Press voices
The Jungle Revelation
Pierre Dorge and new Jungle Orchestra with Yusef Lateef at "The Opera
House", Monday the 4th of July.
The introduction was by Yu Jun, the Chinese Zheng soloist, who started
the concert with her ancient instrument. She was joined by the pianist
Irene Becker, then the conductor Pierre Dørge, and finally the rest of
the orchestra, which very slowly built their peculiar universe of sound,
in front of our eyes and ears.
After the break, Yusef Lateef came on the stage and with his presence,
the mood changed from orgasmic and optimistic, to a more reflective and
spiritual mode. After the introduction of ethereal soundscapes, the
music opened up towards heaven, in a orchestral tour de force, with dense
bebop phrases and many other musical expressions".
"Politiken Jazz Live", Henrik Palle
A wall of sound with heavy swing and romantic
While the Dutch drummer Han Bennink was giving a wild performance, the
Chinese Zheng soloist Yu Jun delivered the lyrical touch, when Pierre Dørge presented his voluminous
jazz-festival-jungle orchestra.
This wall of sound contained lots of heavy swing and Duke Ellington-inspired music, with plenty of
beautiful and expressive solos and the concert had a nice lyrical touch, with the Chinese string
instrument, played by Yu Jun. She opened the concert with a beautiful piece in classical Chinese
style. This transformed into a majestic version of a Carl Nielsen piece. During the concert, Yu Jun
delivered other fine and romantic elements, and though the festival is far from over, her facinating
and original solo playing in "St. Louis Blues" must be remembered, as one of the memorable highlights
of the Copenhagen jazzfestival 2002.
Berlinske Tidende (Danish newspaper), Kjeld Frandsen
Party in Jungle
The concert started with the Chinese Zheng soloist Yu Jun, who made a soft melodic intro with her
instrument, and then the orchestra entered the stage, and the concert started.
After the intermission, Yu Jun was sitting and smiling politely with her instrument, which this
evening, was a nice contrast to the lively orchestra.
In the final slow blues, Yu Jun played an emotional blues-solo on her
Chinese Zheng. Where else could this happen, but in Pierre Dørge's lively orchestra?
Information (Danish newspaper), Christian Munch-Hansen
Poetic Greetings from a Chinese Musician
"People who buy the new CD "China Jungle" will also get a Chinese
greeting. This is a poem, written by one of the musicians, Yu Jun, who
plays an ancient classical instrument, Gu Zheng, which has
more than 2000 years history.
In the last issue of 'Danmark Kina' we talked about the cooperation
between Pierre Dorges Danish Jazz Orchestra, "New Jungle Orchestra" and
the 25 years old musician Yu Jun, who comes from the Shanghai Conservatory
of Music.
Together with another Chinese musician, Zhao Ben, and the
Greenlandic-Danish singer, Aviaja Lumholdt, the orchestra made a CD ,
"China Jungle".
"Danmark Kina", Flemming Poulsen
Chinese Musicians in Danish Jazz Orchestra
Three music cultures together in one CD, "China Jungle"
"She is 25 years old and dreamed about traveling around the whole world,
playing clssical music on her favorit instrument, Gu Zheng. One of
the oldest musical instrument in the world.
Yu Jun is studying at Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Recently she
visited Denmark to record the CD "China Jungle" and play concerts with
Pierre Dorges "Jungle Orchestra". This is the result of a musical
co-operation from China, Greenland and Denmark.
Yu Jun should thank her own courageousness, that she had the chance to
play with Danish Orchestra. Pierre Dørges "New Jungle Orchestra"
gave a concert in Shanghai last year. Yu Jun was among the audience, and
talked to Pierre Dørge, she would like to play with him. Next day she
was invited to play a big concert with the orchestra, and it was a big
success.
With the helping from the Danish cultural agency ELD, Yu Jun was in
Denmark to record the CD and give concerts, for instance at Louisiana
together with Pierre Dørge, Irene becker and Aviaja Lumholdt. At the
concert in Louisina, Yu Jun was applaused for several minutes when she
gave a solo encore on the Gu Zheng. It is not hard to image that she
has many good possibilities to win the world with her musical talent".
Danmark-Kina, Flemming Poulsen
China meets Danish Jungle
With 21 strings, the Gu Zheng has a resemblence to a harp, but each of the
strings can be tuned individually, with the small moving bridges. Yu Jun plays the strings so the
note will vibrate or go up or down in pitch. The sound can be both dramatic, dynamic, sad and
brilliant.
In the 1920's and 30's Shanghai was a jazz city with lots of small jazz clubs
and lounges. Today the western improvisational music is very hip again, especially among the young
generation. One of them is the musician Yu Jun, who plays with virtuosity the classical Gu Zheng, a
kind of harp which is over 2000 years old.
Politiken (Danish newspaper), Per Munch
