Mute

Among the various ensembles led by the forward-thinking New York saxophonist Kevin Sun, Mute stands out as an Asian-American quartet that highlights its members’ range across contemporary jazz contexts while emphasizing collective interplay. After issuing their first recording under the group’s name in 2019, the musicians resurfaced with After You’ve Gone in 2024.

By the latter half of the 2010s, Sun had already gained recognition for his exploratory approach through a trio and the bands Great on Paper and Earprint. In 2017 he assembled Mute alongside pianist Christian Li, bassist Jeonglim Yang, and drummer Dayeon Seok, presenting multiple performances that year in Brooklyn and Beijing. The following year brought further appearances in Seoul, New York, and New Jersey. The quartet’s debut album, titled simply Mute, appeared in 2019 on Fresh Sound New Talent and included original pieces contributed by every participant. Sun subsequently devoted attention to his other projects yet sustained musical ties with the same players in separate contexts. The group’s next release, After You’ve Gone—titled after the 1918 jazz standard—came out in 2024 on Sun’s own Endectomorph imprint.