Jo-Yu Chen's third album, "Stranger" featuring guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, has been released internationally on Okeh Records with Sony Music on Feb 14, 2014. She is the first Taiwanese jazz artist to be signed to a major record label and has also joined the distinguished international roster of Steinway Artists.

 

Chen has been featured in jazz magazines internationally. She received rave reviews in Downbeat, Jazziz, All About Jazz, Jazz Inside in the US and also appeared in Japanese magazines, such as “Jazz Japan” (formerly Swing Journal) as “Star of the Month”, and Jazz Critique (ジャズ批評) with an in-depth interview. Others include center fold publication in the Norwegian newspaper “Dagbladet”, Macao Daily News (China), Rolling Stone (France), Jazzman (France),  JAZZTHETIK (Germany),  Jazz thing (Germany), Mnet (Korea), MusicaJazz (Italia), All About Jazz Italia, Jazzflits (Netherlands), Dagens Næringsliv (Norway), Le Temps (Switzerland),  China Times News (Taiwan，China), and Muzik (Taiwan，China).

 

A native of Taiwan, New York-based pianist, and composer Jo-Yu Chen began her formal musical training on piano at the age of five. Later, at the age of nine, she also began studying the oboe. Despite picking up a new instrument, she always remained deeply committed to the piano. After moving to New York City to study oboe and piano at the prestigious Juilliard School, she discovered a diverse music scene thriving in the heart of the city and decided to take the leap from classical music to jazz.

 

 

Victor Bastidas received a Bachelor in Music from Florida International University with a full scholarship from the music department and performed with artists such as Michael Brecker, Paquito de Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, Ira Sullivan among many. He also graduated with honors from the Master of Music Program at the Northern Illinois University, with a full scholarship from the music department as well as a University Fellowship, and was part of the Rosebud scholars group at NIU. Victor Has played as a sideman with jazz artist such as Steve Cardenas, Vincent Gardner, Sherman Irby, Adam Larson, Samuel Torres, Reggie Thomas, Roy Assaf, Luques Curtis, Sam Barsh among many. As the director-composer and drummer of the De Paises Project Collective, he has recorded two albums in New York CityVictor also wrote music for "Coda for Freddie Blue" of Broadway play in NY, and the short Film Vanity in Miami.

From 2013 to 2017 Victor lived in Chicago performing regularly with De Paises Project, The Chicago Collective, the Adam Larson quartet, and the Reggie Thomas group. He Currently Teaches at The Contemporary Music Academy of Bejing in China where he performs regularly with the local and international artists coming through China.  Victor also performed at the season finale of The Rap of China season 2 with Artist Chris Wu and was recently guest with the Colombia Big Band in Bogota Colombia at Café and Libro Gallery showcase.

 

 

Piano: Jo-Yu Chen 

Drums: Victor Bastidas 

Bass: Daniel Zanker