Label: True Sound Recordings, 2026
Personnel - Jason Kao Hwang: violin; Ken Filiano: bass; Andrew Drury: drums, percussion.
American violinist Jason Kao Hwang, a mainstay of New York’s downtown avant-garde scene, reunites with his highly adaptable Human Rites Trio, featuring bassist Ken Filiano and drummer/percussionist Andrew Drury, for a new album.
Second Life comprises four extended Hwang compositions delineated by rich ebbing and flowing exchanges and constantly shifting passages, enriched by unconventional melodic constructions and perceptible rhythmic ripples.
“Galaxies Twist Under Before It” initially unfolds over a 12-beat bass groove that mutates into a 4/4 funk-rock scenario. Hwang’s screaming solo explores several registers of the violin through euphoric improvisational flurries, supported by Drury’s sagacious fills. The drummer has ample space to expand his chops, and the trio reaches a crescendo through deliberate deconstructions. A quieter passage of plucked violin and understated drumming welcomes Filiano’s solo. After the theme returns, the trio enters a reflective state marked by lachrymose violin, tactful arco work, and colorful cymbal splashes.
“What to Keep, What to Let Go” begins as a ballad, but its gradual expansions and contractions lead into an improvised scenario packed with energy. There are great moments to savor during Hwang’s improvisation, but one cannot overlook the outstanding work of the rhythm section, which introduces radical shifts while toggling between marching postures and swinging delirium. Filiano’s excellent arco technique and deep, resonant sound are are something to be reckoned with.
“Ricochet” offers motif-inflected tapestries, funk grooves, and avant-chamber passages centered on improvisation. Drury lays down a skillfully articulated and harmonious percussive flow here. Honest expressionism is integral to the trio’s style, with each creative idea pushed into free and open territory.
Favorite Tracks:
01 - Galaxies Twist Under Before It ► 04 - Ricochet