Here’s a quiet and spacious collection of material with the sensitive support of Aaron Parks/p and Rob Curto/acc. The songs have a traditional Korean folk feel to them in the sense of spaciousness, yet because of the mix of Shin’s porcelain voice, Park’s delicate piano and Curto’s sublime accordion, the music has a bohemian European flavor as well. Her sotto voce on “Remembrance” and “The Orchard Road” draws you into her whispers, as if she’s letting you in on a secret. Parks’ piano work is superb throughout, sounding almost Schubertian on the sublime “Moving Clouds” and providing ruminating chords behind the fragile Shin on “Beads of Rain.” Precious as Waterford Crystal.
ECM Records
www.ecmrecords.com