Reviews of Winter Nocturnes
​
Winter Nocturnes is a collection of 10 compositions written for jazz ensemble (saxophone, guitar, piano, bass, and percussion). The collection contains five original compositions composed by Dr. Lai: “Winter Blues,” written in traditional blues form; “Snow Dancing,” a lyric up-tempo ballad set in a bossa-nova rhythm; “Bitter Sweet,” a slow ballad with long, expressive melodic lines; “Ice Breaking,” an up-tempo composition with a modern, almost atonal, harmonic scheme; and “Peaceful Reflections” (alternate title: “Winter Nocturne”), another slow ballad. I have found that some academic composers from outside the US, and indeed some academic composers who are native to this country, have problems when they attempt to write jazz (or jazz-based) compositions: the compositions contain some of the obvious surface attributes of jazz, but fail to capture the full flavor of the music—the subtleties of inflection that mark a solid connection to the blues and gospel ancestry of jazz. Dr. Lai’s jazz compositions, on the other hand, fully capture the flavor, the idiomatic subtleties, of authentic mainstream jazz.
David Butler
Professor Emeritus of Music Theory
School of Music
Associate Dean (retired)
College of the Arts
The Ohio State University
​
"Winter Nocturnes" is a very good production of some interesting music! Sheung-Ping's compositions are excellent and reflect a good understanding of jazz harmony and form. The performances on the CD are excellent and present the music very well. Her choice of harmonies is very natural and yet sometimes surprising in a very interesting way! She has a fresh approach to jazz composition and I enjoyed listening to the album!
Dan Haerle
Professor Emeritus of Jazz Studies
University of North Texas
​
I found your compositions well constructed, melodically and harmonically interesting. I also think that there is a natural progression from one tune to the next. Finally, it takes a great deal of time and effort to record a CD – developing the material, organizing and rehearsing a band, working with a sound engineer, editing, mastering, liner notes, packaging and more. You have done an excellent job with all especially considering this is your first project. The academic world in which you and I work often struggles to define research and creative activity by performers and composers, especially in areas such as jazz and more popular styles. Many, outside and even inside the music world, often do not recognize how a recording such as this is equivalent to more traditional publications – say a book, journal articles and the like. Winter Nocturnes would be recognized by most, if not all, universities in the United States as a most worthy research project/publication. I hope that this experience will lead you to others because I would like to encourage you to continue composing in a variety of idioms, including jazz. Congratulations on a job very well done.
​
Michael A Tracy
Professor of Music
Director, Jamey Aebersold Jazz Studies Program
University of Louisville
​
​
The CD includes a combination of original compositions and jazz standards covering a broad range of musical forms, styles, and rhythmic feels. Dr. Lai's arrangements are well-conceived, her compositions are outstanding and dynamic, and her leadership of the ensemble is equally evident. The production is executed beautifully, including all aspects of the production values: performance, mix, tracking, and mastering. This CD easily stands next to any of the best CDs of the last few years which attempt to cover, in a similar way, a broad swath of the jazz tradition.
For all these reasons I believe that "Winter Nocturnes" is a world class demonstration of jazz performance, production, composition, and arranging.
Furthermore, given Dr. Lai's background as a composer of "contemporary classical music", her background outside the U.S.- far from the birthplace of jazz- her work demonstrates an even more considerable achievement, for she obviously worked later in life to study and master a musical tradition which was in same ways foreign to her background. This is a testament to her dedication, hard work, and considerable talent.
Her knowledge as a composer of contemporary classical music, music theory, and jazz music, not to mention her work in music education, establishes her in a very small group of experts in the world with such a unique knowledge base and combination of skill sets.
Christian Howes
Jazz Violinist
Founder of the Creative Strings Academy
Creative Strings Workshop
Former Associate Professor
Berklee College of Music
​
Winter Nocturnes is an excellent CD with wonderful compositions and fine performances by all of the musicians involved. It is a welcome addition to the jazz community!
David Threlkeld
Coordinator
Jazz and Instrumental Music Studies
University of the Cumberlands
I really like and enjoy your new CD, Winter Nocturnes. I like playing it and listening to it. The writings of your jazz compositions seem to be very fresh and interesting. Also I like the compositions and performances by Mr. Billups and Mr. Stephens. Keep up the good work. I will look forward to listening to more of your compositions in the near future. It is a great CD to play for friends as well. Just recently I had some friends over for dinner and played it while we visited and it set a great back ground for a wonderful evening. Please let me know if you ever have a new release. Best to your future.
Chip Maillet
Producer, WIOI Radio