October 2020
Malaysian born, Australian raised and currently residing in New York, Linda May Han Oh (aka: Linda Oh) is a phenomenal talent who, though she had been on my general radar for quite some time, I hadn’t dug that deeply into her playing… until I listened to Pat Metheny’s more recent release, “From This Place” (man… what a lovely and 3-dimensional album. It’s truly a masterpiece, in my opinion).
Equally adept on electric and upright, I feel that her real voice is as an upright bassist. She is one of those players who can lead with strength, yet quietly from the back of the stage. While not overt in her approach, she is supremely supportive and endlessly creative in her harmonic support (and her rhythmic sensibilities are seriously on point).
With her own quartet
Linda Oh & Ben Medler playing “All Blues” for Ben’s “Standards With Friends” series.
There are quite a few parts to this video showcasing her playing in a nice variety of settings
Jazz Night in America teamed up with CapitalBop's Traveling Loft Series to present this project at NPR's Studio One in Washington, D.C. Just as she did on the album, Oh led a chamber-jazz ensemble whose "jazz" side consists of Greg Ward on saxophones, Matt Mitchell on piano and Ches Smith on drums and vibraphone. On the "classical" side were violinists Fung Chern Hwei and Curtis Stewart, violist Benni von Gutzeit and cellist Jeremy Harman. The cohesion among these musicians ran deep throughout the concert, which captures a serious talent pushing the limits — and not just her own.
Pat Metheny's "America Undefined," from his album 'From This Place,' out now on Nonesuch Records.
From the Linda Oh album "Entry" (Self Produced, 2010) Cover of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' 1991 hit song, "Soul to Squeeze."