"Including 11 early original works from 2020-2022, “Setting Out” is Strucky Yi’s debut jazz album which documents his sentiment in NYC. Far from a singular stylistic exercise, this record serves as an intimate sonic diary that mirrors Strucky's diverse musical upbringing—where the rigorous structures and harmony of classical music, the sophisticated rhythm and harmonic colors of modern jazz, the comforting warmth of soul music, and the melancholic, cinematic lyricism of Britpop seamlessly converge.To bring this vision to life, Strucky assembled a stellar, multi-generational lineup of New York’s finest jazz luminaries, including guitar maestro Gilad Hekselman, bass giants Matt Penman, Reuben Rogers, and Joe Martin, vibraphone virtuoso Simon Moullier, visionary saxophonist Nicola Caminiti, and phenomenal drummers Miguel Russell and Ian Wacksman. Together, they navigate a sonic landscape defined by its dual temperament: a delicate equilibrium where brilliant, sunlit lyricism and shadowy, introspective undercurrents coexist. Setting Out is not just a musical departure; it is an honest, bittersweet chronicle of vulnerability, resilience, and hope in the heart of the metropolis."——“《Setting Out》（启程）收录了 Strucky Yi （易宇钦）在 2020 至 2022 年间创作的 11 首早期原创作品。作为他的首张爵士个人专辑，它真实地记录了他在纽约期间的复杂情感与心路历程。远不止是一张风格纯粹的爵士唱片，更是一部融合了易宇钦广泛音乐品味与多元背景的私密声音日记——古典音乐的严谨结构与和声、现代爵士的精致的节奏与和弦色彩、灵魂乐的温暖共鸣，乃至英伦摇滚（Britpop）那阴郁而极具画面感的旋律线条，在此奇妙地交汇相融。为了完美呈现这一愿景，易宇钦邀请了纽约当今不同年龄段最具才华的顶尖爵士阵容加盟：吉他大师 Gilad Hekselman，贝斯名宿 Joe Martin、Matt Penman与 Reuben Rogers，颤音琴奇才 Simon Moullier，萨克斯先锋 Nicola Caminiti，以及现象级鼓手 Miguel Russell 和 Ian Wacksman。在他们的倾力演绎下，专辑展现出一种迷人的双重气质：明亮与暗色调并存，雀跃释怀与内省共生。这不仅是一场音乐上的‘出发’，更是一次对都市中脆弱、坚韧与希望的真诚记录。”1.Setting Out 启程"Setting Out" navigates the delicate boundary between classical elegance and the vibrant textures of modern jazz. Propelled by an odd-meter groove and sharp, neat harmonies, the piece hides a moving undercurrent beneath its restrained, bright melodies. It beautifully captures the fleeting tension of"the eve of departure"—an exquisite state of mind suspended between the thrill of the unknown and the inner peace of letting go.The quintet finds a perfect collective voice here. Alongside the flowing musicality of Strucky Yi's piano playing, guitar maestro Gilad Hekselman and bass giant Matt Penman bring a tasteful inventiveness that holds the music's inventive elements in place. Meanwhile, the piercing lines of pioneering saxophonist Nicola Caminiti and the explosive drive of phenomenal drummer Miguel Russell spark the track into vibrant life. Ultimately, the quintet strikes a sublime balance, effortlessly bridging the conversational tension of spontaneous improvisation with a beautifully crafted sense of structure.Setting Out(启程)游走于传统古典的气质与现代爵士的色彩之间。奇数拍律动，棱角清晰的和声在克制，明亮的旋律线条之下暗流涌动——曲子描绘‘出发前夕’那种微妙的张力：有对未知的雀跃，也有对过往的释怀。在这支顶尖阵容中，音乐家们找到了近乎完美的呼吸平衡。除了易宇钦(Strucky Yi)流动具有音乐性的钢琴演奏外，吉他大师 Gilad Hekselman 与贝斯名宿 Matt Penman 的演绎内敛而富有创造力；而萨克斯先锋 Nicola Caminiti 极具穿透力的线条，与现象级鼓手 Miguel Russell 充满爆发力的鼓点，如火花般点燃了乐曲的生命力。五重奏的编制在这首曲子里找到了微妙的平衡：既有对话式的即兴张力，又有精心构筑的结构感。2.Mist in the Valley 山谷的迷雾"Mist in the Valley" is a piece composed in New York during the pandemic. The"valley" serves as a metaphor for the dilemma and deadlock in which many people found themselves stuck at the time, while the"mist" symbolizes things that were close at hand yet remained elusive and intangible. Written as a modern swing waltz in triple meter, the piece straightforwardly expresses the doubts and reflections of that era through a simple yet powerful melody.山谷的迷雾是疫情期间在纽约写的一首曲子，山谷隐喻当时许多人进退两难的状况，迷雾代表近在咫尺却又看不清摸不着的事物。三拍子的现代摇摆华尔兹直白地通过简洁有力的旋律抒发当时的一些迷思与疑问。3.I’ll Be There 我会在"Melodic, tender, and quietly powerful without ever turning sentimental, “I’ll Be There” unfolds slowly in the space between the familiar and the new. Its harmonic language blends the warmth of soul with the color and elasticity of modern jazz, letting emotion rise through nuance rather than volume.Simon Moullier’s soulful phrasing, Reuben Rogers’ deeply grooving basslines, Nicola Caminiti’s confident, singular horn playing, and Ian Wacksman’s steady, composed drumming collectively breathe a sense of hope into the music, as vital as air and as tender as a glimmer of light. At its heart, the tune is both a gentle promise and a quiet inner certainty: we will, in our own time, arrive at where we’re meant to be.旋律灵动温柔、不煽情却有力量，I’ll Be There (我在)的和声语言融合了灵魂乐的温度与现代爵士的色彩，在熟悉与新鲜之间缓慢展开。Simon Moullier充满骚灵气息的语句，Reuben Rogers富有律动的贝斯线条, Nicola Caminiti自信独特的吹奏以及Ian Wacksman坚定从容的爵士鼓演奏带给音乐如同空气和微光般的希望。曲子是一个温柔的承诺，也是一种内心的笃信——我们终将抵达我们想去的地方。4.Home 家Written in the summer of 2022, Home is built on just four chords — serving as an honest, direct release of pure joy after a three-year longing to finally return home. Yet, this simple framework never limits the music's dimension. Beneath the neat, soaring melody lies a subtle reservoir of groove and tension, allowing a unique and captivating aura to grow from simplicity.Under the stunning collaboration of vibraphonist Simon Moullier, saxophonist Nicola Caminiti, bassist Joe Martin, and drummer Ian Wacksman, Strucky Yi’s composition expands with fresh dynamics and rhythmic tension. Together, they coat this homecoming joy in a warm, fluid, and perfect glow. Clear, powerful melodic lines interweave with a driving, modern jazz rhythm, transforming the eager anticipation of heading home into an infectious burst of musical energy.Home (家)写于2022年夏天，以极简的四个和弦为架构，直白地宣泄了阔别三年终得归家时的喜悦。然而简练的框架并未限制音乐的维度，干净清晰的旋律之下暗藏律动与张力，简单之中生长出属于这首曲子的独特气场。在颤音琴家 Simon Moullier、萨克斯手 Nicola Caminiti、贝斯手 Joe Martin 以及鼓手 Ian Wacksman 的惊艳协作下，Strucky Yi曲子延伸出了不一样的动态与律动张力，为这份归家的喜悦镀上了一层晕光——温暖，流动，恰如其分。清澈有力的线条与充满推动力的现代爵士节奏交织，将归心似箭的喜悦转化为一种极具感染力的音乐能量。5.Wake Up 醒来A self with blurred edges, scattered perception, and no clear sense of where it stands is beginning to wake—this is where “Wake Up” takes root. As the prelude to “Dunno,” it doesn’t rush to offer direction; instead, it reveals the inner state before direction even takes shape. In a minute and a half, Strucky Yi's piano and Joe Martin's bass become a single instrument, tirelessly cycling through a 13/8 ostinato — an unsteady pulse, a clock urging wakefulness. Above this foundation, guitarist Gilad Hekselman and saxophonist Nicola Caminiti unfold a willfully contrary free improvisation. Atonal, cold phrases intertwine with extended modern techniques, like the fragmentary murmurs and hallucinations of a disordered dream. Drummer Miguel Russell's playing evolves from sparse, pointillistic strikes at the outset into a highly imaginative, burgeoning rhythmic accompaniment."Wake Up" is far more than a simple prelude; it is a threshold. When rigidity and weightlessness, order and drifting, coexist simultaneously, the listener’s ear is forced into consciousness—and only then does the story of"Dunno" truly begin.那个边界模糊、感知涣散、尚未确定身处何处的自己正在醒来——Wake Up 就生长在这里。作为 Dunno 的前奏，它不急于给出方向，而是呈现那个方向未成形时的内在状态。一分半钟的曲子中，易宇钦的钢琴与Joe Martin手上的贝斯变成同一台的仪器，不知疲倦地重复着13/8拍的循环（Ostinato）——是不安稳的脉搏，也是催促苏醒的闹钟。在布局之上，吉他手Gilad Hekselman 与萨克斯手 Nicola Caminiti 展开了一场反骨的自由即兴。无调性的冰冷乐句与现代的特殊演奏法交织，如同脑海中杂乱无序的梦呓与幻觉。鼓手 Miguel Russell 的鼓点从最初的‘点描式’敲击，一步步生发为极富想象力的伴奏律动。《Wake Up》不是单纯的“前奏”，而是一道门：当固定与失重、秩序与游离同时存在，听觉被迫清醒后，《Dunno》的故事便真正开始。6.Dunno 不知道As a response of Strucky Yi’s first Ep “Will He?”, Dunno is a work that builds order within uncertainty. The intricate use of odd meters is sophisticated yet entirely unpretentious; through artificial accents, syntactic displacements, and a relentlessly driving rhythmic tension, the piece remains suspended in a state of tense, fluid weightlessness. Enveloped in a dark, profound atmosphere, the melody nevertheless flashes with fleeting, deeply moving glimmers of light.With Strucky Yi’s characteristic writing and piano playing, guitar master Gilad Hekselman plays with remarkable restraint—seemingly controlled, yet quietly packing the smallest harmonic and rhythmic gaps with startling improvisational ideas. This contrasts beautifully with Nicola Caminiti’s emotionally charged, high-tension saxophone solo. Together, this push-and-pull dynamic—anchored by bass legend Joe Martin and sparked by prodigy Miguel Russell’s highly expressive modern drumming—creates a powerful sense of drama.To admit"I don't know" is an act of honest courage.To keep moving forward within uncertainty — that, too, is a choice. A form of perseverance.作为易宇钦第一张EP“Will He?”的回应，“Dunno”(不知道)是一首在“不确定”中建立秩序的作品。奇数拍的使用复杂却不炫技，重音位移、句法错位与持续推进的节奏张力，让整首曲子始终处在一种紧绷而流动的失重状态。旋律笼罩在幽暗、深邃的氛围中，却又不经意闪烁出极微小但动人的明亮光芒。在Strucky Yi特立独行的作曲与演奏下，吉他大师 Gilad Hekselman 的演奏极为内敛含蓄，看似克制，实则在和声与节奏的微小缝隙中塞满了惊艳的即兴想法；与之相对的是 Nicola Caminiti 情感喷涌、张力拉满的萨克斯独奏。两者一收一放，在贝斯名宿 Joe Martin 沉稳的支架和天才鼓手 Miguel Russell 极富表现力的现代鼓点催化下，形成强烈戏剧性。承认"不知道"，是一种诚实的力量。在不确定里继续前行，也是一种选择与坚持。7.How Long Does It Take? 还要多久This piece was written during a time when New York had fallen quiet during covid — industries stilled, the city dimmed. Around me, I watched so many young and gifted artists pushing through hardship, sustaining themselves through humble work while never once letting go of their devotion to art. The title, “How Long Does It Take?” holds questions from several angles: How long until this rough winter finally passes? How much longer will it take for this young generation of musicians and artists to finally reach the stage where they’re striving for? And how long can a person who truly loves art hold on before reality turns that love into bitterness—until they give up the pursuit and compromise with life?在纽约疫情期间百业萧条的时候写了这首曲子，当时看到身边很多年轻才华横溢的艺术家在艰辛地拼搏，勤恳地通过简单劳动来维持生活却又从未放弃对艺术的追求。曲名“还要多久”表达了几个不同角度的疑问，一是这个艰难的寒冬什么时候才能过去，二是这些年轻一辈的音乐家艺术家们什么时候才能去到自己想去的位置，三再是疑虑要多长的时间会让一个满怀热情喜爱艺术的人最后因为现实对其因爱成恨，放弃追求向生活妥协。8.Endless StairsWhether pursuing music, art, or academia, the entire journey feels like climbing a staircase with no visible summit. Some may grow to resent what they once loved, turning back halfway to seek another path. Others develop a morbid obsession, chasing perfection to the absolute extreme—exhausting their entire lives even if, in the end, they may become nothing but dust. It sounds bleak, and yet that is part of its allure.This piece is for the endless summit—and for everyone who keeps climbing, stubbornly and faithfully. 无论是做音乐艺术还是做学术 ，整个过程都像是在爬一段看不见顶端的阶梯。或有人会因爱成恨，走到一半就折返另谋高就; 亦有人会病态地痴迷和追求极致，耗尽一生即便最后自己或许只会变成尘埃。这听起来有些悲凉，却又是它的魅力所在。这首”无尽的阶梯”，写给永无止境的高峰以及一直在执着攀爬的人们。9.Lean 倚靠“Lean” is a bond. It’s the act of seeking support and understanding in difficult times—of finding someone to rely on when facing setbacks, and regaining the courage to go on. This kind of reliance is more than emotional dependence; it’s a force of mutual support and shared growth.This piece attempts to trace the feeling of a warmth that stays close — through joy, through difficulty, through all of it — a comfort that does not ask to be explained, only felt.“倚靠”是一种情感纽带。它是在困境中寻求他人支持和理解，在面对挫折和困难时，寻找可依靠的人重拾勇气。这种倚靠的关系不仅仅是一种情感的依存，更是一种互相扶持和共同成长的力量。曲子试图描述一种无论欢乐还是困难时刻与我常在的温暖和安慰。10.Night Ride 夜骑Sometimes, the most moving memories in a relationship are not the grand gestures or the extraordinary moments. It is often the small, quiet fragments of life that leave the deepest impression — the ones that stay long after everything else has faded.A long walk with nowhere to be. A drive to somewhere far, music playing softly, nothing left to say, watching the last light of the sun dissolve into the horizon. Or the gentle sway of a late-night taxi, the two of you slowly drifting to sleep, leaning into each other as the city blurs past the window.In those moments, something feels eternal. As though time had quietly agreed to stretch — to carry you both a little further, a little longer, toward somewhere that never quite needed a name.有时候在感情里最动人的回忆，不一定是多轰动的事件或者宏大的场面。一些细微琐碎的瞬间反而更深刻更让人难忘。比如说一起散步长谈，比如说共同开车去很远的地方听着音乐什么也不说看着落日余晖，或是在夜幕降临后坐在计程车摇摇晃晃昏昏入睡依偎着彼此。那些时候，仿佛触及到了永恒，好像可以一直通往很远的地方。11.Last Message 最后的信息Last Message is a simple, still piano solo — a piece about farewells, both known and unknown.The title holds more than one meaning. It might be the final message sent between lovers on the edge of a goodbye. It might be a soldier's last word home before departing for the front. Or perhaps a quiet greeting exchanged at a bedside, not yet knowing it would be the last.Gospel harmonies and a clean, restrained melody work together to carry the weight of these partings — gently, and with gravity. Not to resolve the ache of goodbye, but simply to hold it.一首简单平静的钢琴独奏曲，关于已知或未知的告别。“Last Message”可以有很多指向：它可能是恋人离别前的最后一条信息；也可能是士兵奔赴战场前的最后一次联络；又或者是亲人病危前的最后一句问候… Gospel的和弦与干净克制的旋律温柔又沉重地托起一些告别的重量。