Coco

The musician who came the farthest to the Montréal Jazz Festival is a young singer from Shanghai. With his delicate manner and higher than tenor voice, Coco reminds me a bit of Jimmy Scott. He performs songs in both Mandarin and English. When I listen to him singing songs from old Shanghai it transports me back to a swanky 1930s jazz club in the Bund.

His own compositions like Mischief are much more modern sounding with elements of scat, free jazz, and vocalese. He gave his scarf to the pianist to place in the piano and mute the lower keys. He's definitely no insipid pop crooner. His band had slightly unusual instrumentation with a violinist on a white open body electric violin, and vibraphones in addition to the usual piano, bass, and drums.