Jihye Lee Orchestra INFINITE CONNECTIONS

May 27, 2024

JIHYE LEE ORCHESTRA

INFINITE CONNECTIONS

Motema Music

Jihye Lee, composer/conductor; Adam Birnbaum, piano; Matt Clohesy, bass; Jared Schonig, drums; Keita Ogawa, percussion; Alex Goodman, guitar; Ben Kono, alto saxophone/piccolo/flute; Dave Pietro, alto saxophone/flute/alto flute; Jason Rigby & Jonathan Lawary, tenor saxophone/flute/clarinet; Carl Maraghi, baritone saxophone/bass clarinet; Brian Pareschi, Nathan Eklund, David Smith & Stuart Mack, trumpet/flugelhorn; Mike Fahie, Alan Ferber & nick Grinder, trombone; Jeff Nelson, bass trombone. SPECIAL GUEST: Ambrose Akinmusire, trumpet.

Jihye Lee appears as delicate as a rare orchid in her press photo directing an orchestra, her orchestra. But to be female and the conductor and composer of a complete orchestra you must be tough as nails. I am in awe of, and I applaud the award-winning Ms. Lee. The Jihye Lee orchestra is a 19-piece jazz meets classical orchestra that features nine compositions by this extraordinarily talented, Korean-born, orchestra leader.

I am fascinated by Lee’s ability to blend her cultural roots and classical music with modern and contemporary jazz, like on her tune “Eight Letters,” featuring a stunning solo by guitarist, Alex Goodman. She explains in her liner notes that in Korean astrology, people are born with eight letters based on the moment of their birth. Accordingly, these letters reflect the fate of their lives.

I imagine that Jihye Lee must feel exceptionally proud of her accomplishments as a composer and orchestra conductor. In Korean culture, women have been critically discriminated against for years. Koreans think of men as the sky and women as earth. For decades, women were treated as men’s property. Jihye Lee explains in her liner notes that Korean women stood strong as the solid foundation for their families and dedicated their lives to making a better tomorrow for their daughters. The song Lee composed to reflect this female strength of purpose is titled “Karma” and features the dynamic drums of Jared Schonig and percussionist, Keita Ogawa. This song is one of my favorites.

Lee opens her album with a tune called “Surrender” that features the amazing trumpeter, Ambrose Akinmusire as a special guest. He brings improvised jazz to the orchestra party. On the next tune, “We Are All from the Same Stream” I enjoyed Jason Rigby’s tenor saxophone solo. Each of Lee’s compositions has a special meaning. “Born in 1935” celebrates her grandmother who, as a teenager with a baby on her back, crossed the frozen Korean river every day to collect tinder for the family fire. She lived through poverty, wars, Japanese occupation, division of Korea, the discovery of Internet, K-pop and so much more. This lovely song is a tribute to grandma, featuring Dave Pietro on alto sax. A composition called “Nowhere Home” makes me think that Ms. Lee listened to the work of Gil Evans. Her orchestrated arrangement is lush.

Lee’s philosophical view of life, music, family, and career is bundled together like those tinder sticks her grandmother once gathered. Her music is full of hard work, creativity, and hope. Each song unfolds a piece of this conductor’s history, life, pleasure, and promise. Perhaps she sums It up when she describes the song “In the Darkest Night” saying in the liner notes:

“I find hope in nature: the cycle of life. When the night is at its darkest, dawn is just about to begin.”

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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