Gilad Hekselman

Larry Grenadier

Marcus Gilmore

Navanad

Strucky Yi

Simon Moullier

Nicola Caminiti

Joe Martin

Matt Penman

Reuben Rogers

Miguel Russell

Ian Wacksman

"Including 11 early original works from 2020-2022, “Setting Out” is Strucky Yi’s debut jazz album which documents his sentiment in NYC. Far from a singular stylistic exercise, this record serves as an intimate sonic diary that mirrors Strucky's diverse musical upbringing—where the rigorous structures and harmony of classical music, the sophisticated rhythm and harmonic colors of modern jazz, the comforting warmth of soul music, and the melancholic, cinematic lyricism of Britpop seamlessly converge.
To bring this vision to life, Strucky assembled a stellar, multi-generational lineup of New York’s finest jazz luminaries, including guitar maestro Gilad Hekselman, bass giants Matt Penman, Reuben Rogers, and Joe Martin, vibraphone virtuoso Simon Moullier, visionary saxophonist Nicola Caminiti, and phenomenal drummers Miguel Russell and Ian Wacksman. Together, they navigate a sonic landscape defined by its dual temperament: a delicate equilibrium where brilliant, sunlit lyricism and shadowy, introspective undercurrents coexist. Setting Out is not just a musical departure; it is an honest, bittersweet chronicle of vulnerability, resilience, and hope in the heart of the metropolis."
——
“《Setting Out》（啓程）收錄了 Strucky Yi （易宇欽）在 2020 至 2022 年間創作的 11 首早期原創作品。作為他的首張爵士個人專輯，它真實地記錄了他在紐約期間的複雜情感與心路歷程。遠不止是一張風格純粹的爵士唱片，更是一部融合了易宇欽廣泛音樂品味與多元背景的私密聲音日記——古典音樂的嚴謹結構與和聲、現代爵士的精緻的節奏與和絃色彩、靈魂樂的温暖共鳴，乃至英倫搖滾（Britpop）那陰鬱而極具畫面感的旋律線條，在此奇妙地交匯相融。
為了完美呈現這一願景，易宇欽邀請了紐約當今不同年齡段最具才華的頂尖爵士陣容加盟：吉他大師 Gilad Hekselman，貝斯名宿 Joe Martin、Matt Penman與 Reuben Rogers，顫音琴奇才 Simon Moullier，薩克斯先鋒 Nicola Caminiti，以及現象級鼓手 Miguel Russell 和 Ian Wacksman。在他們的傾力演繹下，專輯展現出一種迷人的雙重氣質：明亮與暗色調並存，雀躍釋懷與內省共生。這不僅是一場音樂上的‘出發’，更是一次對都市中脆弱、堅韌與希望的真誠記錄。”


1.Setting Out 啓程

"Setting Out" navigates the delicate boundary between classical elegance and the vibrant textures of modern jazz. Propelled by an odd-meter groove and sharp, neat harmonies, the piece hides a moving undercurrent beneath its restrained, bright melodies. It beautifully captures the fleeting tension of "the eve of departure"—an exquisite state of mind suspended between the thrill of the unknown and the inner peace of letting go.

The quintet finds a perfect collective voice here. Alongside the flowing musicality of Strucky Yi's piano playing, guitar maestro Gilad Hekselman and bass giant Matt Penman bring a tasteful inventiveness that holds the music's inventive elements in place. Meanwhile, the piercing lines of pioneering saxophonist Nicola Caminiti and the explosive drive of phenomenal drummer Miguel Russell spark the track into vibrant life. Ultimately, the quintet strikes a sublime balance, effortlessly bridging the conversational tension of spontaneous improvisation with a beautifully crafted sense of structure.





Setting Out(啓程)遊走於傳統古典的氣質與現代爵士的色彩之間。奇數拍律動，稜角清晰的和聲在剋制，明亮的旋律線條之下暗流湧動——曲子描繪‘出發前夕’那種微妙的張力：有對未知的雀躍，也有對過往的釋懷。

在這支頂尖陣容中，音樂家們找到了近乎完美的呼吸平衡。除了易宇欽(Strucky Yi)流動具有音樂性的鋼琴演奏外，吉他大師 Gilad Hekselman 與貝斯名宿 Matt Penman 的演繹內斂而富有創造力；而薩克斯先鋒 Nicola Caminiti 極具穿透力的線條，與現象級鼓手 Miguel Russell 充滿爆發力的鼓點，如火花般點燃了樂曲的生命力。五重奏的編制在這首曲子裏找到了微妙的平衡：既有對話式的即興張力，又有精心構築的結構感。




2.Mist in the Valley 山谷的迷霧

"Mist in the Valley" is a piece composed in New York during the pandemic. The "valley" serves as a metaphor for the dilemma and deadlock in which many people found themselves stuck at the time, while the "mist" symbolizes things that were close at hand yet remained elusive and intangible. Written as a modern swing waltz in triple meter, the piece straightforwardly expresses the doubts and reflections of that era through a simple yet powerful melody.

山谷的迷霧是疫情期間在紐約寫的一首曲子，山谷隱喻當時許多人進退兩難的狀況，迷霧代表近在咫尺卻又看不清摸不着的事物。三拍子的現代搖擺華爾茲直白地通過簡潔有力的旋律抒發當時的一些迷思與疑問。

3.I’ll Be There 我會在

"Melodic, tender, and quietly powerful without ever turning sentimental, “I’ll Be There” unfolds slowly in the space between the familiar and the new. Its harmonic language blends the warmth of soul with the color and elasticity of modern jazz, letting emotion rise through nuance rather than volume.
Simon Moullier’s soulful phrasing, Reuben Rogers’ deeply grooving basslines, Nicola Caminiti’s confident, singular horn playing, and Ian Wacksman’s steady, composed drumming collectively breathe a sense of hope into the music, as vital as air and as tender as a glimmer of light. 
At its heart, the tune is both a gentle promise and a quiet inner certainty: we will, in our own time, arrive at where we’re meant to be.



旋律靈動温柔、不煽情卻有力量，I’ll Be There (我在)的和聲語言融合了靈魂樂的温度與現代爵士的色彩，在熟悉與新鮮之間緩慢展開。Simon Moullier充滿騷靈氣息的語句，Reuben Rogers富有律動的貝斯線條, Nicola Caminiti自信獨特的吹奏以及Ian Wacksman堅定從容的爵士鼓演奏帶給音樂如同空氣和微光般的希望。曲子是一個温柔的承諾，也是一種內心的篤信——我們終將抵達我們想去的地方。



4.Home 家

Written in the summer of 2022, Home is built on just four chords — serving as an honest, direct release of pure joy after a three-year longing to finally return home. Yet, this simple framework never limits the music's dimension. Beneath the neat, soaring melody lies a subtle reservoir of groove and tension, allowing a unique and captivating aura to grow from simplicity.

Under the stunning collaboration of vibraphonist Simon Moullier, saxophonist Nicola Caminiti, bassist Joe Martin, and drummer Ian Wacksman, Strucky Yi’s composition expands with fresh dynamics and rhythmic tension. Together, they coat this homecoming joy in a warm, fluid, and perfect glow. Clear, powerful melodic lines interweave with a driving, modern jazz rhythm, transforming the eager anticipation of heading home into an infectious burst of musical energy.

Home (家)寫於2022年夏天，以極簡的四個和絃為架構，直白地宣泄了闊別三年終得歸家時的喜悦。然而簡練的框架並未限制音樂的維度，乾淨清晰的旋律之下暗藏律動與張力，簡單之中生長出屬於這首曲子的獨特氣場。

在顫音琴家 Simon Moullier、薩克斯手 Nicola Caminiti、貝斯手 Joe Martin 以及鼓手 Ian Wacksman 的驚豔協作下，Strucky Yi曲子延伸出了不一樣的動態與律動張力，為這份歸家的喜悦鍍上了一層暈光——温暖，流動，恰如其分。清澈有力的線條與充滿推動力的現代爵士節奏交織，將歸心似箭的喜悦轉化為一種極具感染力的音樂能量。


5.Wake Up 醒來

A self with blurred edges, scattered perception, and no clear sense of where it stands is beginning to wake—this is where “Wake Up” takes root. As the prelude to “Dunno,” it doesn’t rush to offer direction; instead, it reveals the inner state before direction even takes shape. In a minute and a half, Strucky Yi's piano and Joe Martin's bass become a single instrument, tirelessly cycling through a 13/8 ostinato — an unsteady pulse, a clock urging wakefulness. Above this foundation, guitarist Gilad Hekselman and saxophonist Nicola Caminiti unfold a willfully contrary free improvisation. Atonal, cold phrases intertwine with extended modern techniques, like the fragmentary murmurs and hallucinations of a disordered dream. Drummer Miguel Russell's playing evolves from sparse, pointillistic strikes at the outset into a highly imaginative, burgeoning rhythmic accompaniment.

"Wake Up" is far more than a simple prelude; it is a threshold. When rigidity and weightlessness, order and drifting, coexist simultaneously, the listener’s ear is forced into consciousness—and only then does the story of "Dunno" truly begin.



那個邊界模糊、感知渙散、尚未確定身處何處的自己正在醒來——Wake Up 就生長在這裏。作為 Dunno 的前奏，它不急於給出方向，而是呈現那個方向未成形時的內在狀態。一分半鐘的曲子中，易宇欽的鋼琴與Joe Martin手上的貝斯變成同一台的儀器，不知疲倦地重複着13/8拍的循環（Ostinato）——是不安穩的脈搏，也是催促甦醒的鬧鐘。在佈局之上，吉他手Gilad Hekselman 與薩克斯手 Nicola Caminiti 展開了一場反骨的自由即興。無調性的冰冷樂句與現代的特殊演奏法交織，如同腦海中雜亂無序的夢囈與幻覺。鼓手 Miguel Russell 的鼓點從最初的‘點描式’敲擊，一步步生髮為極富想象力的伴奏律動。《Wake Up》不是單純的“前奏”，而是一道門：當固定與失重、秩序與遊離同時存在，聽覺被迫清醒後，《Dunno》的故事便真正開始。



6.Dunno 不知道

As a response of Strucky Yi’s first Ep “Will He?”, Dunno is a work that builds order within uncertainty. The intricate use of odd meters is sophisticated yet entirely unpretentious; through artificial accents, syntactic displacements, and a relentlessly driving rhythmic tension, the piece remains suspended in a state of tense, fluid weightlessness. Enveloped in a dark, profound atmosphere, the melody nevertheless flashes with fleeting, deeply moving glimmers of light.

With Strucky Yi’s characteristic writing and piano playing, guitar master Gilad Hekselman plays with remarkable restraint—seemingly controlled, yet quietly packing the smallest harmonic and rhythmic gaps with startling improvisational ideas. This contrasts beautifully with Nicola Caminiti’s emotionally charged, high-tension saxophone solo. Together, this push-and-pull dynamic—anchored by bass legend Joe Martin and sparked by prodigy Miguel Russell’s highly expressive modern drumming—creates a powerful sense of drama.

To admit "I don't know" is an act of honest courage.
To keep moving forward within uncertainty — that, too, is a choice. A form of perseverance.

作為易宇欽第一張EP“Will He?”的回應，“Dunno”(不知道)是一首在“不確定”中建立秩序的作品。奇數拍的使用複雜卻不炫技，重音位移、句法錯位與持續推進的節奏張力，讓整首曲子始終處在一種緊繃而流動的失重狀態。旋律籠罩在幽暗、深邃的氛圍中，卻又不經意閃爍出極微小但動人的明亮光芒。在Strucky Yi特立獨行的作曲與演奏下，吉他大師 Gilad Hekselman 的演奏極為內斂含蓄，看似剋制，實則在和聲與節奏的微小縫隙中塞滿了驚豔的即興想法；與之相對的是 Nicola Caminiti 情感噴湧、張力拉滿的薩克斯獨奏。兩者一收一放，在貝斯名宿 Joe Martin 沉穩的支架和天才鼓手 Miguel Russell 極富表現力的現代鼓點催化下，形成強烈戲劇性。

承認"不知道"，是一種誠實的力量。在不確定裏繼續前行，也是一種選擇與堅持。



7.How Long Does It Take? 還要多久

This piece was written during a time when New York had fallen quiet during covid — industries stilled, the city dimmed. Around me, I watched so many young and gifted artists pushing through hardship, sustaining themselves through humble work while never once letting go of their devotion to art. The title, “How Long Does It Take?” holds questions from several angles: How long until this rough winter finally passes? How much longer will it take for this young generation of musicians and artists to finally reach the stage where they’re striving for? And how long can a person who truly loves art hold on before reality turns that love into bitterness—until they give up the pursuit and compromise with life?

在紐約疫情期間百業蕭條的時候寫了這首曲子，當時看到身邊很多年輕才華橫溢的藝術家在艱辛地拼搏，勤懇地通過簡單勞動來維持生活卻又從未放棄對藝術的追求。曲名“還要多久”表達了幾個不同角度的疑問，一是這個艱難的寒冬甚麼時候才能過去，二是這些年輕一輩的音樂家藝術家們甚麼時候才能去到自己想去的位置，三再是疑慮要多長的時間會讓一個滿懷熱情喜愛藝術的人最後因為現實對其因愛成恨，放棄追求向生活妥協。

8.Endless Stairs

Whether pursuing music, art, or academia, the entire journey feels like climbing a staircase with no visible summit. Some may grow to resent what they once loved, turning back halfway to seek another path. Others develop a morbid obsession, chasing perfection to the absolute extreme—exhausting their entire lives even if, in the end, they may become nothing but dust. It sounds bleak, and yet that is part of its allure.

This piece is for the endless summit—and for everyone who keeps climbing, stubbornly and faithfully. 

無論是做音樂藝術還是做學術 ，整個過程都像是在爬一段看不見頂端的階梯。或有人會因愛成恨，走到一半就折返另謀高就; 亦有人會病態地痴迷和追求極致，耗盡一生即便最後自己或許只會變成塵埃。這聽起來有些悲涼，卻又是它的魅力所在。
這首”無盡的階梯”，寫給永無止境的高峰以及一直在執着攀爬的人們。

9.Lean 倚靠

“Lean” is a bond. It’s the act of seeking support and understanding in difficult times—of finding someone to rely on when facing setbacks, and regaining the courage to go on. This kind of reliance is more than emotional dependence; it’s a force of mutual support and shared growth.
This piece attempts to trace the feeling of a warmth that stays close — through joy, through difficulty, through all of it — a comfort that does not ask to be explained, only felt.

“倚靠”是一種情感紐帶。它是在困境中尋求他人支持和理解，在面對挫折和困難時，尋找可依靠的人重拾勇氣。這種倚靠的關係不僅僅是一種情感的依存，更是一種互相扶持和共同成長的力量。曲子試圖描述一種無論歡樂還是困難時刻與我常在的温暖和安慰。

10.Night Ride 夜騎

Sometimes, the most moving memories in a relationship are not the grand gestures or the extraordinary moments. It is often the small, quiet fragments of life that leave the deepest impression — the ones that stay long after everything else has faded.

A long walk with nowhere to be. A drive to somewhere far, music playing softly, nothing left to say, watching the last light of the sun dissolve into the horizon. Or the gentle sway of a late-night taxi, the two of you slowly drifting to sleep, leaning into each other as the city blurs past the window.

In those moments, something feels eternal. As though time had quietly agreed to stretch — to carry you both a little further, a little longer, toward somewhere that never quite needed a name.

有時候在感情裏最動人的回憶，不一定是多轟動的事件或者宏大的場面。一些細微瑣碎的瞬間反而更深刻更讓人難忘。比如説一起散步長談，比如説共同開車去很遠的地方聽着音樂甚麼也不説看着落日餘暉，或是在夜幕降臨後坐在計程車搖搖晃晃昏昏入睡依偎着彼此。那些時候，彷彿觸及到了永恆，好像可以一直通往很遠的地方。

11.Last Message 最後的信息

Last Message is a simple, still piano solo — a piece about farewells, both known and unknown.
The title holds more than one meaning. It might be the final message sent between lovers on the edge of a goodbye. It might be a soldier's last word home before departing for the front. Or perhaps a quiet greeting exchanged at a bedside, not yet knowing it would be the last.

Gospel harmonies and a clean, restrained melody work together to carry the weight of these partings — gently, and with gravity. Not to resolve the ache of goodbye, but simply to hold it.

一首簡單平靜的鋼琴獨奏曲，關於已知或未知的告別。“Last Message”可以有很多指向：它可能是戀人離別前的最後一條信息；也可能是士兵奔赴戰場前的最後一次聯絡；又或者是親人病危前的最後一句問候… Gospel的和絃與乾淨剋制的旋律温柔又沉重地托起一些告別的重量。

Setting Out

Dunno is a work that builds order within uncertainty. The intricate use of odd meters is sophisticated yet entirely unpretentious; through artificial accents, syntactic displacements, and a relentlessly driving rhythmic tension, the piece remains suspended in a state of tense, fluid weightlessness. Enveloped in a dark, profound atmosphere, the melody nevertheless flashes with fleeting, deeply moving glimmers of light.

With Strucky Yi’s characteristic writing and piano playing, guitar master Gilad Hekselman plays with remarkable restraint—seemingly controlled, yet quietly packing the smallest harmonic and rhythmic gaps with startling improvisational ideas. This contrasts beautifully with Nicola Caminiti’s emotionally charged, high-tension saxophone solo. Together, this push-and-pull dynamic—anchored by bass legend Joe Martin and sparked by prodigy Miguel Russell’s highly expressive modern drumming—creates a powerful sense of drama.

To admit "I don't know" is an act of honest courage.
To keep moving forward within uncertainty — that, too, is a choice. A form of perseverance.

《Dunno》是一首在“不確定”中建立秩序的作品。奇數拍的使用複雜卻不炫技，重音位移、句法錯位與持續推進的節奏張力，讓整首曲子始終處在一種緊繃而流動的失重狀態。旋律籠罩在幽暗、深邃的氛圍中，卻又不經意閃爍出極微小但動人的明亮光芒。在Strucky Yi特立獨行的作曲與演奏下，吉他大師 Gilad Hekselman 的演奏極為內斂含蓄，看似剋制，實則在和聲與節奏的微小縫隙中塞滿了驚豔的即興想法；與之相對的是 Nicola Caminiti 情感噴湧、張力拉滿的薩克斯獨奏。兩者一收一放，在貝斯名宿 Joe Martin 沉穩的支架和天才鼓手 Miguel Russell 極富表現力的現代鼓點催化下，形成強烈戲劇性。

承認"不知道"，是一種誠實的力量。在不確定裏繼續前行，也是一種選擇與堅持。

Dunno

"Setting Out" navigates the delicate boundary between classical elegance and the vibrant textures of modern jazz. Propelled by an odd-meter groove and sharp, neat harmonies, the piece hides a moving undercurrent beneath its restrained, bright melodies. It beautifully captures the fleeting tension of "the eve of departure"—an exquisite state of mind suspended between the thrill of the unknown and the inner peace of letting go.

The quintet finds a perfect collective voice here. Alongside the flowing musicality of Strucky Yi's piano playing, guitar maestro Gilad Hekselman and bass giant Matt Penman bring a tasteful inventiveness that holds the music's inventive elements in place. Meanwhile, the piercing lines of pioneering saxophonist Nicola Caminiti and the explosive drive of phenomenal drummer Miguel Russell spark the track into vibrant life. Ultimately, the quintet strikes a sublime balance, effortlessly bridging the conversational tension of spontaneous improvisation with a beautifully crafted sense of structure.

Setting Out(啓程)遊走於傳統古典的氣質與現代爵士的色彩之間。奇數拍律動，稜角清晰的和聲在剋制，明亮的旋律線條之下暗流湧動——曲子描繪‘出發前夕’那種微妙的張力：有對未知的雀躍，也有對過往的釋懷。

在這支頂尖陣容中，音樂家們找到了近乎完美的呼吸平衡。除了易宇欽(Strucky Yi)流動具有音樂性的鋼琴演奏外，吉他大師 Gilad Hekselman 與貝斯名宿 Matt Penman 的演繹內斂而富有創造力；而薩克斯先鋒 Nicola Caminiti 極具穿透力的線條，與現象級鼓手 Miguel Russell 充滿爆發力的鼓點，如火花般點燃了樂曲的生命力。五重奏的編制在這首曲子裏找到了微妙的平衡：既有對話式的即興張力，又有精心構築的結構感。

Navanad

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