A gorgeous little whisper of an album, so light and soft it's barely there. Lua Ya is the second album by Korean singer Yeahwon Shin, who started out with a love of Brazilian music and based her debut around Latin jazz. This appearance on ECM grew spontaneously out of Shin visiting Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA, where pianist Aaron Parks was was recording what would become his solo piano album Arborescence. Shin and Parks developed an instant rapport, and recorded in the same venue together a few months later in May 2012, adding accordionist Rob Curto (who'd already worked with Shin).
The eleven feather-light miniatures (plus two alternate takes) that make up Lua Ya clock in at just over 40 minutes in total. Curto's accordian is used judiciously, with half of the album just spare voice and piano duets. Shin reached back to her early childhood for inspiration, basing a lot of the material around Korean lullabies, and imbuing them with her jazz influences. The result is pure meditative bliss, perfect for late-night relaxation.
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