Eunhye Jeong - Nolda

Korean pianist Eunhye Jeong is a game-changer. She’s jazz from a different perspective. She’s a pianist who doesn’t sound like anyone else on the scene. In her liner notes for the release, Jeong writes, “I made my first solo piano recording under the name Chi-Da. Chi-Da and Nolda can both be translated as “play.” While Chi-Da refers to physical motions that produce sounds by crashing together two objects, Nolda is more associated with playful activities. One may interpret this word as a fun, free-flowing action on the piano. That is partly true, but I dare ask: who can have fun and experience true freedom without “knowing thyself”? Nolda means transcending the physical reality without abandoning it at all, which is made of body, mind, and the world. We music creators are artists who work with invisible and intangible energy forms as ingredients to create. Nolda, in this sense, is the magic of music-making.”

Press Quotes:
“For fans of improvised music and contemporary piano, or for those simply hungry for the unpredictable, this recording offers much. With Chi-Da Eunhye Jeong displays bold talent and creative energy in abundance.” — Ian Patterson, All About Jazz

“Raw but by no means devoid of linear elegance, the courageous (and admissibly complete) expression of the motivated pianist exerts a work of great caliber, to be known and re-evaluated over time.” — Aldo De Noce, Jazz Convention

“Jeong’s technique at the keyboard is shocking in its potency; her jackhammering left-hand figures bring to mind Cecil Taylor, Matthew Shipp, and the compositions of Galina Ustvolskaya.” Phil Freeman, Bandcamp