Five years ago, some 90 minutes from our beloved Big Ears home, 22-year old saxophonist Zoh Amba was practicing scales in the Appalachian foothills in Kingsport. She went on to study at the New England Conservatory and she took private lessons with David Murray, whose vibrato-rich sound is apparent in her own playing. In the last couple of years, however, she’s been establishing her presence on the New York scene with the heaviest company imaginable. In the spring of 2022 her first album O, Sun was released by Tzadik Records, the label owned and operated by John Zorn, where she was supported by no less than drummer Joey Baron, bassist Thomas Morgan, and pianist Micah Thomas.