Growing up in Los Angeles, the daughter of two classical musicians, Connie Han started taking piano lessons when she was 5. For the next nine years she played classical music. Then, at 14, she discovered jazz. Han graduated from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts at 17 and was accepted into UCLA. She dropped out after three weeks so she could focus all her energy on a career as a professional jazz musician.
Han’s independently-produced debut album, “The Richard Rodgers Songbook,” was released in 2015 and got her a record deal with Mack Avenue Records. Her second album, “Crime Zone,” was released in October.
Han, 22, makes her Waikiki debut March 18 at the Blue Note Hawaii.
Your record label quotes you as saying that “Crime Zone” is “meant to be a statement about being rebellious but within the tradition.” Could you explain that?
What I’m trying to say is that you can rebel and be yourself, and be provocative and make your own statements and break the rules, while still respecting and honoring tradition. You can play in traditional style while still improvising and being yourself, and playing the things you want to play, rather than regurgitating a college jazz education or old Charlie Parker vocabulary. These days it’s more conformist to try to be quote/unquote original.
What moved you from classical music to jazz?
When I was learning classical piano I actually wasn’t all that passionate about it, it was something I was pushed to do, but I was passionate about improvisational creative music. There was always something inside me that craved creating something from nothing. With jazz you are creating something — out of you — from nothing, That’s something in classical music that you don’t necessarily do in the creative process.
How do you describe your playing style?
I play in a manner that is rather rough around the edges — on purpose — and I try to channel my piano heroes, such as McCoy Tyner, Kenny Kirkland (and) Mulgrew Miller. I try to convey not only just their style but also their attitude and the struggles they had. There’s a real gritty struggle in their playing. I think when people see me they don’t expect for me to have gone through as gritty of a struggle — which I have — and these are the things that I try to express in my playing.
How much of a struggle has it been for you?
I live in a very Chinese community here in Los Angeles — my parents still speak to me in Mandarin — and I was expected to follow a very traditional path. Go to college, get a degree and settle into a job. But because of the support of some of the people I met, I had the confidence to dream big. I have a very intense work ethic, and that’s something I’m very proud of to have from my heritage. It’s one of the reasons why I was able to overcome a lot of the challenges I faced.
What do you like to do that is not music-related?
When I’m away from my instrument I like to get a different perspective on life, and (so) I really like watching science-fiction television and movies. Right now I’m watching this great show called “The Expanse,” and I like to watch “The Orville” and “Star Trek.”
