Lee doesn’t clone anyone, but there are haunting glimpses of Gil Evans in the floating harmonies over the distant march-pulse of ‘Unshakeable Mind’, while ‘I Dare You’ (quoting Wayne Shorter’s words on what jazz means to him) develops a darting rhythm-puzzle in crisscrossing, tersely snapping polyphonies and atonal sax improv.

Lee translates into music the emotional essence of the urban environment. She’ll unleash the rhythm section on the wispy woodwinds to signal unexpected aggression, or deploy the horn section to conjure the thrill of new adventures. She uses these devices on the BMI-sponsored pieces, but expands into ominous dissonance and jarring staccato on “Dissatisfied Mind” and bustling brass over soothing, repetitious chordal sections on “Relentless Mind.”

Lee’s keen ear for melody permeates the entire recording, making for a memorable and endlessly entertaining listening experience that showcases all sides of the composer’s personality, especially given its autobiographical nature. For her orchestra’s second recording, Jihye Lee’s Daring Mind beats the sophomore slump and is, as its title suggests, about as confident as you can get.