Label: Sunnyside Records
Personnel - Jeong Lim Yang: bass; Mat Maneri: viola; Jacob Sacks: piano; Randy Peterson: drums.
Korean-born, Brooklyn-based bassist and composer Jeong Lim Yang has brought together an adventurous crew of seasoned, forward-thinking musicians and mentors to shape her third album, Synchronicity. The collection of seven original compositions explores a wide range of sounds and moods, weaving narrative through both improvisation and composition, and skillfully balancing tension and release.
The title track, “Synchronicity”, opens the album with a minimal structure and polyrhythmic texture, featuring Jacob Sacks’ freely flowing piano lines in a whimsical exploration with tempo variations. The piece is layered with Mat Maneri’s poignant viola wails, Yang’s fluid and loose-limbed bass, and Randy Peterson’s understated drum playing. “Ordinary Waltz” defies its name, placing a captivating melodic riff at its center, while obliterating any obvious 3/4 time feel through a dizzying fusion of folk, blues, and avant-chamber-jazz nuances.
“Morning Glory”, inspired by Rodgers/Hammerstein’s show tune “Edelweiss” from the film The Sound of Music, plunges into ambiguity with its woozy and unpredictable arrangement. Meanwhile, “Body Nor Soul”, a contrafact of the ballad standard “Body And Soul”. With melodic nuance and strobing incantations, each musician—excluding the drummer—takes their time to deliver beautifully improvised passages. The hard-swinging “Salad For Lunch”, composed by Sacks, showcases his solo, which bridges traditional and progressive ideas. Yang follows with a groove that is both clear and expressive, while Peterson extends the rhythmic flow with exquisite drum swells.
“Weeping Dream” radiates a haunting beauty, reflecting the sorrowful emotions inspired by a Covid-related dream. Wintry piano arpeggios, vivid bass descriptions, and often dissonant viola cries combine to create a muted, somber scenario. “Stimmung” begins with Yang’s expressive bends, slides and plucks, paired with Peterson’s crackling, fireworks-like sounds, before transitioning into a more harmonically defined section that supports a folk-inspired confluence of distinct melodies.
Yang and her ensemble make the material sound simultaneously lucid and open-ended. With its thoughtful execution, Synchronicity has the potential to elevate Yang’s visibility in the jazz world.
Favorite Tracks:
02 - Ordinary Waltz ► 04 - Salad For Lunch ► 05 - Weeping Dream