Notes
INTRODUCTION ---------------------- Ten years ago, a Taiwan-born songstress journeyed to New York City in the footsteps of Sarah Vaughn. What she found was a startling musical revelation that linked Harlem to Keelung Harbor, stretching through decades and generations of her own family past. Five years in the making, this stunning debut album by Macy Chen features both originals and classic Chinese songs that defined an era now faded in memory, re-interpreted by veteran New York musicians and delivered with heart-wrenching soul, by a voice that speaks to the truth and longing in us all. This album is a sterling work of Asian jazz diaspora, of which nothing is lost in translation. LINER NOTES ------------------- The production of this album was inspired by a true story that spans three generations; a grandfather and a granddaughter who never met each other but shared a surprisingly mirrored life in music. As a jazz musician in the 1930s, the grandfather left home for Japan, a burgeoning music hub, to pursue a life in music. Fast-forward to 2002, Liu's granddaughter, a talented singer, gave up her flourishing career in Taiwan to follow her passion for Jazz to New York City. It all started with Chin- Chang Liu. Liu was born in Chiayi, Taiwan in 1911, during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. He taught himself to play saxophone, clarinet and violin while attending high school. In 1935, he went to Japan to further his studies in music, but returned to Taiwan five years later to wed the woman who would soon follow him back to Japan. A year later, his wife returned to Taiwan to give birth to their first child. Liu returned for a quick visit to see his child but left for Japan again soon after. The outbreak of World War II separated Liu and his family for 17 years; it was 1958 when he saw his family again. In 1964, with no family or friends by his side, Liu passed away in Japan at age 53. Macy Chen, the granddaughter, was born in Nantou, Taiwan. Her mother taught her how to play the piano when she was a child. After graduating from Soochow University with a B.A. in Music, Macy realized she was uninspired by classical music. Macy decided to channel her creativity and love for singing into working with popular music. Her versatile talents and growing popularity in the music industry led to the release of her first solo album "Women" in 1996. Macy became a highly sought after vocal coach, chorus singer, and music producer for a number of well-known Asian pop stars. After much contemplation, she left Taiwan in 2002 for New York to pursue her true love, jazz. On the surface, their lives never crossed. Macy only met her grandfather through pictures of him playing the saxophone. He looked so young and vibrant. Macy often wondered about her grandfather's decision to give up everything for music. Forty years after her grandfather past away, Macy came to New York to achieve her dream of being a jazz musician. She was able to immerse herself in the essence of the style and acquired a higher level of musical achievements. Her passion and relentless persistence led to the successful debut of her first jazz album. Still, she wanted to know more about the man who took a journey so similar to hers. So, Macy traveled to Taiwan to look for records her grandfather left behind. Among the music scores he left behind, she found a hand written manuscript of "Harlem Nocturne" Liu prepared for his band. Coincidently, before this discovery, Macy had already remixed two timeless pieces "Harlem Nocturne" and "Caravan" into her own song "Harlem Fanatsia." Pursuing his passion for jazz, the 24-year-old Liu left Taiwan for the first time in 1935. In the end, he passed away alone in a foreign country. In 2010, 75-years later, his granddaughter Macy finished her debut jazz album, achieving her grandfather's unfinished dream. Connected through jazz music, the grandfather and granddaughter have been singing and creating beautiful music that will live through t
