Asian Jazz Fusion Stephanie Chou Quintet at SFJAZZ Center Joe Henderson Lab

The adventurous saxophonist and singer presents Asymptote, a project combining traditional Chinese music and classical influences with American jazz and pop.

“One of New York’s most socially relevant and ambitious jazz talents” (New York Music Daily), the adventurous saxophonist and singer Stephanie Chou presents ASYMPTOTE, a resonant and harmonious project combining traditional Chinese music and classical influences with American jazz and pop.

A native New Yorker who began her path on the saxophone at the age of ten, Chou came into her own through her explorations the musical traditions of her Chinese heritage. Her recent project Comfort Girl is an examination of the tragic history of Chinese women abducted into sexual slavery by the Japanese military in World War II.

In 2016 DouMiao-Haricot Records released Chou’s entrancing album ASYMPTOTE, named for an analytic geometry term describing a line that approaches a curve but never meets it, features arrangements of Chinese traditional songs including “The Moon Represents My Heart,” “General’s Command,” “Kangding Love Song,” and a setting of a poem by 8th century poet Li Bai. In addition to the leader’s evocative saxophone and vocals, the recording boasts an impressive cast of exploratory jazz musicians including saxophonist David Binney, keyboardist John Escreet, and drummer Kenny Wollesen. She revisits this project for her debut at SFJAZZ.