A Door

Joonsam might sound like a typically quirky moniker for a contemporary jazz ensemble but it's actually the first name of the South Korean double bassist-composer Joonsam Lee, who spearheads a compellingly strong New York-based quintet line-up for his debut, A Door. The nucleus of the band is a piano trio, a well-balanced one with drummer Nate Wood's fiery presence and Joonsam's assertively driving bass offset by Aaron Parks' more graceful, reflective take on contemporary jazz piano. A Door mixes sensuous, richly melodic ballads with a more full-on fusion style. Although it borders on the jazz mainstream for some part, quality out-of-the-box guest soloists like the trumpeter Ralph Alessi and guitarist Ben Monder tend to mash things up a bit and there's a flavour of Joonsam's Asian background in the themes and contributions by Chung Eun Han and Yeahwon Shin on, respectively, bamboo flute and whispery wordless vocals. No understated delicacies or brainy rhythmic puzzles here, but an enjoyable, self-assured encounter from New York's pan-cultural contemporary jazz workshop all the same.