Tracks
- Intro 2. Arnhem 3. Subway in Seoul 4. Philadelphia 5. Dissolution 6. a friend 7. Mindstorm 8. 19 Days 9. My Father 10. Things I Used To Know
Performers
Sol Jang – piano
Jort Terwijn – double bass
Max Hering – drums
Record label: Unit Records
Recorded at Fattoria Musica (Germany)
Release date: October 3, 2024
Sol Jang is a jazz pianist and composer born in Seoul, South Korea. She began playing piano at the age of five, and after a year at university discovered her love for jazz. She studied in Philadelphia and eventually settled in the Netherlands, where she completed a master’s degree and now works as an educator.
In 2024 she received the prestigious Women in Jazz Festival Competition award, confirming her place as a leading figure in contemporary jazz. Among other honors, she has won the Jazz Prize of the City of Halle, Germany, and was a finalist in several international competitions including the 7 Jazz Club Competition, Riga Jazz Stage 2019, and Sibiu Jazz Competition 2018.
In the Netherlands she formed her trio with Jort Terwijn on double bass and Max Hering on drums, with whom she recorded “19–29,” her debut album, to be released on October 3, 2024, under the Unit Records label.
The album features eight original compositions and two improvisations.
The opening track, Intro, captures you from the very first note. There is something in the air—nostalgia, reflection, sadness. It doesn’t matter; the classical blends with jazz, and a recorded phone conversation intensifies the aura of the composition.
The album is a journey across three continents. With Arnhem we are transported to the Netherlands—relaxation and beautiful natural landscapes.
Subway in Seoul recreates the stress of Seoul’s fast-paced city life, with a perfect combination of the bass ostinato challenged by the drums and piano through dynamic and decisive progressions.
Then we travel full speed to Philadelphia. The trio is a well-oiled machine.
In Dissolution the group plays with improvisation; the tension is palpable, yet everything fits within a perfect framework.
a friend is a very short piece, where a female voice is accompanied by the piano, which improvises as it does in My Father, this time with a male voice (her father) speaking.
Mindstorm is a piece full of character, with the double bass setting a determined pace. Another beautiful moment.
19 Days is an original composition where classical elements and improvisation meet seamlessly.
The album closes with Things I Used To Know, a beautiful ballad touched by moments of greater intensity.
Sol Jang shows a deep sense of composition that is both lyrical and creative, with a distinctive swing. She moves effortlessly from minimalism to overwhelming passion, blending simplicity and complexity.
In this album she describes a decade of her life—from age 19 to 29—exploring themes of identity, belonging, and the transformative power of music.
She explains that she wanted to tell the most honest and personal stories possible, the ones she knows and expresses best. And she succeeds.
A great debut album!
La Habitación del Jazz