When Lee Hee Moon announced the disbandment of his glam rock minyo outfit Ssing Ssing last year, I forewent gnashing of teeth and rending of garments, prophesying instead that an abundance of interesting projects must surely follow. And Lo, it did come to pass. Female vocalist Chu Da-hye started her band, Chudahye and The Chagis […]
Category: Jazz
Selected publications
- Anthology: Made in Korea: Studies in Popular Music ed Hyunjoon Shin, Seung-Ah Lee, Routledge 2016
- Simon Barker: Korea and the Western Drumset: Scattering Rhythms, Ashgate 2015
K-music 2020 online: Sinnoi
The second online concert in the Critics’ Choice strand brings us the innovative trio Sinnoi. Critics’ Choice II: Sinnoi Wednesday 11 November, 7pm Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive A unique presence on the jazz scene, Sinnoi has a minimalist composition with rich, deep musical interplay of improvised and delicate exchanges. Sinnoi was formed by Bora […]
K-music 2020 online: Gray by Silver + Gonia
The second of the two online concerts from the New Talent strand brings together two interesting jazz-infused acts: New Talent III & IV: Gray By Silver + Gonia Monday 9 November, 7pm Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive Gray By Silver Expressive pianist and composer Hanbin Lee leads this jazz group in expertly performed, emotional pieces […]
K-music 2020 online: Black String
Black String return to K-music in the second of the K-music Greats strand of the 2020 festival: K-music Greats II: Black String Saturday 7 November, 5pm Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive ACT artists and masters of traditional Korean music and jazz Black String burst on to the London scene in 2011, their rise to the […]
K-music 2020: the official press release
Despite the pandemic, Serious and the KCCUK have arranged a great line-up for K-music this year. Bookended by live performances to open and close the festival, there’s a range of exciting online performances which involve new collaborations between favourite K-music artists from the past as well as some new names. We’ve already posted about the […]
K-music 2020 livestream: Soojin Suh + Kit Downes
As an update to all the below, there will be a livestreamed collaboration between Soojin Suh and Kit Downes broadcast on the Serious YouTube channel, Tuesday 8 December at 7pm. More details here. ================================================================= The November lockdown is the final nail in the coffin of this on-off gig. K-music 2020 is now online only. But […]
A review of the Korean cultural year 2019
A review of some of the highlights and trends in the Korean cultural year, primarily in London but also with half an eye to anything we might have seen elsewhere in the UK. The review is a personal one, inevitably skewed towards the events we managed to get to. Introduction This time last year I […]
Wacław Zimpel + Park Jiha play LSO St Lukes
An interesting double bill coming up at the end of January, as Park Jiha returns to London following her appearance at the 2019 K-music festival. LSO St Lukes is a better venue than Rich Mix: you’ll be able to get a better impression of Park’s other-worldly sounds in a more natural acoustic and without the […]
Hyelim Kim in Résonances #3 – Rêves, at Vortex Jazz Club
Résonances is an event merging live visual art and musical performance. It is curated by artist Aurelie Freoua. This one has the theme of Dreams. “A dream is the fulfilment of a wish” (Sigmund Freud) For this event, Aurelie brings together a diverse group of musicians and artists around the theme of ‘Dreams’. Performers include […]
Hyelim Kim w/ Australian Art Orchestra at the Vortex
Back in 2011 we heard a collaboration between Hyelim Kim and Simon Barker at the KCC. Tomorrow brings a chance to see how that partnership has developed, with the welcome addition of Peter Knight. If it’s as good as last time, you’ll kick yourself if you miss it. Australian Art Orchestra Saturday 02 Novermber 2019, […]
K-music 2019: Black String, 18 Nov @ Purcell Room
Based on Black String’s latest album release, Karma, this closing concert could be the highlight of the festival. The concert is also part of the London Jazz Festival line-up. K-music 2019: Black String Monday 18 November 2019, 7:45pm Southbank Centre / Purcell Room | Belvedere Road | London SE1 8XX Tickets £15 + booking fee […]
Black String’s new album “Karma” bodes well for the K-music festival
I’m not quite sure why I didn’t rave about Black String’s debut album Mask Dance when it came out in 2017. Listening to Karma, their follow-up studio album on ACT records due to be released on 27 September 2019, I’m finding it compelling listening. And returning to Mask Dance now I’m seeing it in a […]
Eris 136199 play the Vortex
Eris 136199 brings their “beautiful noise” (KFJC 89.7 FM) to Europe starting with a performance at The Vortex, London, 8 August Eris 136199: Han-Earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Nick Didkovsky Thursday 8 August 2019, 8pm Vortex Jazz Club | 11 Gillett Square | London, N16 8AZ Tickets £10 | Book here Han-earl Park (guitar) | […]
The 2019 K-Music festival: the official press release
The schedule for the 2019 K-Music festival was released last month, giving everyone the time to plan their diaries. Here, rather belatedly (it’s been a busy few weeks), is the official press release. Tickets are already on sale. K-Music 2019 London’s Festival of Korean Music Thurs 3 Oct: Jambinai, Purcell Room Sun 6 Oct: Celebrate […]
Moon Haewon releases second album
Jazz singer Vocalist Moon released her second album Tenderly last week. Recorded in Japan with an all-Japanese jazz ensemble, it’s very much a sister piece to her superb first album, Kiss Me. This release, available on CD only in Japan and Hong Kong, is another collection of inspired jazz and pop covers. Moon’s seemingly effortless […]
Concert notes: Byron Wallen, Jihye Kim and Pouya Ehsaei at Redon
It was hard to believe that Byron Wallen, Jihye Kim and Pouya Ehsaei had not performed together as a trio before – there seemed be such respect and understanding between the musicians, as if they were totally familiar with each other’s ways of playing. The three had shared ideas with each other in advance – […]