“[Chen’s] understanding of music from the Eastern Hemisphere and the ways it’s fused to jazz melody is her unique skill as a singer, composer and leader… This clear-eyed fusion of East and West with an avant-garde twist is Chen’s contribution to contemporary currents of international jazz.” - DownBeat

Vocalist, composer, and bandleader Annie Chen has led ensembles varying from duos up to her current septet, and has performed her original music at major venues. Her original compositions which reveal a cohesive musical vision that integrates her influences from across traditional Chinese, Western classical, gospel, Middle Eastern, Eastern European and alternative rock music. Annie’s current focus is her Guardians project, combines her compositional sense of storytelling and imagery with an experimental improvisational vocabulary, representing an exciting new chapter in her creative output.