Every time bassist Linda May Han Oh releases an album, we tend to fall head over heels in love with her work anew. From 2012’s Initial Here to 2013’s Sun Pictures to 2017’s Walk Against Wind, she never makes a misstep, always making music with an intuitive sense of rhythm that can make even the most complex ideas into absolute bangers. For her new album, Aventurine, out May 17th on Biophilia Records, she’s stretching that ability even further to incorporate even more strings than her own bass, playing alongside different collaborators, and making consistently infectiously beautiful music that will indeed stay in your rotation for years.
The album is, as Oh states, named after “a translucent mineral, a type of quartz with a shimmering effect, or “adventurescence”. It is most commonly found in the color green. It has been known to symbolize creativity, opportunity and evolution. Featuring folks like saxophonist Greg Ward; pianist Matt Mitchell; violinists Fung Chern Hwei and Sarah Caswell; violist Bennie Von Gutzeit; cellist Jeremy Harman; and drummer/vibraphonist Ches Smith, Aventurine is going to be something totally different and just as excellent from Linda Oh. Check out the title track in the pre-order below and look out for the album next month.
Aventurine, the new large ensemble album from bassist/composer Linda May Han Oh, is out May 17th on Biophilia Records. It’s available for pre-order now.
Linda May Han Oh – acoustic/electric bass, compositions/arrangements
Greg Ward – alto/soprano saxophone
Fung Chern Hwei – violin
Sarah Caswell – violin
Bennie Von Gutzeit – viola
Jeremy Harman – cello
Matt Mitchell – piano
Ches Smith – drums/vibraphone