Annie Chen Septet | Rozpacz (live)

🚨 Available now!
anniechen.band...
✨ Follow Annie on Instagram
/ anniechenjazz
✨ Follow Annie on Facebook
/ anniechenjazz
✨ Subscribe to Annie's newsletter
annie-chen.bee...
✨ Checkout Annie's personal website
anniechenjazz.com
“Rozpacz (Despair)” was written by Zbigniew Namyslowski, a Polish jazz composer and multi-instrumentalist who passed away in February 2022. In the tune’s anguished expressiveness I found an unexpected connection to the tragic storytelling of the Beijing Opera. I adapted the lyrics from the classic Beijing opera “Farewell My Concubine,” in which a king is besieged by his enemies; in the context of the core message, the timeworn romance becomes a cautionary tale of living on a planet faced with environmental catastrophe.
Recorded live at ShapeShifter Lab on December 3rd, 2023 by Matthew Garrison, Mixed by Marius Duboule, Video and Edited by Kuo-heng Huang.
Annie Chen - vocal
Rafal Sarnecki - arrangement
Marius Duboule - guitar
Alex LoRe - flute
Fung Chern Hwei - violin
Jacob Sacks - piano
Jeong Lim Yang - bass
Satoshi Takeishi - drums
--
Annie Chen's newest album Guardians was released on February 23, 2024 on JZ Music, features Alex LoRe on saxophone, Fung Chern Hwei on Violin, Vitor Gonçalves on piano, Marius Duboule on guitar, Mathew Muntz on bass and Satoshi Takeishi on drums.
The band is an explosive combination of nationalities and cultural backgrounds (Chinese, Brazilian, Japanese, Swiss, French, American and Malaysian) brought together with a focus on orchestration, sound texture, energy and improvisation. Centered around the suite titled “Guardians”, the band critically examines humanity's impact on the planet and animal life, delving into complex relationship between humans and nature.
Through thematic and sometimes theatrical compositions, the band navigates the drama of modern society, addressing crises, loss and the potential for hope.

[@gregdrygala8184]

Annie, I grew up listening to this piece of music multiple times, back in time, when I was still living in Poland. I have to tell you that your interpretation is simply staggering, it is hard to describe in just a few words how deeply it touched me and how many cords it pulled in my soul.

[@anniechen2872]

Thank you so much Greg for your kind words !! I will release the new album in a couple of days, including this song and another Polish song called "Rosemary's Lullaby" (sing in Mandarin lyrics). Check it out on my bandcamp!

[@gregdrygala8184]

@@anniechen2872, I know :)