Fluid single note runs join colorful chordal voicings, as Heo establishes where this unit fits into the great tradition of the jazz trio.
Now almost 15 years into her New York City life, South Korean pianist and composer Jihee Heo has thrived during her deep journey into the city's towering jazz piano legacy. Her studies in Amsterdam and at the Manhattan School of Music blended experimental jazz with classical and bop, but the rich connection she discovered with drummer Joe Farnsworth and bassist Alex Claffy several years ago awakened sounds she's had stored away since she first encountered jazz. Now a steady presence in New York's clubs, this trio's journey is documented on Flow, which was, appropriately enough, recorded by Maureen Sickler at Rudy Van Gelder's famed studio in Englewood, NJ. Joining the trio for two tunes is the alto titan, Vincent Herring.
"Pianist Jihee Heo has a beautiful legato touch that builds on sturdy lyricism and lustrous harmonies but her work also is filled with delicate, detailed figures."
DownBeat
Track Listing:
1 New Yorker Step 4:26
2 I Can See Only One Step Ahead 5:23
3 Opening the New Door 4:53
4 Extreme Noise Blocker 4:44
5 Aquellos Ojos Verdes 6:08
6 The Hidden Giant 5:39
7 In a Sentimental Mood 5:41
8 The Late Bloomer 6:13
All music by Jihee Heo, Heonah Music (BMI)
except: (5) by Adolfo Utrera; (7) by Duke Ellington
Performers:
Jihee Heo - piano
Alexander Claffy - bass
Joe Farnsworth - drums
Vincent Herring - alto sax (6,8)
Production Info:
Produced by Jihee Heo
Recorded by Maureen Sickler
at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood, NJ
September 21, 2023
Mixed & mastered by Katsuhiko Naito, Brooklyn, NY
Photos by Drew Bordeaux
Cover design & layout by John Bishop
Reviews of Flow
Marlbank (UK) (Stephen Graham)
We applaud the choice of a cover of Spanish language classic 'Aquellos Ojos Verdes' aka 'Green Eyes' sung by Nat King Cole in the 1950s on his Brazil recorded Spanish language A Mis Amigos album and far more recently as an instrumental by Fred Hersch and Michael Moore so beautifully softly on This We Know (Palmetto, 2008).
The other cover here o ...
All About Jazz (Paul Rauch)
South Korean pianist Jihee Heo has been in New York City since 2009. She arrived to work on her Masters after studies in Amsterdam and has become a fixture on the Gotham club scene, often appearing with a trio or quartet sharing the bandstand with some of the city's finest players. Her new trio plus one effort, Flow (OA2, 2024), is in a way, a docu ...
