Album Notes

By Mike Longo, New York City
The blending of various vocal styles and musical disciplines is a challenge that few musicians attempt. It is even more unusual to find a musician who demonstrates the ability to perform successfully in more than one idiom. Yayu Khoe is one of these rare vocalists. Born in Hong Kong and raised in New York City, her singing demonstrates that she has captured the best that the melting pot has to offer, as well as drawing cultural elements from both east and west. Ms. Khoe has already enjoyed a classical career performing in opera and recital settings. In addition, she has successfully played the jazz club/cabaret circuit, including a tour with legendary drummer Max Roach and his sextet. In her debut CD, "Love & Faith Ms. Khoe moves comfortably form jazz to classical, popular, folk, blues and Gospel. The selections on this CD highlight Ms. Khoe's four octave range which is rich and full in the lower register and clear, pure and haunting in the higher octaves.

In her opening selection, "The Best Things in Life Are Free", Ms Khoe sets a boyant and joyful tone for the CD. In "Unforgettable", a Chinese ballad, we are given the first glimpses of the profound spiritual depth that her performance achieves in some of the later, more religious selections. "The Drunken Tango", another Chinese popular song, is beautifully and artistically delivered. The next five songs "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "Don't Take Your Love From Me", "On A Slow Boat to China", "Our Love Is Here To Stay" and "For Once in My Life" are showcases for Ms Khoe's ability to sing and swing standard American jazz and popular music. It is on "precious Lord" however that the most soulful aspects of Ms Khoe's voice and musicality are displayed, and her rendition of this Gospel standard is inspiring and moving. In "At The River", "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair", and "Now That I have You", Ms Khoe conveys and ethereal quality that makes her delivery of these selections unique and soothing. "America The Beautiful" stands as a testament to the elimination of culutral and national boundaries, followed by the beautiful Chinese standard "Swear by the Moon". The CD culminates with a unique and inspired monologue and musical offering of "Somebody Bigger Than You And I".
Ms Khoe's vocal depth and flexibility are well supported by John Motley, renowned choral master and musician, on piano; John Loehrke on bass; Warren Smith on drums; and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet. Mr. Motley also wrote the arrangements for the varied repertoire. Whether she is singing American jazz classics, familiar hymns, or Chinese popular standards, Ms Khoe's sensitive and expressive renditions are deeply moving and highly enjoyable. Prepare yourself for a new and uplifting listening experience!

Dame Yayu Khoe is a coloratura soprano, voice teacher, recording artist and conductor. She has sung in major concert halls across the U.S., in China and in Europe appearing in major music festivals, concerts, operas, cabarets and musicals in the past 25-years. These have included European concert tour with the John Motley Singers with legendary drummer Max Roach and his quintet and the Newport Jazz festival at Carnegie Hall with Dizzy Gillespie. Her repertoire is diversified and she is at ease in singing many styles from classical, jazz, Broadway, musical theater, folk to spirituals and religious music in six languages. Her solo CD albums were released under the YEA label. They included Love and Faith in 2000; The Art of Yayu Khoe Volume I featuring a collection of western classics and The Art of Yayu Khoe Volume II featuring a collection of Chinese art songs and folk songs in 2003.

Currently, she is the choral director of the Phoenix Chinese American Chorale, the Young Voice Youth Choir and adult choir at the Greater Phoenix Chinese Christian Church and the Hope Youth choirs at Hope Chinese School. In addition, Yayu teaches voice and piano from her private music studio in Chandler, Arizona. For twenty-five years Yayu has taught private voice and held master classes in New York City, Fort Worth; at Kennedy High School and at the Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; at the Keller and Birdville School Districts in Texas, and at Texas Woman’s University. In addition to teaching voice, She is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and the American Choral Directors Association and the Chorister Guild.

Yayu received her M.A. in vocal pedagogy from Texas Woman’s University and was honored by the University as the outstanding master graduate of the year. She received her B.A. from Queens College in New York and had also studied conducting at the Westmister Choir College in Princeton, NJ. She was also a distinguished graduate of the High School of Music & Art in New York City Her solo CD albums were released under the YEA label. They included Love and Faith in 2000; The Art of Yayu Khoe Volume I featuring a collection of western classics and The Art of Yayu Khoe Volume II featuring a collection of Chinese art songs and folk songs in 2003.
and had received many awards and honors. Her many distinguished teachers included: Joan Wall, John L. Motley, Chung Mou Chu, Ellie Mok, David Britten and Camilla Williams.

Yayu’s performing experiences began 30 years ago with the Queens Borough-wide Chorus and later the All-City Chorus and the All-City Concert Choir performing in major civic functions in NYC. These include singing as an ambassador representing New York City singing for former President Carter and other foreign dignitaries. Yayu was a major soloist with many music groups in NYC actively appearing in concerts in Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. She was a soloist with the Grace Congregational Church in Harlem. She had also appeared with numerous opera companies including the Brooklyn Lyric Opera, Aquarius Opera, 92nd St. Y Summer Opera, Regal Opera and appeared in major music festivals across the United States. Yayu has appeared as a soloist with several churches and choir in Cedar Rapids area including the Christ Episcopal Church, Lovely Lane Methodist Church and the First Baptist Church/Church of the Brethren and the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale. She was the choir director of the First Baptist Church-Church of the Brethren in Cedar Rapids. She had been the choral director of the Good Earth Singers in Arlington Texas, the Chinese Musical Arts-Hai Yun Chorus in New York City, the Little Lark Children’s Chorus in NYC and the Chinese American Music Ensemble in New Jersey.

Yayu was honored with the title Dame of the Order de Notre Dame De Lis de France of the Bourbon Royal House by the International Nobility Association and the Association of University Presidents for highest distinguished accomplished artist. She was also the recipient of the Tarrant County Asian American Chamber Commerce Outstanding Leadership award. Other prizes and honors received include: professorship and medal of honor from the John Dewey University for outstanding contribution to music ministry in the community; outstanding leadership award from the Fort Worth Naval Base for contributions to the Arts, the C.B. Bellamy Music scholarship from Texas Woman’s University, music scholarships from the New York Daily News, Benjamin Chancy Music Award from the NYC Board of Education, New York Singing Teachers Association vocal competition winner resulting in a Carnegie Hall Recital Hall performance, and Texas’ Granstaff Vocal competition first prize winner.