迷 Mai
- Details
- Published Date
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TITLE: |
迷 Mai |
| ARTIST: | Unique(Angelita Li) | |
| WRITER: |
David SO | |
| Angelita LI's "MAI" (under the name of Unique) is truly unique in the Hong Kong Jazz history. It has been one of my favorite local jazz CDs since 1996. Not only its unpolished quality and live recording in Warehouse that impress me but also its bold attempt in achieving cross-fertilization in putting Jazz in Mandarin. | ||
| When we say Jazz tradition, we are always referring to the American Jazz tradition. But with the rise of postmodern conditions where pluralistic art forms and mass media prevail, is Jazz more than that? "MAI" proves that Jazz can be extended beyond the American-based frontier and can even be sung in Mandarin. Then how can "MAI" be distinguished from some Cantonese pop songs self-claimed as jazzy with emotional saxophone solos? The main difference is seemingly simple but fundamental: improvisation and swinging rhythm permeates through "MAI". Angelita scats in Mandarin throughout her songs in even some standards like "Misty" and "Bye Bye Birdland" in Mandarin. Angelita's Mandarin scatting is particularly refreshing to us the Chinese. In fact, it is astonishing given that Jazz is equated with the American's Classical Music and that we are used to the American-moded scatting like Ella Fitzgerald. When hearing Angelita's scatting in Mandarin, the experience is totally new but close. Before "MAI", we cannot possibly say that we can also swing along the Chinese songs because in the self-claimed Cantonese pop songs, there is no scatting or swinging rhythm. Furthermore, "MAI" also gives us a glimpse of the musicians' interactive playing by including their "rehearsals". The "Rehearsal" (1) & (2) record the spontaneous and unrestrained playing of the guitarist (Eugene PAO) in the state of spontaneity and absolute concentration as if following the Monk's Principle (as coined by Kenny Werner in describing Thelonious Monk as the Master of Wrong Notes who was not being afraid of playing wrong notes as he had the determination of turning them into his most beautiful notes). Angelita's bitter-sweet scatting in Mandarin is not only touching in terms of its music quality but also unprecedented in proving the future of Jazz in the Chinese music territory. |
迷 Mai