Any bandleader bold enough to imagine, via a sonically expansive jazz playground infused with hard ensemble swing and edgy rock fusion, “What if Ellington Didn’t Take the ‘A’ Train?” clearly demands our collective attention – and is thinking of the vistas jazz has yet to visit and conquer.
But when you listen to the debut album of the Jungsuu Choi Tiny Orkester’s debut album – a wildly adventurous 5 track, 45 minute romp celebrating the gorgeous harmonics and crazy-cool cacophonies of Choi’s 12 piece ensemble of all Korean musicians – don’t try to figure out when the “Tschuss Jazz Era” was. Apparently, we’re in it – and Choi, the longtime European based composer/arranger, is making it the time where we can finally “free jazz from jazz, without any labels.”