. Chen has always taken the physical product—the hard copy of her CDs—seriously, beginning with her debut, Obsession (Sony Music Taiwan, 2009), through Incomplete Soul (Sony Music, 2012), then Stranger (Okeh, 2014). On Savage Beauty she embraces an over-the-top glamor mode in this regard, ...

3
Album Review

Jo-Yu Chen: Stranger

Read "Stranger" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Messasi in luce qualche anno fa con due ricercati lavori in piano trio per la Sony Music (Obsession e My Incomplete Soul) la pianista taiwanese Jo-Yu Chen, allieva di Kenny Barron, Jason Moran e Sam Yahel, pubblica il suo terzo disco confermando i partner ed entrando nella sussidiaria Okeh, storica etichetta molto attenta ai giovani talenti. Questo lavoro conferma il tocco limpido, il fraseggio cantabile, la sapienza armonica e l'attenzione della pianista per raffinati equilibri sonori ma ...

28
Album Review

Jo-Yu Chen: Stranger

Read "Stranger" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


The title of pianist Jo-Yu Chen's third album refers to strangers of two different sorts: those who were once strangers but became part of Chen's life, and those who took the reverse course. Chen notes that as a Taiwanese artist living in New York, she's often felt like a stranger herself. That may be the case, but her music never betrays that fact; she plays like an insider looking out, not the other way around. Stranger finds ...

27
Album Review

Jo-Yu Chen: Stranger

Read "Stranger" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


The short version of pianist Jo-Yu Chen's biography: Born in Taiwan, started with music in the classical realm, moved to New York to study oboe and piano at Julliard School, and fell under the spell of jazz. That's not an unusual back story in the world of jazz, with the exception of her Taiwanese roots. The pianist self-produced two CDs, Obsession (Sony Music Taiwan, 2010) and My Incomplete Soul (Sony Music, 2011), and now--as the first Taiwanese jazz artist signed ...

85
Album Review

Jo-Yu Chen: Obsession

Read "Obsession" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Japanese musicians get most of the ink when jazz sights turn to Asian-born wonders, but pianist Jo-Yu Chen is proof that Taiwan has its fair share of homegrown talent. Chen has been making waves over the past few years, self-releasing her Sam Yahel-produced debut, joining the fold as a Steinway Artist and, most recently, signing with Sony Music Taiwan. On Obsession, she shows no signs of slowing down, on a something-for-everyone program that can keep people guessing ...

Album Review

Jo-Yu Chen Trio: Incomplete Soul

Read "Incomplete Soul" reviewed by AAJ Italy Staff


Giunta al secondo disco, la pianista taiwanese conferma e perfeziona quanto aveva espresso nel precedente Obsession. Stessi partner e stesso produttore (Sam Yahel) per un lavoro nuovamente ricercato, in cui il talento strumentale si lega a quello compositivo. In Incomplete Soul troviamo sette temi a suo nome, tre momenti liberamente improvvisati, due motivi pop taiwanesi ("Chess" e “Red Bean") e un tema folk cinese. Segnali di vicinanza al proprio ambito culturale che la pianista sembra voler confermare sia evitando d'interpretare ...

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The first Taiwanese jazz pianist to be listed in the Steinway hall of fame: Jo-Yu Chen signed an exclusive artist contract with Sony Music Taiwan

The first Taiwanese jazz pianist to be listed in the Steinway hall of fame: Jo-Yu Chen signed an exclusive artist contract with Sony Music Taiwan

Source: Jo-Yu Chen

Jazz pianist Jo-Yu Chen, who has long made New York her home, was recently shortlisted as Steinway Artist and thus becoming the first Taiwanese jazz pianist to obtain this honor. At the end of 2010, she was featured prominently in the coverage of two American heavyweight jazz magazines: Downbeat and Jazziz. In addition to being featured in an exclusive interview on the March issue of Downbeat, her original jazz piano trio piece “Tears" was also included in the spring issue ...

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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Savage Beauty

Sony Music
2019

buy

Stranger

Okeh
2014

buy

Incomplete Soul

Sony Music
2012

buy

Obsession

Sony Music
2012

buy

Incomplete Soul

Blue Cat Blues Records
2012

buy

Incomplete Soul

Sony Music
2011

buy

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