MAKING A SCENE
THE #1 RESOURCE FOR THE INDEPENDENT ARTIST AND THE FANS THAT LOVE THEM!
JANUARY 14, 2023
Richie Goods & Chien Chien Lu
Connected Vol. 1
Richman Music
Renowned bassist Richie Goods and respected vibraphonist Chien Chien Lu are documenting what looks to be the first in a series of collaborations. You may have already heard some of their work as “We Three Kings” was released in the Fall of 2020 and “Rain,” which appears here on the full length, in December of 2021. Connected Vol. 1 is their first complete album, one themed on unity and focused on undeserved violence against African American and Asian communities. Most of the compositions are co-written and they are performed with a slew of supporting musicians and guests with guitarist Quintin Zoto, drummer Lil John Roberts, and percussionist Danny Sadownick among the most prominent as Lu plays vibes and marimba and Goods plays mostly electric bass, saving the upright for two of the tracks. Other guests include vocalists Sy Smith, Jamison Ross and Pastor Dr. Adolfus Lacey, drummers Allan Mednard and David Frazier Jr., keyboardist Big YUKI, Shedrick Mitchell on organ and piano, Brett Williams on keys and Rhodes and Mike King on Rhodes and organ.
The ethereal “Water” begins with Lu’s mysterious blend of vibes and marimba before vocalist and co-writer Sy Smith steps in with vocal, floating above the undulating undercurrent and Goods’ bubbling electric bass. The backdrop becomes quite dense with the swirl of electric guitar and Mitchell’s work on both piano and organ. “Treasure Mountain” is the lengthiest track, slightly over eight minutes, purely instrumental, powered by Goods’ electric bass and is somewhat similar in instrumentation except that Brett Williams is the keyboardist and its percussion centricity owes to drummer Frazier Jr. and percussionist Sadownick. Lu delivers the spacey effects via both her instruments, conversing in animated fashion with Williams. Big Yuki, a key member of Antonio Sanchez’s Bad Hombre unit, is featured on the uplifting, flowing “Embrace the Now” as Goods steps forward with his electric bass as if wading through the cloudy, misty shrouds created by the keyboardist and guitarist Zoto as some psychedelic effects wrap around Lu’s vibe statement.
We hear Goods on the acoustic bass as well as the voices of the two co-leaders on the two interlude tracks, the first of which is “2021 Interlude,” where they reflect on Asian hate crimes. “Rain” is a cover of the popular R&B vocal trio SWV ‘90s hit, complete with a sample from Jaco Pastorius’ “Portrait of Tracy.” Goods solos deliberately on electric, carrying the indelible melody, later bowing to solos from Lu and a bluesy turn from Zoto with Mitchell adding his organ as if to simulate waves. The second of the interludes, “Rain Interlude” follows, much akin to the first.
“Dull Ice Flower” is based on a 1989 Taiwanese film based on a novel of the same title. The film’s backdrop is socio-political as its story depicts a talented young artist whose brilliance is not recognized until after he lives. Lil John Roberts and Mike King join the band as Goods again wields his distinctive electric bass while Roberts and Sadownick take a heavy percussive tact. Yet another cover is Donny Hathaway’s “Someday We’ll All Be Free,” perhaps the most accessible and recognizable tune here, delivered with the soul of guest vocalist Jamison Ross and a freewheeling solo from Lu in keeping with the theme of the song. The project closes with “Someday Interlude,” this time with Goods on electric and the singular voice Pastor Adolphus Lacey, who delivers the most direct statement on unity, envisioning a future world where race, politics, gender identification and religion are no longer polarizing obstacles.
Goods and Lu have craftily blended jazz and R&B to deliver a provocative statement with a gentle ambience that speaks to the peaceful world they long for.
Jim Hynes
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Time runs fast. Four years ago, we covered the first Savoy JAZZFest at the historical venue of the Savoy Theater next to the Esplanade Park in Helsinki, but it feels like yesterday.
This year at the fifth festival we focused our coverage on one concert that we thought could be nice but, in fact, turned out to be one the best jazz performances this writer has witnessed live. (Some may call this type of music jazz fusion, but we think that what started as “pure jazz” has evolved in so many directions that these days “jazz” is just an umbrella term for all kinds of funky, soulful and swinging improvisational music.)
Bassist Richie Goods, vibraphonist Chien Chien Lu, drummer Tim “Smithsoneon” Smith, pianist Miki Hayama and guitarist Quintin Zoto left an indelible effect on the listeners with the group they formed during the pandemic in the United States of America and decided to call Connected.
While Chien Chien Lu is a Taiwanese-born lady who later moved to New York, and who’s been called the “vibraphone rising star,” and who already was a rising comet as a classical percussionist in Asia, Goods is known for having played with Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Lenny White and others.
So, yeah, that sounds good on paper and billboard, but on stage at the Savoy, they immersed into stone-cold-bold original compositions and skillfully reimagined the cover songs.
There’s something extraterrestrial in the way Lu embraces the vibes. She smoothly switches between two and four mallets (holding two in each hand). She’s observant; acknowledgeable of who’s doing what; precise like a painter of realism but wild like Picasso.
Interestingly, she oozes calm while playing on an album. On stage, she pours energy and elegance into every number.
Some of the group’s hauntingly beautiful originals included “Water” that Lu said is based on a thought that whatever the world throws upon us “we should aim to be like water.” Both Lu and Bruce Lee got it right!
Connected turned Roy Ayers’ “We Live in Brooklyn Baby” into one of the funkiest tunes heard in our land of thousand lakes where summer is short and imagination runs high. No one in the audience missed the repetitive lyrics of the original: We live in Brooklyn baby / We live in Brooklyn baby / We try to make it baby. …
Instead, the group focused on the neck-jerking groove and melody that each and every player chillied up with fantastic solos. Oh, the pleasure, the pleasure!
“Someday We’ll All Be Free,” a cover of the late soul legend Donny Hathaway, got a facelift when Lu connected with Hayma’s rubato, and when the drummer Tim “Smithsoneon” Smith broke into song with silky smooth vocals, some folks in the crowd barely remembered to breathe.
When after playing for about an hour and a half and it was time to wrap it up, Connected earned a standing ovation.
Some members of the crowd were still gasping heavily during the applause, only to relax later at the meet-and-greet with Lu and Goods, where they sold and signed CDs.
Connected‘s performance definitely counts as one of the best jazz concerts this writer has ever heard live.
J. Michael Harrison's Hot Five of 2023
WRTI Your Classical and Jazz Source | By J. Michael Harrison
Published December 15, 2023 at 7:00 AM EST
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Without question, 2023 gave us some great music. From new releases and debuts to limited reissues and archival finds, there was something special for almost anyone.
We asked our jazz hosts to give us their five favorite tracks of 2023, so have a listen and read what they have to say. With pleasure, we present WRTI's Hot Fives.
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Richie Goods & Chien Chien Lu, “Dull Ice Flower”
Chien Chien Lu and Richie Goods’ connected project was born during the darkest days of the pandemic and has emerged as a bit of a silver lining. Their wonderful debut release features quite a few selections that I enjoy, but their “Dull Ice Flower” has generated an elevated level of excitement and continues to provide bright moments each time I hear it.
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