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云南秋日
Autumn in Yunnan
CD and Concert Tour
中文
Nov. 8-29, 2018:
Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Kunming, Xiamen, Shenzhen
December 10, 2018: New York City at Mezzrow Jazz Club
Download and listen to the CD HERE, Reviews are HERE
Autumn in Yunnan is a collection of new compositions for solo piano by pianist/composer Burnett Thompson The pieces are reflections on the depths of Chinese culture, especially the diverse elements present in Yunnan province, a region of towering mountains and tropical jungles. Numerous ethnic minorities live side by side, separated by language, clothing, cuisine, music, and art. Yunnan Autumn is an expression of nostalgia for these fragile elements, an attempt to evoke the singulariy and beauty of past and present. The obvious parallel to 19th century New Orleans is a vivid reminder of the impact of the fusion of cultural diversity. New Orleans hosted African, Cuban, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian and Mexican musicians and artists, and like Yunnan, created a fertile cultural cauldron.
Burnett Thompson has been collaborating with prominent Chinese traditional instrumentalists and vocalists for the last 20 years. He has lectured and performed at countless major universities in a dozen Chinese cities from the northeast to the southwest. Additionally, he has volunteered in community centers, elementary and high schools, as well as facilities for senior citizens and blind children. A self-taught Mandarin speaker, Burnett has sought to grasp the historical scope of the labyrinth of Chinese culture as expressed through music, art, and language.
"His moods and means shift constantly. ...improvisations dazzle in their own sweet and astringently abstract way." Jazz Times
"a distinctly personal musical expression, a quixotic, extemporaneous meditation"
The Washington Post
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