Linda May Han Oh and Melissa Aldana Reimagine Jazz Classics on “Beneath Lifted Skies”
Bassist Linda May Han Oh and saxophonist Melissa Aldana have collaborated for a new album called Beneath Lifted Skies, and it’s a must-listen for any jazz fan. The duo has an intimate musical dialogue on songs from the Great American Songbook, bebop classics, and free improvisations, but no matter the song choice, the performances share a mesmerizing spirit. They took inspiration from the masters that came before them to create the album.
“In part, this album is a tribute to those who have paved the way for us,” Oh says. “We’ve had people lift the skies for us in many ways, and we’re privileged and lucky to be playing this music thanks to those artists who’ve inspired us.”
“It wasn’t about paying tribute in a traditional sense,” Aldana adds. “but more about entering those worlds and seeing what we could discover inside them together.”
The album starts with a bang as Oh and Aldana share the melody on Charlie Parker’s “Anthropology,” a bebop rhythm changes tune that is quite a feat for the double bass. They cook again on Bud Powell’s Hallucinations before a free improv leads into the Charles Mingus ballad “Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love.”
Luckily, they caught video of the recording session, which took place in February 2026 at Wellspring Studios in Acton, Massachusetts. Watch their exquisite rendition of the tune:
Oh also performs several solo bass songs. Watch her refreshing take on Herbie Hancock’s “The Sorcerer.”
Beneath Lifted Skies is available now digitally via Bandcamp, Apple Music, , and more.
Beneath Lifted Skies Track List:
- Anthropology (Charlie Parker + Dizzy Gillespie)
- Hallucinations (Bud Powell)
- Improvisation: Infinite (Linda May Han Oh + Melissa Aldana)
- Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love (Charles Mingus)
- Cyclic Episode (Sam Rivers)
- The Sorcerer (Herbie Hancock)
- Dance Cadaverous (Wayne Shorter)
- 26-2 (John Coltrane)
- I’ll be Seeing You (Sammy Fain + Irving Kahal)
- Social Call (Gigi Gryce + John Hendricks)
- Improvisation: Resolve (Linda May Han Oh + Melissa Aldana)
- Introspection (Thelonious Monk)
- God Bless the Child (Billie Holiday + Arthur Herzog)
- Improvisation: Shoulder to Shoulder (Linda May Han Oh + Melissa Aldana)
- Winter (Linda May Han Oh)
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
