What can one say about a pair of such flawless musicians? Jeon Jeduk, blind since birth, has been compared with Toots Thielemans and Stevie Wonder; Park Juwon… I’m not sure who he’s been compared with, but as I listened to his set I was reminded of the stunning album Passion Grace and Fire by guitarists … [Read More]
Category: Jazz (page 3)
Selected publications
- Hyelim Kim: Tradition and Creativity in Korean Taegŭm Flute Performance, Routledge 2021
- 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
Gig review: Heemoon Lee + Prelude
Last Sunday night we had the choice between two Korean performers, both known for their unusual dress sense and unique stage presence and more importantly both leaders in their respective fields. With one, the price tag was upwards of £60, for which you had to queue up at a large North London venue, submit to … [Read More]
Hyelim Kim: Taegŭm in Motion
Hot on the heels of her Sonics concert at St Ethelburga’s last month, Hyelim Kim announces another recital in Southwark: Hyelim Kim Taegŭm Recital: Taegŭm in Motion supported by Joel Bell Roof Studio | Siobhan Davies Dance | 85 St George’s Road | London SE1 6ER | www.siobhandavies.com 14 September 2017, 7:30pm Admission Free I … [Read More]
Event news: K-music 2017 — Jeduk Jeon + Juwon Park, 27 Sept
Harmonica legend Jeduk Jeon is one of the great figures of Korean music today. Blind since birth, he’s been compared to Toots Thielemans for his formidably virtuosic style. Guitarist Juwon Park’s band has been influenced by flamenco and gypsy jazz, but their range goes even wider. Expect a soulful celebration from this special collaboration: Jeduk … [Read More]
Event news: K-music 2017 — Heemoon Lee & Prelude, 24 Sept
Last year’s K-music gig in the Albert Hall’s Elgar Room was a great success. This year’s blend of jazz and Korean traditional folk music looks to be equally as promising. Heemoon Lee & Prelude Sunday 24 September 2017, 8pm LONDON Royal Albert Hall Elgar Room | Kensington Gore | London SW7 2AP £15 + booking … [Read More]
K-music 2017: full programme announced
It seems wrong to be posting details of events in the Autumn when summer has only just started, but I’m a great believer in being able to plan your diary a couple of months in advance, and there’s lots here that you will want to come along to. K-Music 2017: Full Programme Announced 15 September … [Read More]
Event news: Nah Youn Sun at Ronnie Scotts
A live performance from Youn Sun Nah is always a very special event. For her past couple of performances in London she has been with virtuoso guitarist Ulf Wakenius, who used to play with the Oscar Peterson Quartet. This time, she has a four-piece band, performing tracks from her album that was released this month, … [Read More]
Event news: Musicians from Korea and Japan at Club Inegales
As part of the two-day conference at SOAS, there will be one of Club Inégales’ special evenings of musical improvisation featuring musicians from Korea and Japan: Presence though Sound: Elements of Asia Yi Ji-young (gayagum) – Korea Hyelim Kim (taegum flute) – Korea Jihye Kim (changgo) – Korea Kiku Day (shakuhachi) – Japan + Notes … [Read More]
Gig Review: Kyungso Park and Andy Sheppard in the Albert Hall’s Elgar Room
Recent collaborations between British and Korean musicians have not always been successful. A planned experiment between jazz trumpeter Guy Barker and Samulnori founder Kim Duk-soo never happened because the latter went awol when Barker came to visit. Instead, having already been booked for the 2008 Dano Festival in Trafalgar Square, Barker appeared briefly on stage … [Read More]
Gig review: Youn Sun Nah + Ulf Wakenius @ Union Chapel
It’s been too long since Youn Sun Nah performed in London: five long years. Last time was a small, intimate venue – Pizza Express in Soho – and the time before was the Queen Elizabeth Hall – more generous in terms of space but one that made the performers work hard to create the atmosphere. … [Read More]
Songlines reviews some Korean releases
As if to warm us up for this year’s K-music Festival, Songlines July issue reviews three recent Korean CDs: The one of most interest to past attendees of the festival will be a review of Jambinai’s latest release, A Hermitage. Songlines were strangely lukewarm about it. Not so Consequence of Sound: “Experimental outfit blends traditional Korean … [Read More]
Event news: K-music 2016 — Youn Sun Nah, 20 Sept
It’s good to have Youn Sun Nah back in London with Ulf Wakenius. She gives this year’s K-music festival its official opening at the Union Chapel – a great venue. Youn Sun Nah + Ulf Wakenius Tuesday 20 September | 8.00pm (stage time) Union Chapel | Compton Terrace | London N1 2UN £15 + booking … [Read More]
Concert notes: China, Korea and Syria at Club Inégales
The final gig of Club Inégales’ current season was predictably unpredictable. You know the format in advance, but you never know what the outcome will be. The house band, or subsets of it, improvise in the first set; in the second set the guests solo; and in the third set everyone plays together, cross fertilising … [Read More]
Event news: Maya Youssef, Cheng Yu & Hyelim Kim at Club Inégales
Following on from the inspirational double bill at the Spitalfields Festival, Notes Inégales appear again with soloists Maya Youssef, Cheng Yu and Hyelim Kim for what will be another memorable night of music-making: Maya Youssef, Cheng Yu & Hyelim Kim Saturday 23rd July 2016, door 7.00pm Club Inégales | 180 North Gower Street | London NW1 2NB … [Read More]
Concert notes: Gamin and Notes Inégales at the Spitalfields Festival
When we previewed the double bill at Wilton’s Music Hall featuring Purcell with Korean, Middle Eastern and western instruments, improvisation and more, we had an inkling that the evening might be something special. And we were darn right. This was music making and entertainment that is rare to find anywhere. First, the Purcell. King Arthur / the … [Read More]
Korean performers and artists at Edinburgh Fringe 2016
Once again there’s a strong Korean showing at the Fringe this year. It’s particularly nice to see Modl Theatre in the UK again, this time with three productions. Two of them are geared towards families and children, but the third is a something darker: a new and topical production on the theme of the wartime … [Read More]