Asian Americans in Jazz: Tim Lin Quartet featuring Vincent Ding

Wed, Aug 16

Tickets from $15 - $35. 7:30 show: Doors @ 6:00 9:30 show: Bar @ 6:00, Doors @ 8:45 TIM LIN: Exciting Taiwanese-American saxophonist Tim Lin was born and raised in the small suburban town of Fremont, California. Now based in New York City, his modern, progressive sound comes from his love of bebop jazz tradition and history. In his youth, Tim studied with Bay Area saxophonist and educator Dann Zinn, before receiving a scholarship to study with the world-renowned jazz recording artist Bob Sheppard at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. During his college years in Los Angeles, Tim was a member of the award-winning USC Thornton Jazz Orchestra lead by Bob Mintzer, in addition to the USC Honors Ensemble directed by Jason Goldman. The first runner-up for the International Taichung Saxophone Competition, Tim was also a finalist in the 2018 Thelonious Monk Institute College Program (Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz) where he performed for the likes of Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Herb Albert. As well as being mentored by some of the great tenor saxophonists of our generation such as Bob Sheppard, Larry Schneider, and Jerry Bergonzi, Tim has performed with jazz luminaries including Kenny Burrell, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Russell Ferrante, Terri Lyne Carrington, Carl Allen, Mike Clark, Essiet Okon Essiet, Paul Gill, Jason Tiemann, Jeb Patton, and Billy Drummond, among countless others. Tim’s debut record, “Romance in Formosa,” was produced by Bob Sheppard, featuring Andy LaVerne on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums. His sophomore recording “Empathy” is forthcoming in 2023. VINCENT DING: Vincent Ding is an up-and-coming Taiwanese-American vocalist who aims to create compelling, thoughtful music inspired by icons of the Great American Songbook, such as Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. 
 A native of the Bay Area, Vincent was born into a family of musicians and played various instruments growing up, such as piano, saxophone, bassoon, and flute. However, Vincent was steered to focus on other areas in his younger years. A graduate of New York University, Vincent found his own nontraditional way to the bandstand, forging his own path based on authenticity and a passion for the music. Released in 2022, “Incredible Views from Above,” Vincent’s debut 25-piece jazz big band album (featuring strings and harp) was produced by award-wining producer Sirintip and features renowned jazz artists Steve Kortyka, Danny Jonokuchi, Brandee Younger, Alex Hahn, and Bijon Watson, among many others. 

Along with the album, Vincent has also released his songs and music videos (as well as a TikTok series called Biweekly Dose of Jazz, where he covers jazz standards) as a gateway to bring jazz to a new, younger audience. Having grown up in an Asian American community where pursuing a STEM career path was advised against almost all others, Vincent has rooted his passion for music, specifically jazz, in an effort to encourage young people to pursue their dreams and motivate older folks to pick up the passions they had left behind. Vincent currently resides in New York where he hosts popular jazz nights at his venue, Brooklyn Jazz Loft. Full band lineup: Tim Lin - Tenor Saxophone Charles Chen - Piano Vincent Ding - Vocals Ken Okada - Bass Curran Sinha - Drums