On this 29-minute-long 5-track EP South Korean pianist Sujae Jung and German bassist Wolf Robert Stratmann team up with guitarist Steve Cardenas and drummer Marko Djordjevic to perform five of Jung’s and Stratmann’s originals. The songs have their basis in jazz, but this is reflective music which also has its feet in ambient, New Age and improvisation, with the band leaders often in control of the melody and the guitar and percussion providing additional nuances and touches to broaden the sound. In this instance the cover photo is a great depiction of what is contained within, as there are times when this is sparse and almost windswept, yet it is also very deep indeed if one takes the time to listen.
The fifth musician, space, is hugely important on this album as the sentient musicians work closely alongside to ensure they never take away from what that is adding to the album, the result being something which is incredibly clean where one can almost hear the musicians breathe. It is scored as opposed to being composed live, but each take their own journey to expand on what is being presented to them aurally, and in some ways it makes me think of material which normally comes to me from Discus Music, and I am sure that anyone who tends to investigate that catalogue will also get great deal from this. It is a bright and easy to listen to album which is never easy listening, but instead invites the listener to come in and pull up a chair and just listen to a quartet who really know what they are doing.
Rating: 8/10
Links:
https://www.sujaejungmusic.com/
https://www.wolfrobertstratmann.com/