Linda May Han Oh Quartet

“Besides the impact of her musical ideas on her listeners, Oh gives strong consideration to the social impact that music can have on the world…[she is] an advocate for the environment and gender equity in jazz.” —Downbeat

Welcome to the Vermont Jazz Center,

Linda May Han Oh is a composer who is celebrated for using techniques of composition that are original and creative and stand in stark contrast to many “straight-ahead” bands whose arrangements often feature similar forms throughout their performances: a short melody followed by improvised solos and then a repetition of the melody. Here are some thoughts on what to listen for in tonight’s concert:

May Han Oh achieves a wide variety of sonic textures using a minimal number of instruments. One of the ways in which she accomplishes this is by changing-up the functions of each instrument. For example, we are most accustomed to hearing a melody performed by a horn accompanied by a rhythm section. May Han Oh does away with those expectations. I have heard her assign a unison melody to the bass and drums and long tones to the saxophone while the piano provides rhythmical accompaniment. Another way that she creates interesting textural and rhythmical variety is by giving each instrument a separate ostinato (a repeating melodic figure). When these distinctly different repetitive patterns are all played simultaneously, they create a web of contrapuntal lines that might at first sound dissonant. In her writing, these patterns sometimes slowly morph over time until the melodies all come together. When this fusion of disparate ideas finally merge into a unison melody or familiar chord progression, the listener experiences a sense of relief as they experience a resolution from dissonance to consonance. Manipulating tension and release is nothing new; it is a technique that was often used to great effect by Beethoven. May Han Oh’s sandbox is inventing challenging, new forms of tension and release and bringing them to life with other capable musicians.

Another thing to listen for in May Han Oh’s music is rhythmical variety. As an undergrad she was fascinated by the work of bassist Dave Holland. She found that the foundation of his rhythmical vocabulary was based on his deep study of North Indian classical music. In an NPR feature, she relayed how this discovery impacted her: “[I] spent a year transcribing Dave Holland solos and writing a dissertation tying North Indian classical rhythms to his playing… It was great for me to apply these concepts rhythmically to my own playing.” These skill sets, enhanced by her own study of North Indian classical music, serve as the backbone for her steadfast time and ease of working with polyrhythms. Many of May Han Oh’s compositions play with the juxtaposition and overlaying of odd meters, once again dealing with the concept of tension and release.

Another thing to observe, both visually and aurally, tonight is the acute manner in which the musicians listen to and play off of each other. Whenever May Han Oh is asked about how she chooses bandmates, openness to the moment and deep listening are constant themes. When she performed with Johnathan Blake and Chris Potter at the Jazz Center last month, the trio’s intense focus and listening skills were on clear display, with each member feeding off the others’ ideas. This uber-level of listening permeates all of May Han Oh’s projects – tune into this tonight!

May Han Oh’s impeccable time, her intense musicality and her focus on listening have earned her respect from the highest levels of jazz royalty. She has been recently touring with Kenny Barron, Ravi Coltrane and Pat Metheny, just to mention a few. She received a 2023 Grammy-award as a member of Terri Lyne Carrington’s New Standards Group for Best Instrumental Album. She has released eight albums as a leader and has performed as a side-person on over 100 recordings. She is on the faculty of Berklee School of Music’s Jazz and Gender Justice Program.

The quartet’s pianist is Fabian Almazan. He and May Han Oh are married and together they have a two-year-old son who sometimes joins them on tours. The Cuban-American pianist is the founding director of Biophilia Records which works towards ensuring a continued dialogue of awareness concerning music and environmental justice. As a performer, Almazan has toured his own music extensively and has accompanied artists such as Terence Blanchard, Gretchen Parlato, John Hollenbeck, Mark Guiliana, Dave Douglass, Avishai Cohen and Ambrose Akinmusire among others.

The saxophonist of the group is Troy Roberts. JazzTimes magazine claims that Roberts “is more than one to watch, he is one to follow closely.” He has toured the world performing with Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Joey DeFrancesco, James Morrison, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, Christian McBride, Sammy Figueroa, Billy Hart, Dave Douglas, Orrin Evans and Kurt Elling.

The quartet’s drummer is two-time Grammy-award nominee Eric Doob, who is best known for his work with Paquito D’Rivera and Miguel Zenon. Doob has also played and/or recorded with Christian Scott, The New York Voices, Dave Samuels and the Caribbean Jazz Project, Edmar Castaneda, Manuel Valera, Eldar Djangirov, Julian Lage, Emilio Solla, Matthew Stevens, Ryan Keberle, and Dr. Lonnie Smith.  He has appeared as a guest artist with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

The VJC feels privileged to present the Linda May Han Oh Quartet. May you enjoy the journey.

-Eugene Uman, VJC Director