Rising by Mavis Pan Quintet

Pan’s experiential trifecta of exhilaration, demoralization, and retrospection led her to create Rising, a mosaic of works chronicling the ebb and flow of life’s highs and lows and Pan’s journey to rise above it all.

The album, which Pan co-produced with acclaimed woodwind player Ted Nash, features an all-star lineup including Nash (tenor saxophone, flute, and clarinet), Geoff Burke (alto and soprano saxophones, alto flute, and clarinet), Mark Wade (bass), Jared Schonig (drums), and Pan herself on piano and voice.

The rich tapestry of Rising ranges from Afro funk to French cinematic valses, from Spanish tango to Middle Eastern Tarab (musical ecstasy), plus nostalgic Taiwanese folk songs. It is a fascinating collection of Pan’s musical journeys around the world and the victory she declares by overcoming the adversity and heartache she has endured.

"One can’t help but pay close attention to each note of these compositions, where the search for beauty seems linked to a perpetual, perhaps even ancestral form, brushing against the wings of classical music in its poetic form and jazz in its intentions.

If all the fractures a human being endures gave us such ambitious and successful works, we wouldn’t know where to direct our ears. Indeed, this album deserves a spot on our 2024 list of “Essential” albums. -Paris Move


"Rising is an accomplished collection by Pan whose impact is significantly enhanced by the performances of her versatile quintet.” Textura

Mavis Pan is a composer, pianist, singer who presents a blend of East and West, Classical and Jazz, Sacred and Secular. Her travels throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States have gathered flavors of a multitude of cultures, now blended into her compositions, which range from popular to avant-garde, from ballad to art song, from solo instrumental to full orchestra.