Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jason Kao Hwang: Soliloquies, Unaccompanied Pizzicato Vi...

Jason Kao Hwang: Soliloquies, Unaccompanied Pizzicato Violin Improvisations

By Richard J Salvucci
June 16, 2025
View read count

Jason Kao Hwang

composer / conductor
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Jason Kao Hwang is a child of Chinese immigrants, and previously recorded in Book of Stories (2023), Uncharted Faith (2022), and Human Rites Trio(2022), a CD completed during the Covid-19 pandemic. He places his music, on viola and violin, within the category of avant-garde-jazz-soul-folk. In the abstract, he calls his music "a celebration of life."

Some might think his playing most akin to that of a mandolin, for that is the sound he conjures up. Fans of Chris Thiele might find the music reminiscent of what Thiele does, but with considerably less direction, drama, or structure.

Hwang's compositions present a nice chromatic profile, and his intonation is good. But the music is extremely abstract and strictly for fans of that genre. Beyond that, as with any highly specialized art, the audience is apt to be limited, if not somewhat puzzled by the material on offer. Listeners searching out tuneful offerings that are comprehensible upon first listening should probably be prepared to do a significant amount of serious work.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

At the Beginning; Hungry Shadows; Vagabond; Spinning Coins; Remembering Our Conversation; Where the River Runs Both Ways; Dreams Dream; Silhouettes Lean Forward; Encirclement; Bending Branches into Roots; Shards; Before God.

Personnel

Jason Kao Hwang

composer / conductor

Album information

Title: Soliloquies, Unaccompanied Pizzicato Violin Improvisations | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: True Sound Recordings

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Distance to Empty
< Previous

Anais Reno, Kristen R. Bromley, Mash...
Next >

Jason Kao Hwang Concerts

Sep 14 Sun

Ingardens Festival

Children's Magical Garden
New York, NY

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.