Exclusive Artist Interview: Jazz Pianist Connie Han

Setting The Jazz World On Fire With Her Latest Album Secrets of Inanna

If you were to ask someone who the best and most influential jazz pianists were, you’d undoubtedly get an array of answers ranging from Thelonius Monk to Duke Ellington and Count Basie or maybe Dave Brubeck and Chick Corea. But here in 2022, there’s a rising young star that’s taking the contemporary jazz world by storm, Steinway artist Connie Han.

There’s no question that Han is an amazing talent but it’s her combustible style and ability to invoke emotion that sets her apart from the rest. With her latest album, Secrets of Inanna, she threatens to shake the very foundations of contemporary jazz, taking the listener on an exploratory journey through Sumerian mythology, a concept album that nobody could imagine, except for Han. Paying homage to the Sumerian goddess of both love and war, Han’s arrangements are as verdant as the ancient Inanna, taking us through all the highs of love and light to the lows of evil and darkness and everything in between as we contemplate our own spiritual journey. Working with longtime producer and drummer Bill Wysaske, Han weaves an intricate yet commanding presence throughout this epic project.

Shutter 16 had the opportunity to chat with Connie about the new album and get her personal insights on the project. You can listen in as we learn about Han’s latest record and the story of Inanna that inspired it all.