American Sketches – Kristin Lee, violin; Jeremy Ajani Jordan & Jun Cho, piano (First Hand Records 147)
As a foreign-born citizen of the United States, Kristin Lee was compelled to create American Sketches, her début solo album, to express her pride in the country she now calls her own. It’s a showcase of works that have the distinct and recognizable sound of American music reflecting our rich history. “My inspiration for American Sketches lies in the celebration of differences. It is the differences of people, environment, and encounters that ignite our curiosity, fuel our motivations, and inspire our creativity.” This album is carried by its diversity of repertoire, from the music of Scott Joplin and John Novacek’s homage to the ragtime master, to jazz works by Thelonious Monk and Jonathan Ragonese, and the emotional lyricism of Amy Beach and Kevin Puts. Lee approaches these performances with glittering technique and a dignified confidence that shows tremendous balance of her voice and the composer’s. In a review of a recital at Lincoln Center, The Strad wrote “She seems entirely comfortable with stylistic diversity, which is one criterion that separates run-of-the-mill instrumentalists from true artists.”