July 3, 2018 In NY Artist Q&A

NY Artist Q&A: Song Yi Jeon

For this series of bloggy interviews I’ve shared questions with young artists and musicians living in New York. This time: vocalist and composer Song Yi Jeon. I’ve met her first while studying at Berklee College of music when we were studying with people like Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Joe Lovano and George Garzone. And I really love where she is taking her music and I encourage you all to check her new album out that was released last month!

* WHERE ARE YOU FROM, WHAT DO YOU MISS ABOUT HOME?

I’m from Republic of Korea, which is known as South Korea. I miss my parents, cheap street food. – Currently I’m visiting Korea, so all fulfilled! 

* FAVORITE PLACE IN THE CITY

I have a couple favorite places in New York. Union square, which is the most convenient location to meet people or call people to come. The other one is a coffee shop at my neighborhood, called “Coffee Mob”. Best coffee ever! The last place is the area near Washington Square park. All the jazz clubs, and my (probably not only mine but most of my musician friends) nightlife is there.

* FAVORITE NEW MUSIC

…is more like a new discovery; Charles Mingus and Fred Hersch (duo album with Anat Cohen)

* FAVORITE OLD MUSIC

  • Edward Simon’s Impossible question. It’s an album with David Binney.
  • Guillermo Klein’s “El Minotauro”
  • Byungki Hwang’s “Spring Snow (Chun Seol)” – Korean traditional instrument music

* WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE NON-MUSIC THING TO DO

Eating chocolate, drinking coffee (But I have limit, 1 cup a day!) and I love watching complete tv series at once!

* WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON MUSICALLY

I have a concert about Thelonious Monk. I’m trying to arrange his songs which is not easy at all but I’m learning a lot through this process!

* CRAZIEST GIG EXPERIENCE

I had two episodes at one gig. I had an opportunity to play in Qatar with some Arabic musicians as well as Western musicians. We were about to perform and last minute they told me that I cannot wear a dress that shows my knees. So we had to find a long dress, black tie style, like 30 minutes before the show. Few days after when we were leaving at the airport, passport controller was not letting me to leave, looking at me weirdly. The truth was that my entrance visa was saying that I was from North Korea. Oops…

* WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS?

I honestly don’t know. I was living in NY until last month, and tried to live day by day and perform and surviving in NY as a musician for the next 10 years was my dream. Now I left NY, much earlier than I thought as a matter of fact, but I’m moving to Europe. I cannot picture myself yet how I would be in next 10 years. Probably I would do the same as I did in NY; keep trying to live day by day, writing music, performing and surviving. And hopefully my music gets growing.

Recently I released a new album. Here is the bandcamp link that people can listen to entire album!

* LINK TO A VIDEO OF YOU

It’s a video of a Korean traditional folk song that I arranged. It’s also a last track of my new album “Movement of Lives”

https://youtu.be/MHz0DEAPO9Y

* LINK TO YOUR WEBSITE

https://www.songyimusic.com/contact

 

May 9, 2018 In Jazzopinie, NY Artist Q&A, Uncategorized

NY Artist Q&A: Jesse Byrom-Carter

For this series of bloggy interviews I’ve shared questions with young artists and musicians living in New York. This time: Bass player and composer Jesse Byrom-Carter. In addition to the questions, we met up and played a few songs in my place in Brooklyn together. Here is our collaboration on the standard ‘Everything must change’. 

Q&A with Bass player – Jesse Byrom-Carter

* Where are you from, what do you miss about home?

I’m from Perth, Western Australia. I miss the beaches, good coffee (I’m a little snobby about it), the weather, my family and friends and especially my Dad’s home cooking!

* Favorite place in the city

That’s a hard one. I would say West Village for the vibe, proliferation of jazz clubs and bars. I also really like Central Park when the weather is good!

* Favorite new music

I’m really digging David Binney’s music. Especially albums like Anacapa, South, Welcome To Life and Graylen Epicenter. Wayne Shorter. His new quartet stuff and the album High Life. Some singer songwriters like Gabriel Kahane and Becca Stevens, Nine Inch Nails and Chris Potter’s Underground and solo albums.

* Favorite old music

Anything Motown, funk or soul influenced, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, Al Green, Parliament Funkadelic. Old school jazz – Miles Davis, Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Bill Evans Trio, Monk, Sonny Rollins, Hank Mobley, Clifford Brown, Dexter Gordon, Art Blakey, Mingus, Sergio Mendez and Brazil 66, Djavan, Milton Nascimento, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Jaco Pastorius….the list goes on.

* What’s your favorite non-music thing to do

Exploring the city, walking.

* What are your currently working on musically

I’m working on some new compositions that have more of a through composed, with some interesting chord changes and meters. I’m also working on some songs with vocals and lyrics written by yours truly, featuring some great NYC based vocalists. It may end up as some kind of concept album, we’ll have to wait and see. Also working on releasing my debut album featuring guitarist Adam Rogers and Grammy nominee Alan Ferber. It’s going to be called ‘The Next Tomorrow Is Yesterday’, relating to the pace of NYC. Before you know it, tomorrow is already yesterday and you still haven’t done that thing! Hopefully mid-late this year is my target.

* Whats your greatest fan boy / girl moment?

My biggest fanboy moment was meeting my bass hero John Patitucci and helping load his car after a gig. I’ll never forget it!

* Craziest gig experience

My craziest gig experience happened last year at the show ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas Live On Stage’. On tour, we played a show in a small town called Dixon Illinois. The theatre that were in had a small stage which we had to fit upright bass, drums, electric piano and any props/scenery for the show. The curtain was literally right behind my back, and brushed me any time it moved. There was a notable difference in temperature between the back of the stage and the front. Towards the end of the first act, the curtain started to balloon out from the center, causing a ripple wave-like effect through the curtain. At one point in the show, the waves became so big they threatened to completely engulf me and my bass! I just managed to desperately brush away the curtain as it was closing. Any moment of hesitation would have meant me and my bass being capsized live on stage! It was really hard trying to complete the rest of the show without bursting into hysterical laughter.

* Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Still in New York, many records later. Touring with my own and other artists music, with less struggle, content and happy, living in a studio apartment in Manhattan. Possibly with a dog.

* Link to a video of you

The Next Tomorrow Is Yesterday – https://youtu.be/3WrAD-xewr0

* Link to your website

http://jessebyromcarter.com/