Harvesting Semblances and Affinities heralds alto saxophonist/composer Steve Coleman s return to recording. His releases over the last nine years have been on hard-to-find European labels, hardly befitting one of the most important figures in American music of the last 25 years. The release features his band Five Elements, many of whom have worked with Coleman for years, as well as the astonishing vocals of Jen Shyu. Completely defying the traditional role of jazz singing, Shyu s voice is treated as another horn, getting right into the mix with incredible incisiveness and articulation.