EUNMI LEE — Introspection (review)

EUNMI LEE — Introspection album cover Album · 2023 · Post Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
js
Eunmi Lee is a new comer to the NYC jazz scene, and “Introspection” is her first album as a leader. In 2005 Lee earned her first college level music degree in Seoul and then went on to a variety of musical jobs in Korea. For a long time she dreamed of coming to the states and playing jazz, but it took a while for all that to happen. She made it to California in 2007, but financial concerns drove her back home again. Eventually, by way of the Netherlands, Eunmi finally made it to NYU where she received a masters degree in jazz piano in 2022. Wasting no time, Lee sat down with some top notch local musicians and had her first album out within a year of leaving school. All of these songs were composed and arranged by Lee and they show a wide variety of interests ranging from post bop combos to big band and also neo-classical chamber music. One of the more endearing aspects of “Introspection” involves Lee’s CD liner notes in which she elaborates on the perspectives and emotions that are involved with each tune she composed.

As mentioned already, there is plenty of eclecticism to go around on these tracks. Album opener, “Gimmick”, sets a contemporary post bop mood with Lee and John Ellis on tenor sax taking the solos. The following two tracks show Eunmi’s abilities as a neo-classical composer. Although she has marked out an individual style as a jazz pianist, its her skills as a composer that really sets Lee apart. Her compositions are very direct and melodic and devoid of pretentious window dressing. An entire album of her chamber compositions would probably be a sure treat.

On “Mr Weird”, Eunmi gets her big band arranger hat on and shows a Quincy Jones style light breezy approach to arranging that avoids the heaviness that can happen with clumsy arrangements. As the album closes out we get some ballad material and a little more of Lee’s chamber compositional skills. The future looks good for Eunmi Lee, lets hope we hear more of her compositions and arrangements soon.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Green Puma / Tropical Dandy Jazz Related Rock
THE LINK QUARTET
Buy this album from MMA partners
Vinny Golia Quintet : Can You Outrun Them? 21st Century Modern
VINNY GOLIA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Bow Code Fusion
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Anthem For No Man’s Land Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ANDREAS SCHAERER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cabaret Eclectic Fusion
MARIUS NESET
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Paper Plane Pilot
MIKE DE SOUZA
js· 61 minutes ago
Green Puma
THE LINK QUARTET
js· 65 minutes ago
Heavy Cream
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
js· 3 hours ago
Sunday afternoon
FURIO DI CASTRI
snobb· 16 hours ago
Harmônicos
FABIANO DO NASCIMENTO
js· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed