Jazz saxophonist, vocalist, and composer Stephanie Chou will bring her distinctive blend of jazz and Chinese musical traditions to Friends of Music of Stamford when she and her ensemble perform later this month.
Chou describes her music as "my signature blend of Asian influences and jazz." A lifelong New Yorker, she draws on the sounds of her Chinese American heritage, combining traditional melodies and instruments with jazz improvisation.
"We've got a mix of well-known, popular Asian music, plus well-known jazz standards, plus my take on those arrangements and compositions," Chou said. "It's kind of this fusion of traditional and new, and East and West."
One of the ensemble's most distinctive voices is the erhu, a two-stringed Chinese bowed instrument performed by Andy Lin. Chou said the collaboration began simply by experimenting together.
"I asked Andy to come over, and we just started improvising and trying to fit the sounds together," she said. "What that has evolved into over the last 10 or 15 years is always thinking about ways to incorporate the erhu in ways that really highlight what it does best."
As both a composer and jazz performer, Chou balances carefully written music with spontaneous creativity. Some of her works are fully notated, while others leave room for the musicians to create in the moment.
"Sometimes we'll incorporate one completely improvised piece that we haven't even rehearsed," she said. "We're going to make it in that room with everybody there."
Growing up in Westchester County with a Taiwanese mother and Chinese grandparents, Chou says hearing Chinese music alongside American popular music felt completely natural.
"I grew up listening to rock music along with traditional Chinese music, folk songs, and Chinese opera," she said. "It was just part of the fabric of my listening experience as a child."
Those early musical influences continue to shape her approach as a performer. In addition to drawing on Chinese melodic traditions, she also colors the music with percussion such as woodblocks and gongs to evoke the sound of a traditional Chinese ensemble.
Joining Chou are Andy Lin on erhu and viola, pianist Hyuna Park, bassist Matt Aronoff, and drummer Ronen Itzik. Chou says the group's long musical relationships allow them to be especially adventurous on stage.
"I've played with all these people for many, many years," she said. "It's always fun to create music with people that you've played with for a long time because you know each other really well and, musically, can take more risks."
Stephanie Chou and her ensemble perform on Sunday, July 19, at 3 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 96 Main Street, Stamford, New York, presented by Friends of Music of Stamford. More information is available at https://friendsmusic.org. For more about Stephanie Chou, see https://www.stephaniechoumusic.com/