East/West Collective

East/West Collective

Matt Fullen (piano)

Weichung (drums)

Shih-Chun Lee (guitar)

Chih-Yang Hsieh (bass)

East/West Collective was started in the beginning of 2012. The original instrumentation consisted of drums, piano, and trumpet. After the group’s trumpet player moved to the US, Matt Fullen (piano) and Weichung (drums) asked Shih-Chun Lee (guitar) to join them. They focused on having a bass-less trio, opting for more freedom and a lighter texture. After a year of playing together, they decided to add bass to create a more full sound, choosing a bassist (Chih-Yang Hsieh) specifically for his ability to read subtle musical situations and match the dynamic of the group. E/WC plays almost solely original music, but does occasionally rework jazz standards using its own aesthetic.

The philosophy motivating the group is that jazz musicians can come together to manipulate fundamental musical ideas: melody, harmony, rhythm, form, timbre, dynamics, and texture. In addition, the group has its own style, both from its members’ musical personalities and from Matt Fullen’s original compositions, while at the same time they remain aware that style only shows the surface of the music and is not a limitation. The exciting question that East/West Collective tries to answer with each performance is how do four musicians playing “jazz” music manipulate the fundamental elements of music while improvising, taking musical risks, and communicating with each other in complex musical situations?

Show Starts: 9:30pm

Entrance Fee: FREE