Paige Su (蘇珮卿), who performs on Wednesday at Legacy Taipei, is anything but your typical singer-songwriter, at least if this label conjures up the image of a solitary bard standing in front of a mic pouring her heart out while strumming an acoustic guitar.
Su has the composure and voice of a jazz diva (dark-toned, honey-sweet and pitch-perfect), and instead of wielding a guitar, she often sits on stage strumming a harp, an instrument that harkens to her classical background.
But, as many singer-songwriters tend to be, Su is a restless musician with eclectic tastes, and this is reflected in her sophisticated jazz pop sound.
Photo courtesy of Paige Su
The 29-year-old Taipei native possesses a love for Debussy and Bach that stems from her classical training, which she started at age 8. She travels to India regularly to feed an obsession for South Indian classical music, which she learned on the side as a double major in flute and harp performance at the University of North Texas College of Music. And Su loves rock and pop; her live repertoire includes songs by Bjork, Radiohead, Tom Waits, the Beatles and Fiona Apple, as well as the occasional Taiwanese folk song.
“I’m a little weird, I can’t settle down on one style,” she quipped during an interview with Live Wire earlier this week.
Su writes in both English and Chinese (more of the latter lately), and her lyrics deal with what she describes as an “inner world.” The song lyrics on her three-track EP Upside Down (格格不入, reviewed in the Oct. 30, 2011, edition of the Taipei Times) have a poetic simplicity that flows effortlessly thanks to Su’s keen arranging skills.
Su says she used to fret over the fact that her musical interests were all over the map. As a teenager, she was afraid to admit, as a classical piano student, that she loved Coldplay. Upon returning to Taipei from the US in 2007, she says she hated answering the question: “What kind of music do you do?” There was no easy answer for a classically-trained musician who also could play jazz, was interested in music from the subcontinent and secretly wanted to write her own songs.
“But when I really realized that I really do love singing, there was no need to feel embarrassed about doing what I wanted to do,” she said.
Su plans to release a follow-up EP to Upside Down later this year, which she says will have a pared-down feel and emphasize her voice and the harp.
Wednesday’s show is part of a six-show series at Legacy Taipei, which happens every two months. The concert features a collaboration with her husband, percussionist Cody Byassee, pianist Oren Dashti and expat jazz bassist Martijn Vanbuel of the Golden Melody Award-winning group Orbit Folks.
■ 8:30pm Wednesday at Legacy Taipei, Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), Center Five Hall (中五館), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號). Admission is NT$500
Fresh from the release of its new EP, Popular Wasteland, Roxymoron plays at Underworld (地下社會) tonight. It’s a safe bet that the expat rock trio will perform songs from Popular, a four-song showcase that demonstrates the band’s peppy, propulsive grooves, sweet guitar noise and a noir-ish, lo-fi rock spirit. Also on the bill tonight is indie-electronica band Heartones (心電樂).
■ 9pm tonight at Underworld (地下社會), B1, 45 Shida Rd, Taipei City (台北市師大路45號B1). Admission is NT$300
Tomorrow, one of Taipei’s favorite ska bands, Skaraoke, plays at Sappho de Base, a venue that bandleader Thomas Hu (胡世漢) says practically guarantees a good time. “It’s fun for the musicians that play there,” the trombonist said. Translation: the lounge bar loves a good party, and don’t be surprised if the musicians, not to mention the patrons, get tipsy pretty fast. (Live Wire reminds revelers not to drink and drive — let taxis be your chariots). Hu says that fans can expect the band’s first full-length album to be released later this fall.
■ 10:30pm tomorrow at Sappho de Base, B1, 1, Ln 102, Anhe Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市安和路一段102巷1號B1). Admission is NT$200
Social dance lovers in Taipei have long been able to tango and salsa. Lately, more are starting to realize that “swing is the thing.” Several swing clubs have started up in Taipei in recent years, which have injected some fresh energy into the live blues and jazz scene. Expect to see a crew dancing to live jug band music and vintage blues and jazz by The Muddy Basin Ramblers (the band of yours truly) tomorrow at Taipei Artist Village.
■ 8:30pm tomorrow at TAV Cafe, 7 Beiping E Rd, Taipei City (台北市北平東路7號), tel: (02) 3393-7377 X207. Admission is NT$350
It’s hard to beat an evening at a restaurant run by two musicians who make great food. Spanish restaurant La Caja de Musica (樂盒子) hosts shows every Saturday at its tiny but charming space in a residential neighborhood near the Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei (台北當代藝術館). Tomorrow, the restaurant’s expat proprietors, Luis Miguel Hernando Sahagun and Ramses del Cura Nogal, perform with their band Jaleo!. The music is Latin-infused reggae, and the band’s description of the music as “pure energy and passion” is right on the mark.
■ 8:30pm tomorrow, La Caja de Musica, Alley 3, Ln 138, Changan W Rd, Taipei City (台北市長安西路138巷3弄18號), tel: 0920-885-996 or 0975-330-741. Admission is NT$250
The Wall has post-rock and instrumental music fans covered on Tuesday with two top-notch groups. The venue hosts Maybeshewill, a UK group passing through on its Asian tour, and local experimental electronica pioneers KbN.
■ 8pm Tuesday, The Wall, B1, 200 Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1). Admission is NT$1,300 (NT$1,100 in advance)
For those who like to enjoy live music in the great outdoors, the Hsinchu Farm Jam takes place on June 16 and 17. This expat-run event, which features live music and vendors serving homemade food, takes place at Kenyuan (墾園) recreational park in Sinpu Township (新埔鎮). For details, search for “Hsinchu Farm Jam” on Facebook.
■ From 2pm June 16 to 2pm June 17, at 172, Ln 530, Yimin Rd, Sinpu Township, Hsinchu County (新竹縣新埔鎮義民路二段530巷172號). Admission is NT$200 (camping space is NT$200)
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