JASON KAO HWANG – “HUMAN RITES TRIO” – True Sound Recordings
Jason Kao Hwang, violin/composer; Ken Filiano, string bass; Andrew Drury, drums.
by Dee Dee McNeil, Musical Memoir's Blog
The music of violinist and composer, Jason Kao Hwang is totally Avant-garde. His drummer, Andrew Drury, holds this trio tenaciously in his hands. Within the harmonic texture of guitar or piano, Drury is a key figure controlling the motion and the structure on each tune. From their interpretation of “Words Asleep Spoken Awake – Part 1 and 2” you hear Drury’s punctuation and crescendo-building phrasing on the trap drums. While Jason is busy with improvisation and the melodic foundation, Andrew Drury pumps energy and excitement into the pieces. Ken Filiano is solidly onboard, rowing his big bass sound through the waves of music, like a thick, directional oar. Although they sometimes direct the vessel of their music into uncharted waters and often express chaos, like in a stormy sea, their musicianship is palpable. if contemporary Avant-garde is your thing, you’ll put on your life jacket and dive into this project.