It's been a long time since there was an album by Puri, one of Korea's best groups, who play traditional Korean piri (reed instrument) and percussion instruments to make a contemporary Korean roots sound. Their first album is probably our best ever selling Korean title, so this is a welcome follow up. The big change to the group is the addition of Han Seung-Seok, who is a pansori singer and Jeong Jae-Il who comes from a pop background. Some of the tracks therefore feature traditional Korean vocals and western guitar, piano and keyboards alongide the Korean and other world percussion instruments. If you're looking for a Korean group who are pushing the boundaries of their tradition in an interesting way, look no further than Puri. Seven tracks. 1. The Space 2. Binari 3. Jaryong Shooting an Arrow 4. Dahdri 5. Docheongung 6. Reminiscence 7. Daechuita.
Excellent album of traditional Korean vocals and instrumentation with some western elements. 13 tracks, 2 CDs. 1. E-eo Island 2. Elegance 3. The Memory 4. Korean Syndrome 5. One Side Love 6. Salmon to the Sea 7. Nine Cloud Dreams 8. You and I 9. Number One 10. Chaff with the Wind 11. To My Love 12. Travelling 13. Gyeon-Wu & Jie Nyeo. Price: £22.99
Three young singing sisters who also play traditional instruments. Their voices are pretty much pop sounding, while the Kim sisters also play kayagum (zither), yanggum (dulcimer) and haegum (fiddle). The excellent Wong Il (Puri) plays the piri (oboe) and various percussion, and there's also accordion and piano (from Peter Schindler). The music has an experimental edge to it, with hip-hop rhythm and repetitive string phrases. A welcome new direction for Korean music.11 tracks including Spring, used in a Korean drama.
East meets West collaboration as long time Koreaphile singer Linda Shamrock performs with various Korean musicians on changgo drum, kaegeum (zither), plus sax and oud. She sings in a kind of avant garde jazz style, and sings standards including Over the Rainbow and Strange Fruit plus original songs. 10 tracks. Price: £23.99
Japanese/Korean collaboration pits on the Korean side, fantastic percussionist Kim Dae Hwan and haegeum (fiddle) player Kang Eun Il with Japanese modern jazz greats, pianist Yosuke Yamashita and saxophonist Kazutoki Umezu. They tackle My One and Only Love, two Coltrane compositions, Afro Blue and Naima, My Favourite Things and Korea's most famous folk tune, Arirang. Comes with English liner notes. Quite simply, brilliant.
Part of the Korean Traditional Crossover series and another meeting of Japanese and Korean musicians. This one features on the Japanese side, bassist Tetsuh Saitoh, koto player Kazue Sawai, and pianist Fumio Itabashi performing with the excellent Kim Suk Chul on changgo (drum) and ching (gong), Lee Kwang Soo on kkwaenggeari (small gong) and changgo and ajaeng (zither) player Lee Tae Beak. Price: £23.99
Kim Dae Hwan is one of Korea's most renowned western style percussionists. On this album he plays with haegeum player Kang Eun Il on three long improvisational pieces. 1. Black Rain Part 1 2. Black Rain Part 2. 3. Encore. Extraordinary.
Mainly Korean percussion instruments such as changoo with various Korean flutes including Piri, and a type of Korean violin, make this one of the most interesting Korean CDs ever produced. If you enjoy Japanese taiko drumming, you should enjoy this. Fills a gap in modern roots music for one of the more under-represented Asian countries. Price: £23.99
