The Squid's Ear Magazine


Haeun, Joo: Just Gravity (577 Records)

Balancing structure and spontaneity, pianist Haeun Joo presents an intimate and searching debut that moves between lyrical solo piano improvisations and sensitively interactive trio pieces with bassist Chris Tordini and drummer Steven Crammer, capturing music made fully in the moment with clarity, restraint, and a quietly compelling sense of forward motion.
 

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Product Information:

Personnel:



Haeun Joo-piano

Chris Tordini-bass

Steven Crammer-drums

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UPC: 755491360552

Label: 577 Records
Catalog ID: CD-577R-5975
Squidco Product Code: 36855

Format: CDR
Condition: New
Released: 2026
Country: USA
Packaging: Digipack
Recorded at Oktaven Audio Studio, in Mount Vernon, New York, on May 24th, 2024, by Jeremy Loucas.
Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

Artist Biographies

"Born in Busan, South Korea, award-winning pianist, composer and songwriter Haeun Joo is making a name for herself as a highly original composer and a thoughtful performer. Having grown up around the jazz, funk and pop of the Seoul scene, she eventually decided to search for the source of the jazz sound she loved so much, moving to the United States in 2011 to study at Berklee School of Music. There, she studied under George Garzone, Danilo Perez and Joanne Brackeen amongst many others; she counts Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans and Fred Hersch amongst her central influences. It was also here that Haeun encountered her teacher and mentor, Vadim Neselovskyi, himself an accomplished pianist-composer.

She moved to New York to study at SUNY Purchase where she got her master's degree and where she has been actively playing since. In 2021 Haeun Joo released her debut album, "We Will Find". An introspective exploration of deep thoughts realized in a hopeful idiom with dashes of melancholia, We Will Find is contemplative jazz with a modern sensibility which features Matt Holman doubling trumpet, Doug Weiss on bass and Ronen Itzik on drums.

As a sidemusican, Haeun Joo has recorded with several musicians in the New York scene including the award-winning album, released in 2021, "Daring Mind" by acclaimed composer Jihye Lee. Haeun Joo has toured internationally with her music and other projects and has played in some of the most important jazz clubs in Korea, Mexico and New York."

-Haeun Joo Website (https://www.haeunjoo.com/about)
1/14/2026

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"Christopher Tordini is an in-demand bassist on the New York City music scene, where he performs with established jazz icons as well as a diverse range of emerging musicians. He has toured and recorded with Andy Milne's Dapp Theory for over 5 years, and has also played in bands led by other renowned artists such as Greg Osby and Jeremy Pelt. Tordini plays often with drummer Ari Hoenig, with the Becca Stevens Band, and is a key collaborator in projects led by drummer/composer Tyshawn Sorey and trombonist/composer Michael Dessen. A graduate of the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, Tordini forged strong professional relationships with several faculty members there, including Rory Stuart and George Garzone, with whom he continues to collaborate. Recently, Tordini has performed and recorded with prominent bandleaders such as Steve Lehman, Okkyung Lee, Tigran Hamasyan, Jo-Yu Chen, Mike Pinto, Andrew D'Angelo, Jim Black, and Yaron Herman. He has played at New York City's most prestigious jazz venues, including the Blue Note, the Village Vanguard, the Iridium, the Jazz Standard, Smalls, the Jazz Gallery and the Stone, among many others."

-Home Gift of Music (http://www.homegiftofmusic.com/christopher-tordini/)
1/14/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Steven Crammer is an in-demand drummer based in Brooklyn, NY. His uniquely flexible musicianship has led to a rising stature on the jazz and improvised music scene, since moving to NYC in 2018. Developing his distinctive but multifaceted voice on the instrument stems from a deep love and study of various musical traditions ranging from straight-ahead to free improvisation, metal to Indian classical.

In 2021, Steven released his debut album (co-led) 'Nortonk' on Biophilia Records. The album received praise in multiple publications including Pop Matters, Jazz Trail, Jazzwise, and All About Jazz. He is also a highly active sideman, having performed and/or recorded with a wide range of artists including Cecil McBee, Cecil Alexander, Anna Webber, Brian Krock, Chris Tordini, Matt Mitchell, Matt Pavolka, Max Light, Chris McCarthy, and many more."

-Steven Crammer Website (https://stevencrammer.com/about)
1/14/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:
Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Jazz & Improvisation Based on Compositions
Melodic and Lyrical Jazz
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
Trio Recordings
Piano Trio (Piano Bass Drums)
New in Improvised Music
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