Jen Shyu is an emerging singer/composer/dancer/pianist/violinist currently living in New York City. She is currently a member of Steve Coleman's Five Elements (www.m-mbase.com) band as well as leading her own group and working with dancers, artists, and poets -- Sekou Sundiata, Graham Haynes, Soomi Kim to name a few. Blossoming from the Asian American community in San Francisco, she has caught the attention of Wynton Marsalis, Von Freeman, Randy Weston, and Dr. Herb Wong, whose review of "For Now" is in the November/December 2002 issue of the International Association for Jazz Educators' Journal: 'JEN SHYU. "For Now," 4AM Music ANA2002. A new singer meriting close attention, Jen Shyu's jazz craft and sensibilities are contagious without pause on "For Now." With blithesome warmth she establishes a personal code of prompt connection and spirit. On this CD of 11 cuts, she draws on color, novel treatments, instrumental soloists, and energy of the total group. Their rapport shows up the effects of playing together as a collective for some two years in various configurations. Saxophonist Francis Wong, the lone horn player, is highly reputed for his captivating improvisations; he is responsible for motivating Shyu to sing in an open manner on "Lover Man," deserting the straight-ahead stance she previously adhered to on the tune. An unbounded mix of songs offers a spread of sources and challenges, illustrating Shyu's versatility and adventuresomeness. Some highlights include the percussive flavors on "Caravan," an atmospheric "Nature Boy" without signs of tethering to form but revealing Shyu's radar sensitivity to its lyric line and space, and the strong rhythmic feel of Summertime sticking out among countless other versions. Germane to her Asian cultural ties, her gentle voice is haunting on "Spring Flower Waiting For Dew." "Again" was catapulted as a 1954 Vic Damone hit record from the flick "Roadhouse"; Shyu does the tune more than justice. Complemented by a band of San Francisco Bay Area stalwarts--percussionist Jimmy Biala, bassist John-Carlos Perea, pianists Dee Spencer and Art Hirahara, plus Francis Wong, Jen Shyu meshes her soulfulness with integrity and elan. "For Now" is a bright forecast for later!' ~Dr. Herb Wong, "Jazz Perspectives," International Association for Jazz Education Journal, November/December 2002 Quotes from Wayne Wallace, Jon Jang, Anthony Brown, and Francis Wong about Jen Shyu's "For Now": "...engaging arrangements and empathy between the musicians at a high level. This is a very cool CD!" ~Wayne Wallace, composer and arranger "I love Jen Shyu's vocal rendition of the Chinese song "Spring Flower Waiting for Dew" because she sounds like a bell from faraway that is alone on an island surrounded by the sea." ~Jon Jang, pianist and composer "For those who have been astounded by her prodigious pianistic talents, Jennifer Shyu reveals herself to be a double musical threat with her debut recording as a vocalist. From torch song stylist to sultry chanteuse to Chinese folk songstress, Ms. Shyu commands a range of interpretive abilities on the eleven songs comprising FOR NOW. At once drawing from her classical training and then freely improvising on 'Summertime,' Jen Shyu demonstrates a rare versatility and soulfulness. Her treatment of standards such as 'The Way You Look Tonight' and 'Nature Boy' showcase her creative and collaborative rapport with her musicians including Francis Wong, Art Hirahara, John-Carlos Perea and Jimmy Biala." ~Anthony Brown, percussionist and educator "One of the joys of being a resident artist in the SF Bay Area community is seeing the resurgence of young new artists coming here to do their work. It's been such a pleasure getting to know Jennifer Shyu and working with her on this project. Jen combines an open mind and an open heart with tremendous clarity and drive. I'm very thankful to Jen for drawing out a new voice for me in her choice of my soprano for most of the tracks. I really enjoy her phrasing and ability to let the moment happen; we always have a great musical conversation. Jennifer Shyu has gotten a lot done in a short amount of time and had a large impact in the community here in San Francisco. FOR NOW comes from a very rich experience with family, friends, school, the arts community and her musical collaborators. We are all very lucky to be a part of such a heartfelt offering." ~Francis Wong, composer and activist JEN SHYU'S BIO: Born in Peoria, Illinois March 28, 1978 from Ana Lay of East Timor and Shyu, Tsu-pin of Taiwan, Jen Shyu began ballet training with the Peoria Ballet Company (PBC) at age 6, piano at 7 from Lew Brandes followed by Roger Shields (student of Soulima Stravinsky, Igor Stravinsky's son), and violin at 8 from Ruth Livingston followed by Mihai Craioveanu. Her early accomplishments include dancing the role of Clara and other roles "en pointe" with the PBC; serving as concertmaster of the Central Illinois Concert Orchestra at age 10; performing as piano soloist Tschaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, 3rd movement with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra at age 13; placing 6th at age 9 and later in the Finals at age 15 at the Stravinsky International Piano Competition, playing piano solo works by Bach, Beethoven, Stravinsky, and Chopin; being the youngest student at Yale University's Summer Drama Program at 16; serving as Illinois' Junior Miss her senior year of high school and winning the Miss America Talent Scholarship at America's Junior Miss with piano. With classical dance and instrumental training in her system, Jen began singing at age 12 when, at her mother's suggestion, she auditioned for her local theater company's production of the musical Cinderella. From that point, she developed a love for the stage, further fed by her role as Diana Morales in her local theater company's production of A Chorus Line at age 16. It was musical theater repertoire which introduced her to the music of composers George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerry Herman, Jerome Kern, and Stephen Sondheim, all of whom led her to discover the great interpreters of their songs - Billie Holliday, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Betty Carter, and then to presently playing along with and studying solos of Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Von Freeman, Woody Shaw, Booker Little, John Coltrane, Nat King Cole, Stuff Smith, and countless others. In high school, Jen began classical vocal training under Dr. Kerry Walters. During the summer of her junior year of high school, Jen was a soloist with the U.S. Collegiate Choir on a three-week European tour at 17, singing in venues in Holland, France, Italy, England, and Germany. With initial intentions of studying drama, she attended Stanford University and received a B.A. in Vocal Performance under Jennifer Lane. Piano and dance teachers there included pianist Thomas Schultz and dancers Robert Moses (jazz/modern), Tony Kramer (contact improvisation), and Susan Cashion (Latin American dance). She studied Psychoacoustics at Oxford University, England during her junior year through the Stanford-at-Oxford program. During her eight months overseas, she performed in London and at the Bath Abbey with the professional choir, Joyful Company of Singers, and with the Arcadian Singers and Merton and Queens College Chapel Choirs of Oxford. She also studied opera and art song with Nick Clapton of the Royal Academy of Music, Philip Cave of the Tallis Scholars, Vera Rosza, and Mitsuko Shirai, Hartmut Höll, and Barbara Ann Martin at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. En route toward a classical singing career, she studied at the Lake Placid Institute with Phyllis Bryn-Julson, Susan Webb, Ian Partridge, John Wustman, and Myron MacPherson immediately after graduating. She had sung some jazz with a quartet at Café Nights on Stanford campus, but studying at the Stanford Jazz workshop that same summer under Madeline Eastman and Mark Murphy convinced her to explore her voice in improvized music before jumping into opera conservatory training. There she met Dafnis Prieto, Yosvany and Yunior Terry who inspired her to study music and dance in Cuba. During her three years in San Francisco, Jen worked as a Producer at Thick Description, an alternative theater company led by Tony Kelly, and was Development Director at Other Minds, Inc., a contemporary music organization which produces San Francisco's only international new music festival. She met Francis Wong in October of 2000, an important community leader and mentor to many artists. She credits him with steering her toward doing creative work based on her culture and ancestry. In April 2001, Jen traveled to Cuba through Plazacuba.com where she studied folkloric and salsa dance, singing, percussion, and piano from Andres Alen at La Escuela Nacional de Arte. Her experience there has led to her integration of Asian and African elements in her research and work. Jen also worked extensively with Francis Wong's Gathering of Ancestors and music and dance ensemble Red Jade comprising John-Carlos Perea, Melody Takata and co-directors Jimmy Biala and Lenora Lee. She was also a member of Jimmy Biala's Latin jazz ensemble Con Alma and performed with them at the San Jose Jazz Festival August 2002. Jen also performed at the Asian American Jazz Festival and Soko Arts Festival. Also while living in the Bay Area, she worked with pianists Jon Jang, Art Hirahara, rapper AK Black, and sang on the albums of alto saxophonists Doug Yokoyama and Lewis Jordan. Through Asian Improv aRts. Jen was also awarded a California Arts Council Next Generation grant along with poet Matthew Shenoda and dancer Sevenju Pepper. In December of 2003, Jen began studying improvisation and musical concepts with Steve Coleman which eventually led to her singing on his album Lucidarium (Label Bleu, 2004). Since singing and playing violin with him at the Marciac Jazz Festival in August 2003, Jen has moved to New York and is currently singing with Steve Coleman and Five Elements as well as developing her own music and research ranging from Taiwanese music to taking trips to Chicago to sing with Von Freeman at the New Apartment Lounge to following Dianne McIntyre's footsteps in solidifying the connection between musicians and dancers. Research: At the encouragement of Francis Wong and Steve Coleman, Jen travelled to Taiwan in March and April of 2003 to research Taiwanese folk and aboriginal music. With the help of Professor Wu, Rong-shun of National Institute for the Arts and urbanized Amis tribe descendents, she collected music from the 10 remaining tribes of Taiwan. With the help of both Professor Chien, Shan-Hua and Professor Chang, Chen-Lan of National Taiwan Normal University and Professor Zhong at Tainan Normal University, collected folk music from Pingtung, the southern region of Taiwan. She then travelled to Cuba in June 2003 to attend the Sixth International Theoretical Conference on Chinese Overseas Emigration and to do research on the Chinese-Cuban community, thus beginning her research and comparative studies of the Chinese Diaspora. She worked with Yrmina Eng, who founded the Promoting Group of Chinatown in 1994 and Maria Teresa Montes de Oca Choy, professor of Asian Studies at the University of Havana. The Promoting Group and Maria Teresa work together to organize the International Conference on Overseas Chinese Emigration every other year. Another of Jen's mentors, Professor Ling-chi Wang of University of California at Berkeley, had organized a conference there in 1998 on a wide variety of issues involving Cuba and the United States (agriculture, literature, music, minorities, women, etc.). He then helped organize another conference in Havana in December 1999 at the University of Havana which concerned the Chinese in Latin America and the Caribbean. Jen also travelled to Brazil for two months researching Brazilian music and studying a Brazilian technique of dance from Rosangela Silvestre and Vera Passos. Along with doing research on qi gong and healing sounds, Jen is currently composing and developing ideas on vocal and dance improvisation.