I've been working on a feature length article about Korean free music that should appear this June in Wire magazine and wanted to share some of the bounty for you WFMU folk. Top left is a solo performance by Kang Tae Hwan. Kang Tae Hwan was improvising as early as the '70s, one of Korea's first free players. The only Occidental Kang Tae Hwan release is 2003's Love Time, out on the VHF label. Some things can be ordered straight from Korea though; check this page out (click on Korea Collection). Also, Inconstant Sol blog posted a mega limited Kang Tae Hwan record here. On the whole, however, none of the early masters have left many recorded testaments of their greatness. Alfred Harth (by his own rights an incredible saxophonist, having performed in Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Orchestra as well as in Cassiber with Chris Cutler back in the day) has lived in Seoul since 2001 and has collaborated with many Korean masters, has told me that this is the result of the spirit of their improvisation, which is not directed toward preservation, just toward playing in the moment. You can sense some of that sentiment in the Kang Tae Hwan clip on the top left. The playing just blows me away, it's so meditative and perfect. I could listen for hours. There are more Kang Tae Hwan solo clips here. On the right is another Kang Tae Hwan performance with Lauren Newton (singer), Miyeon (piano), and Je Chun Park (percussion). Miyeon and Je Chun Park are two other very important Korean free jazz players, with releases as far back as 1987.
On the bottom left is a recent performance in Seoul with Alfred Harth, Joe Foster, Choi Joonyoung, Jin Sangtae and Jeong Youp Shin. All these performers are part of the Relay circle of improvisers in Seoul. At bottom right you'll find more fruit of the relay circuit, a duo by Kevin Parks and Jin Sangtae in a Dotolim performance, more of which you can find here. I won't give the full report on all these incredible performers for the obvious reasons, but look for the Wire article in June if you haven't already spent all your money pledging to WFMU...
Can't wait for the Wire article! Any chance for some Kim Suk-Chul content? I've always been really curious if there was any dialogue between the Korean free players and people like Kim Suk-Chul who performed religious/ceremonial music but had ties to the global improv/creative music scene.
Posted by: Mike G. | March 12, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Whoa!
Posted by: Jason | March 12, 2009 at 04:52 PM
You shouldn't leave out Sang Won Park, current NY resident (for the past 40 years), when he first came to the states, played w/ Derek Bailey, Henry Kaiser, and a slew of others http://www.sangwonpark.com/ ...also i 2nd the request to incorporate Kim Suk-Chul content, their shamanic jamming blows my mind!
Posted by: owltopus | March 12, 2009 at 06:58 PM
this is great. i'm here in Korea and have been looking for the good stuff. I saw Sato Yukie play Yogiga Gallery, it was pretty awesome. I don't know who he played with.
Posted by: meltmaster | March 13, 2009 at 08:47 AM
Kim Suk Chul is definitely in the article, although he's pretty mysterious. I'll have to dig up more...
Owltopus, good call on the Sang Won Park. I was unaware of his really cool work and I know just where to place him in the article. Thanks!
Posted by: Nat Roe | March 14, 2009 at 12:25 AM
Kim Suk-Chul did indeed have some collabs with Korean improv folks. For one see the Victor release entitled Tokebi for a Kang Tae Hwan Kim Suk Ch'ul pairing. Kim himself did a few unusual things like play multitracked, etc.
Posted by: Kevin Parks | March 16, 2009 at 10:29 PM
Did this article appear in the Wire magazine? I'm sure I have last June's issue somewhere
Posted by: Fergus | February 14, 2010 at 10:58 AM