Track 1 from Linda Oh’s album Initial Here released on Greenleaf Music May 22nd, 2012.

PERSONNEL: Linda Oh, bass; Dayna Stephens, tenor sax; Fabian Almazan, piano; Rudy Royston, drums

“This album tells a story about identity. Cultural identity and musical identity. I wanted to go in a few different directions to explore some more extreme emotions.” —Linda Oh

The opening track, “Ultimate Persona” deals most directly with the idea of personal identity, inspired by the landmark Ingmar Bergman film Persona. It begins the album with a driving rhythmic figure inspired by an Indian polyrhythm cycle. “Persona is such an amazing, powerful film because it goes through so many ups and downs,” Oh says. “I wanted something that intense to start the record. It’s about striving to be something beyond what we are.”