Light Shining Through

Though a major international jazz figure for decades, it wasn't until 2015 that a tour allowed bassist-composer David Friesen the opportunity to visit his mother's ancestral home of Ukraine for the first time. Welcomed by a camera crew and introductions to pivotal musicians and cultural institutions, his journey was first documented on 2020's critically acclaimed "Testimony," recorded live at Kyiv's National Philharmonic Hall with the National Academic Symphonic Band of Ukraine. The ensuing pandemic and war put further plans on hold, but Friesen was able to record with the Kyiv Mozart String Quartet in October 2021, and those recordings provide the framework and soul of "A Light Shining Through." Adding organic percussion sounds and saxophone to his singing melodies, the album's tuneful vignettes reflect the many emotions exposed through his journey of ancestral discovery.