By Robert Ham | Published February 2019
Pianist Eugenia Choe seems to approach everything with careful consideration. She and her trio didn’t hit the studio to record their debut until they had two years of gigs under their collective belts. And it took them nearly that long to return to the studio for their follow-up, Verdant Dream.
Every note Choe plays, whether laying down stem chords or flitting off into a solo, feels precise and pointed. And bassist Danny Weller and drummer Alex Wyatt take cues from that. The downside is a stiffness the trio has a difficult time overcoming. Even the stuttering sections of “Sunday Fatigue” and the pleasant attempt at a freer sound on “Odd Birds” feel like they were mapped out by a computer. The meticulousness of Choe’s work is best represented on her ballads, like the crisply autumnal “Milomonalo.” Beyond that and a few other selections, Choe would do well to tap into her fearless side.
Verdant Dream: Verdant Dream; Sunday Fatigue; Odd Birds; Ever Green; Midnight Mingle; Blue In Green; What; Milomonalo; Knock Knock; Wind Catcher. (50:08)
Personnel: Eugenia Choe, piano; Danny Weller, bass; Alex Wyatt, drums.
