This fifth release from acclaimed bassist-composer Linda May Han Oh draws its title from a type of translucent, usually green quartz, prized for its shimmering, glistening surface and symbolizing creativity, opportunity and evolution. Unsurprisingly, Aventurine the album is awash with shimmering, glistening musical surfaces, but also dark, textured depths. The intricacy of Oh's compositions is matched by the arrangement of the players bass, drums, saxophone and piano, interwoven throughout with a string quartet, and supplemented on four tracks by the vocal group Ivenio. The concept of the album has been gestating for over a decade: some of the individual pieces were started when Oh was still a student at Manhattan School of Music. Inspirations range from J.S. Bach (‘Cancrizan’) to Charlie Parker (‘Au Privave’) and traditional Chinese sung storytelling (‘Song Yue Rao [Moon in the Pines]’, ‘Deepsea Dancers’). The foldable sleeve – which contains no CD for environmental reasons, the music is download-only – is as layered and as sensorily smart as the music.