Before to live in Seoul and now Tokyo, Pierre Biancarelli was Parisian, he worked for Paris Jazz Corner website and created a small concert agency called Zao. He selects for us five gems from South Korea (with the kind support of Jeff Claude).

 
 
 

Lee Pan-Geun & Korean Jazz Quintet
Arirang (아리랑)

“Recorded in Seoul in 1978, a period when Jazz was more than ever struggling to establish a scene in South Korea, this long forgotten record has recently been brought back to public thanks to the excellent Korean Beatball Records label. It is an amazing session blending jazz with Korean traditional songs and rhythms and resulting in this unique trace of Korean spiritual jazz. Arranged and produced by Lee Pan-Geun who gathered the most advanced jazz musicians of the time.
I selected here “Arirang” as it is the most famous Korean traditional song (you will recognize the melody heard on the intro and outro). But this album contains other jewels like ‘한오백년’ or a nice version of ‘My Favorite Things’. Highly recommended reissue!”
 
 

Sanulrim
Nae Maeum E Jutan Ggalgo (내마음에 주단을 깔고)

“One of the most emblematic tracks of this Korean trio of brothers known for their impeccable psychedelic rock. A very beautiful love poem.”
 
 

Jang Hyun + The Men (Shin Joong Hyun Band)
Beautiful Rivers And Mountains (아름다운 강산)

“The first version of this song was recorded in this album under the name of Jang Hyun & The Men. The Men is the band of Shin Joong Hyun, the most important figure of Korean popular music scene. Jang Hyun is known for having magnified as a singer, Shin Joong Hyun’s songs. Shin Joong Hyun was having problems with the dictator in power at the time, and had actually been arrested for marijuana possession and usage. This repressive power had asked him to write a song to praise its actions, instead, he wrote this song talking about hope in what would come after this freedom-restricting power.”
 
 

Kim Choo-Ja
Hapil Keusaram (하필 그사람)

“One of the most important muse of Shin Joong Hyun. All the compositions are actually from the guitarist. This one is about an unexpected love.”
 
 

Jang Hyun
HalMalEun ObseoDo (할말은 없어도)

“A later recording of Jang Hyun with a slight disco twist. This track is about an impossible love.”