Linda May Han Oh / Melissa Aldana - Beneath Lifted Skies

August 18, 2026

Label: Biophilia Records, 2026

Personnel - Linda May Han Oh: double bass; Melissa Aldana: tenor saxophone.

Bassist Linda May Han Oh and saxophonist Melissa Aldana are two respected bandleaders and composers with different styles and approaches but common journeys in life. Oh was born in Malaysia to parents of Chinese heritage, was raised in Australia, and moved to New York for a brilliant career, having played with Pat Metheny, Vijay Iyer, Joe Lovano, and Dave Douglas, among many others. Aldana is a native of Santiago, Chile, and has lived in New York since 2009, after graduating from Berklee College of Music. For this session, the duo agreed to play standards, showcasing reverence for jazz tradition and influences while also allowing new possibilities to emerge from the arrangements. Yet Beneath Lifted Skies also includes three duo improvisations and three solo bass tracks.

Charlie Parker’s “Anthropology” comes out of the gate with a vibrantly swinging mood, swift unisons, and exciting exchanges infused with a richness of ideas. Yet it doesn’t beat the fantastic rendition of Bud Powell’s “Hallucinations”, where the duo is at its best. Impressive synchronization, great melody, and a grooving, energizing vibe are part of a breathtaking interplay that demonstrates Oh’s immaculate technique and Aldana’s fluid language.

Ballads where melody reigns, such as Charles Mingus’ “Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love” and Sammy Fain’s “I’ll Be Seeing You”, make a great pair. Aldana’s quick-witted, arpeggiated sequences à la Charles Lloyd put a smokiness in the air. In turn, pieces by jazz giants Wayne Shorter (“Dance Cadaverous”) and John Coltrane (“26-2”) didn’t impress me as much. One that really gets under the skin is Gigi Gryce’s “Social Call”, a graceful, easy-rolling tune expressed with joyful hookiness.

Of the three improvised pieces, “Infinite” is the one that caught my ear instantly, relying on droning pedals and searching melodies to take us to a progressive yet atmospheric place. “Resolve”, which ends with a pedaling bass figure, also makes for a compelling abstract sonic painting.

Oh absolutely excels on her solo reframing of Herbie Hancock’s “The Sorcerer”, where edginess and roundness go together, creating an almost subliminal pulse. The bassist also tackles Billie Holiday’s “God Bless the Child”, delivered as a protest against child abuse, and introduces a new composition, “Winter”, where she employs expert pulses and slides to add novelty.

Demonstrating a quick-witted rapport, Oh and Aldana are two kindred spirits in conversation. They’ve already found their own voices in jazz, but together, they manage to offer a very enjoyable album with varied rhythm, groove, and breath. While old standards can sometimes feel stale, creative reinvention transforms them into a thrilling experience. Beneath Lifted Skies is an excellent case in point.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Hallucinations ► 03 - Improvisation: Infinite ► 06 - The Sorcerer ► 10 - Social Call

Melissa Aldana - Filin

February 24, 2026

Label: Blue Note Records, 2026

Personnel - Melissa Aldana: tenor saxophone; Gonzalo Rubalcaba: piano; Peter Washington: bass; Kush Abadey: drums + Guest - Cecile McLorin Salvant: vocals (#3,5).

Chilean-born saxophonist and composer Melissa Aldana has long expressed the desire to record a ballads album in the tradition of John Coltrane and other masters. She fulfills that intention with her new quartet—Gonzalo Rubalcaba on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kush Abadey on drums—while adding a distinctive twist: the repertoire is devoted exclusively to Filin songs, a US-influenced Cuban style popular from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. Filin, her third release as a leader on Blue Note Records, contains moments of genuine romanticism, though it does not consistently deliver the spark or sense of discovery that might make the material fully compelling.

The album opens with a confident reimagining of Salvador Levi’s “La Sentencia”, where the delicacy of touch in the rubato piano playing and the velvety saxophone establish an inviting mood. The melodies, shaped with a soulful warmth à-la Charles Lloyd, rest securely on Washington’s rounded, supportive bass lines and Abadey’s soft brushes-on-snare and cymbal legato. “No Te Empeñes Más” introduces guest vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, whose expressive delivery enhances the piece, alongside heartfelt solos from Aldana and Rubalcaba. Salvant also appears on “Las Rosas No Hablan”, written by Brazilian samba master Cartola, rendered in graceful Spanish and sustained by the quartet’s refined accompaniment.

Brazilian presence is further felt through “Little Church” by Hermeto Pascoal, one of the album’s highlights. The piece moves between soulful lyricism and spacious dimensions, with Aldana’s saxophone projecting an almost ethereal glow over Rubalcaba’s sensitive pianism and Abadey’s subtle rhythmic commentary. “Imágenes” and the closing “No Pidas Imposibles” unfold as languid meditations, the former marked by Aldana’s wistfully dark yet airy tone, the latter distinguished by Rubalcaba’s exquisite grace.

Aldana’s unique musical habitat—where passages coalesce with discretion and often in predictable contours—finds particular resonance in “Ocaso”, composed by Mexican guitarist Claudio Estrada. The main melody has a dark feel to it, while the final vamping pulse comes injected with a disengaged, almost unconcerned air.

Yet while the musicianship is consistently polished here, Aldana’s artistic voice tends to resonate more vividly to me when she channels her creativity into her own original compositions.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - La Sentencia ► 05 - Las Rosas No Hablan ► 06 - Little Church

Melissa Aldana - Echoes of the Inner Prophet

April 1, 2024

Label: Blue Note Records, 2024

Personnel - Melissa Aldana: tenor saxophone; Lage Lund: guitar; Fabian Almazan: piano; Pablo Menares: bass; Kush Abadey: drums.

In her seventh album as a leader and second on Blue Note Records, titled Echoes of the Inner Prophet, Chilean-born, New York-based saxophonist Melissa Aldana presents eight sonic reflections that encapsulate her personal journey. Here, she reunites with the same crew that contributed to the acclaim of 12 Stars (Blue Note, 2022): Norwegian guitarist Lage Lund, bassist Pablo Menares, and drummer Kush Abadey. The sole exception is Sullivan Fortner who passed the piano chair to Fabian Almazan.

The album opens delicately with the title track, a homage to Wayne Shorter, resonating in shades of pastel and reminiscent of Alice Coltrane's spiritual kindness. This leads seamlessly into “Unconscious Whispers”, characterized by airy passages and edgy tonal ranges, with hints of Latin influence, also evident in “The Solitary Seeker”, where a slight Brazilian rhythmic balance is felt. Aldana and Almazan deliver intense performances on these tracks, while Lund shines on “A Story”, exuding sultry elegance with a Metheny-esque crossover jazz appeal.

The guitarist boasts a great sound throughout, whether building colorful texture or melodic single-note phrases, contributing “I Know You Know”, a radiant sunshine sympathetically crafted with sharp expression. Conversely, Menares’ “Ritual” provides haunting balladry with its evocative and atmospheric tones, while Aldana’s “Cone of Silence”, a dedication to recording engineer James Farber, is distilled with emotional poignancy, tempo subtleties, and timbral precision. Before that, “A Purpose” brings jazz in the heart of a gracious post-bop act buoyed by the ambitious sweep of solos from the bandleader, Lund, and Almazan.

Aldana emerges as a more mature saxophonist, presenting a cerebral style that blends subtle idiomatic combinations with personal emotions. Her new album provides an easy listening experience that, going deep, never succumbs to the potential pitfalls of sentimentality.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Unconscious Whispers ► 04 - The Solitary Seeker ► 07 - Cone of Silence

Melissa Aldana - 12 Stars

February 24, 2022

Label: Blue Note Records, 2022

Personnel - Melissa Aldana: tenor saxophone; Lage Lund: guitar; Sullivan Fortner: keyboards; Pablo Menares: bass; Kush Abadey: drums.

Born in Santiago, Chile, and based in Harlem, New York, the saxophonist and composer Melissa Aldana presents her first release on the Blue Note label, leading a quintet of bright musicians. The seven originals that comprise 12 Stars were co-written with the Norwegian guitarist Lage Lund.

Aldana's horn permeates the repertoire with determination, and “Falling” begins this journey with a tight-knit head that finds her delineating a breezy, unfurling melody over the throttling bass of Pablo Menares and the harmonic sophistication negotiated by Lund and the pianist Sullivan Fortner. The bandleader probes stunning intervals in her improvisation, exploring the high and low registers of the tenor with focused direction. Subsequently to a functional comping, Fortner adds up cascading reverie to the setting.

Other standouts of the album include: “Intuition”, a tango-ish exertion with sax-guitar agreement and a forward marching snare that sounds more sultry than threatening; and the rhythmically fascinating “Los Ojos de Chile”, a number inspired by the demonstrations and riots for civil rights that spread over that South American country in 2019, and where the group finds a cool burn through tension and release. After the beautiful theme, we have resourceful piano playing, ascendant guitar motifs that precipitate slices of swinging motion, and a squirrelly then surgical tenor statement that concurrently encourages and weeps.

The poignant, cerebral ballad “Emilia”, which came out of a dream related to motherhood, prompts drummer Kush Abadey to caress the skins and cymbals of the drum kit with soft brushes. As a soloist, it’s Lund who stands out here by taking peculiar paths suffused with color.

Abadey infers distinct rhythmic feels on “The Bluest Eyes” and “The Fool”. He tosses in a methodical ride cymbal drive for a swinging feel on the former, and paves the latter with gentle Brazilian-flavored rudiments. Both “The Fool” and the closing track, the one that gave the album its name, are a product of the bandleader’s curiosity about tarot, a practice she learned during lockdown. Aldana emerges stronger on 12 Stars, backed by competent partners who respond to her calls with appropriate action.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Falling ► 02 - Intuition ► 07 - Los Ojos de Chile

Melissa Aldana - Visions

June 4, 2019

Label: Motéma Music, 2019

Personnel - Melissa Aldana: tenor saxophone; Joel Ross: vibraphone; Sam Harris: piano; Pablo Menares: bass; Tommy Crane: drums.

Exceeding one hour, the album Visions by Chilean reed player Melissa Aldana is presented as a musical exploration of self-identity and expression. The session, mostly composed of originals, was inspired by the life and work of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, and starts with the title track, one of the two pieces composed for The Jazz Gallery residency commission 2017-18. Embracing a firm, medium-fast tempo, the tune exposes an expeditious melody dancing over a predominating triple meter that continues for the solos. The bandleader, who also shows her improvisational qualities, pronounces coincidental lines with vibraphonist Joel Ross, while pianist Sam Harris opts for a somewhat fuzzy approach during his solo. However, he proclaims clarity of language on pieces like “Perdon”, a gentle waltzing ballad written by bassist Pablo Menares, and the heart-rending standard “Never Let Me Go”, where he beautifully deconstructs the original harmony at the same time that explores melodies outside the lines.

“La Madrina” conveys a subtle classical feel in the chords’ movements and inherent voice-leading, preserving the sax/vibraphone coalition, aggrandizing emotions with the depth of bowed bass, and irrigating the foundation with a sultry Latin touch. This sprightly piece was also composed for the aforementioned commission.

Some songs came out gooier than fluid as if they were brought to a simmer without actually boiling over. These were the cases of “Acceptance” and “The Search”. I also missed memorable riffing in the music, here replaced by a strict post-bop posture flavored with colorful brushstrokes of Latin jazz. Even expecting more from this rising artist, there are moments where the intensity gets you. The rhythmically fervent “Elsewhere” and “Su Tragedia”, which waltzes with occasional tango expressiveness, are especially vivid examples of that. The saxophonist excels on the latter piece, exhibiting her searing tenor again on “El Castillo de Velanje”, the piece that concludes the album and redirects the spotlight in its final section to Ross’ vibrant mallet work.

Visions fails to make a very deep mark, but Aldana shows enough modernity in her language to keep us in.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - La Madrina ► 06 - Elsewhere ► 08 - Never Let Me Go