An award-winning pianist from Seoul, South Korea, Dabin Ryu was quietly establishing herself on the New York jazz scene prior to the pandemic, playing in all the right places including Smalls, the Zinc Bar, Dizzy's Club, Scullers and so on. Composed, arranged and produced by Ryu, this album is a promising debut. Compositionally interesting, solos seem to emerge organically from the ensembles and fit the mood and intention of each piece. With the exception of ‘Stillborn’, a solo piano outing, Ryu uses ensembles of varying sizes built around her core group, and her arranging skills allow her to handle the varying densities and textures of the shifting instrumentation with confidence, and, for the most part, success. The opening track, ‘The Light’ uses the largest ensemble, a nonet, and sets the creative mood for the album. From the duet (Ryu plus Anthony Marsten's voice) on ‘The Wall (Part 1)’, to the quartet ‘Ill Never Know’, Ryu is an undoubted talent. She's not afraid to experiment – knock off the rough edges and she's going places.