Steve Coleman & Five Elements live at 24th International Jazzfestival Viersen 2010

Steve Coleman (as)
Jonathan Finlayson (tp)
Jen Shyu (voc)
Miles Okazaki (g)
David Bryant (p & keyb)

recorded live at Jazzfest Viersen, September 25, 2010

1. Formation

Steve's latest CD entitled "Harvesting Semblances and Affinities" features Coleman’s band Five Elements, a shifting group of musicians, many of whom have worked with Coleman for years. The band features Coleman on alto sax, Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Tim Albright on trombone, Thomas Morgan on bass, Tyshawn Sorey on drums and Jen Shyu on vocals. Completely defying the traditional role of jazz singing, Coleman puts Shyu’s voice right into the front-line mix, demanding the rhythmic incisiveness and tonal clarity of a horn. Her vocals – with its precise and beautifully nuanced articulation – bring an emotional element to this complex and cutting-edge music while pushing the possibilities of jazz singing into new territory.