The origins of jazz are often noted to have taken place in African tradition and early American life styles, but with the popularity of jazz throughout the world, it is of no surprise that the genre has been interpreted and retold through many cultural lenses as years come. On a winter morning of Wednesday February the 12th, the University of Michigan Flint was welcomed to a unique and fresh twist of Korean traditional music and folk stories with the deep entwined American styles of swing jazz. This concert was organized and directed in part by Kelly Craig, Brian Diblassio, and the other talented musicians you will read further about.
Before viewing of the concert, it is important to understand the art of Pansori in Korean culture. The word Pan in Korean represents an interactive stage experience that breaks barriers between audience and performer, allowing a more intimate and involved experience. Pansori, a similar word, combines Pan with the Korean word for song (sori). The art of Pansori combines singing, storytelling, and musical gestures for audiences.
In a traditional Pansori performance, only a single drum with a vocalist is used, but for this performance a jazz rhythm section joins the fun with the addition of Lisa Sung (Piano), Tom Knific (Bass), and Kevin “Bujo” Jones (Drum kit). Hee-Won Park connects the ensemble in a very traditional sense. Hee-Won Park dawns a beautiful and traditional garb known as a Hanbok. The floral covered dress is distinctive attribute to the performance of pansori, along with welding her customary buk drum and creative storytelling. With the addition of a rhythm section, the Pansori experience is largely
altered in a rather charming and inviting way that has never been previously seen before. Many mark jazz as the root of free expression in music. One must look openly at the colors that unfold, and not that is written on the page. Combining the free improvisatory nature of the artform with stories that have been passed down, allows both artist and audience to manifest themselves to unique interpretations of every single musical motif and idea presented. I found that our mainly american audience, who may not understand the unknown and alien culture of foreign origin and traditions, were able to connect much more smoothly, and were able to have greater takeaways from the pansori performance by having the addition of iconic jazz textures
Although all works displayed at the performance had a story attached to the music, a select few stood out to me in particular. One of these is Heungboo’s Song. Heungboo’s Song comes from a traditional childhood tale about a poor but kind man who comes across a swallow bird. Heungboo sees the swallow in despair over an injured leg. After nursing the bird back to health, Heungboo is given a bountiful gift from the swallow; a large gourd that contains treasures for the poor man. Using a saw to cut open the gourd, Heungboo pulls out endless amounts of rice and money, and with his generosity he goes to provide for his community. In this song, the sound of the saw cutting through the large gourd can be heard through the instruments. Pansori uses special vocal inflections and spoken word. Telling of Heungboo’s tale with the addition of a groove and feel from a jazz scope allows listeners to relate to the tale and experience a truly unique and legendary performance. Combining rhythm and emphasis on certain beats allowed the performance of spoken words to almost sound like a form of rap or R&B. Combining multiple cultures not only creates a new experience but also highlights similarities across other genres that are present throughout the world.
What also caught my interest was the opening of the concert with the instrumental work titled “New Year Song.” This piece is based on a child nursery rhyme in Korea, that celebrates the new year. With it now being the second month of the year the work was very appropriately timed. This work sounded like a classic jazz standard that one may find in Detroit or any local jazz venue. This is not a criticism but rather praise on how well certain musical motives heard in previous context can be adapted for a small jazz combo and improvised over.
One can still hear pentatonic sounding themes throughout the song, and there was still a very asian jazz sound that may be hard to classify. The origins of many jazz charts originate in the world of musicals and even operas, jazz is all about rewriting and remixing old ideas with a new hip context. This piece specifically rotated through several grooves such as swing and bossa nova during the solo section. Even though the work is based on Korean origin, several cultures combine in a melting pot of sound and discovery. The Piano solo starts in the key but Lisa Sung dables with exploring and playing out, providing whole tone colors. The language of blues is also present throughout the performance. This work was very graceful and reminded me of what it would feel like to fly. The bright opening of this work comes to an end with a strong sustained dark note from the bass side of the keys.
To close, the Pan-Tastic performance seeks to connect with audience members and come together to share relatable stories from a childhood setting while also spreading the message of love and togetherness. The Group plans to take this project to multiple locations and is currently getting ready for their performance on the Dearborn and Ann Arbor campus. I am always excited to hear new unique angles of the jazz idiom, and Pan-tastic was a delectable treat for a cold winter morning and a refreshing twist to start this new year.
Lastly I would like to credit the wonderful organizations that made this event possible. The Nam Center for Korean studies, has enriched the community in cultural experiences that previously would not have been possible. Evan Vowell, Minyoung Song, and Tina Griffith are credited for being involved in allowing this event to take place. University of Michigan-Flint faculty, Audrey Scribner, Kelly Craig and Laura McLeman were also heavily involved in allowing this to take place. As both a musician and audience member, I am extremely excited to see what future events take place.
