AUDIO FLIES - The Metropolitan

spotlight! Chinese Jazz
Dave Liang
The Shanghai Restoration Project
(Undercover Culture Music, 2006)
By Joe Nguyen
nguyejos@mscd.edu

     Sometimes it takes something old to create something new.
     Inspired by the 1930s jazz bands from Shanghai, music producer Dave Liang builds a foundation of the modern, Western sounds of jazz, hip-hop, and R&B and infuses it with an assortment of traditional Chinese instruments in The Shanghai Restoration Project.
     Liang masterfully produces an aesthetically pleasing body of work. With vocals from a number of artists accompanying the tracks, the album creates the feeling of a trendy, upscale lounge.
     On Shanghai, Liang uses the traditional Chinese sounds subtly, as a complement to his contemporary sound. A bamboo flute called the dizi, a two-string violin called the erhu, and a 21-string Autoharp called the gu zheng are among the instruments that flavor the album.
     The lyrics are either hit or miss. Some songs, such as “Babylon of the Orient,” are overly simplistic. After the first 45 seconds, it’s apparent the singer wants everyone to “Just holla.” Fortunately, the track’s infectious melody and head-nodding beats make the words irrelevant.
     Others, such as “Jessfield Park,” contain deep, powerful lyrics. Combined with poignant plucking from the gu zheng, a moving piano line, and deep, tranquil beats, the song hits the inner sanctum of the soul.
     “ The Bund,” featuring the vocal talents of Shayna Steele, is the best song on the album. Its intricate lyrics merged with sharp string sounds, deep beats and a bright, wavering synth line produces a soothing feel. Then halfway through, it becomes almost an entirely new song. The deep beats are the only things that remain, as a jazzy piano melody enters and Steele begins scatting.
     It is often difficult to find a sound that isn’t a carbon copy of something else. With its innovative sound, Dave Liang’s The Shanghai Restoration Project is a refreshing change of pace.