Don’t feel confused; A Bu is actually a person. Actually named Dai Liang, the Chinese-American prodigy (he’s now about 16) is giving Joey Alexander a run for his money if this ambitious album-dvd is any indication. He wrote everything here, and he’s employed an impressive lineup the includes Tom Kennedy/b, Ryan Lee/dr, Antonio Hart/as and The Chop Horns featuring David Watson and Darryl Dixon.
As for the music itself, there are mixes of classical and jazz as on the stark and dramatic intro to “Butterflies Fly In Pairs I” and Part II of “Forever Suite.” He displays his bop chops on the fervent “With Mind I” which includes Hart’s muscular alto, and elegance during “Let Me Catch You.” Hart is also featured on “The Last Trip” which has the flexible rhythm team mixing funky muscles with sensuous elasticity. A BU is able to create many moods and directions, all of them making sense in a single song, as the flutes in “With Mind II” range from dramatic passion to sensitive longing and Kennedy’s bass teams with Lee’s busy drums for an enthralling “Forever Suite KK.” There’s much to be impressed with here, as this young artist already displays vision and a personal sound.