The bassist behind the chordless trio album ‘Strange ‘Heavens reflects on studying Dave Holland's transcriptions, competing as a Thelonious Monk semifinalist, and learning to be comfortable with her own sound rather than imitating her heroes.
------------------
Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on bassist and composer Linda May Han Oh.
Linda's a Grammy winner who's recorded with Pat Metheny, Kenny Barron, and Joe Lovano. She was even the model for the bassist character in Pixar's 'Soul.' But it's her own work that brings us together.
Her latest album, Strange Heaven, explores why we choose familiar hells over strange heavens—why we stick with what we know even when change might save us. It's a question that cuts through everything from personal relationships to political choices.
Linda approaches her albums like journals, each one capturing where she is as an artist and a person. Since becoming a mother, she says her music has become more direct, more distilled—less about ego and more about emotional truth.
She's here to discuss creative honesty, her work promoting women composers in jazz through the New Standards project, and why making music with emotional directness matters more than ever.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Linda May Han Oh’s album Strange Heaven)
------------------
[00:01:33] The concept behind "familiar hell over strange heavens"
[00:03:10] How philosophy manifests in composition
[00:04:05] Revisiting the chordless trio format
[00:05:42] The compositional process and visualizing the front row experience
[00:09:14] Assembling musicians and creating with imagination
[00:10:04] Working with improvising musicians and embracing uncertainty
[00:11:12] The surfing analogy for improvisation
[00:12:03] Flow state and being present in the moment
[00:12:53] Growing up as a surfer in Western Australia
[00:14:02] Why she started playing bass to help her surfing
[00:14:27] First impressions of upright bass and low register instruments
[00:15:31] Discovering Charles Mingus and Dave Holland
[00:16:47] Advice to her younger self about embracing failure
[00:17:14] Rejection and not growing up knowing music could be a career
[00:19:11] Ron Carter's encouragement at the Monk competition
[00:21:04] Thesis on Dave Holland's use of North Indian classical music
[00:23:48] Making traditions your own through improvisation
[00:24:17] Feelings of catharsis, release, and hope in the album
[00:25:21] The story behind the composition "Avalanche"
[00:27:05] How bandmates bring themselves to personal compositions
[00:29:26] "Strange Heavens" and confronting the unknown
[00:30:28] "Alchemy" and the process of transformation
[00:31:15] "Portal" and technology's impact on connection
[00:33:30] Social media, devices, and the 2016 election
[00:36:19] Protecting creative space in the age of social media
[00:38:21] The luxury of being present without devices
[00:39:01] What she hopes her son learns from her music career
[00:40:35] Community and imagination as core values
------------------
Visit Linda May Han Oh at → https://www.lindamayhanoh.com
and follow her on [Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/lindamayhanoh
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/lindamayhanoh
and Bandcamp → https://lindamayhanoh.bandcamp.com
Purchase Linda May Han Oh's Strange Heavens from Biophilia Recordings → https://biophiliarecords.com/music/?ID=5266525318575993&album=Strange%20Heavens
Bandcamp → https://lindamayhanoh.bandcamp.com/album/strange-heavens
or Qobuz → https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/strange-heavens-linda-may-han-oh-with-ambrose-akinmusire-tyshawn-sorey/kbsm1h25cw2nb
For extensive show notes, links, and podcast information, go to https://podcast.thetonearm.com
Be sure to check out The Tonearm, an online music + culture magazine featuring fascinating perspectives and conversations with creative people → https://www.thetonearm.com
The Tonearm on Mastodon → https://social.lol/@thetonearm
The Tonearm on Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/thetonearm.com
The Tonearm on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-tonearm
------------------
• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate The Tonearm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of The Tonearm in your podcast app of choice.
• Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter.
#Podcast #LindaMayHanOh #JazzBass #ContemporaryJazz #Improvisation #MusicPodcast #TheTonearm #GrammyWinner #DaveHolland #AmbroseAkinmusire #JazzInterview #CreativeProcess #MusicComposition #UprightBass #JazzTrio