”K-Pop masterpieces become K-Jazz masterpieces!”
Jazz diva Woong San’s ‘Jazz Popularization Project’ album
The third story
Woong San
This album is an ambitious attempt to showcase the potential of Korean Jazz (K-Jazz) by carefully selecting 10 masterpieces from past Korean pop songs and reimagining them through jazz arrangements. As Woong San hopes, it will serve as an opportunity for more people to easily enjoy and find healing through jazz.
‘Winter Rain,’ ‘Too Painful a Love Was Not Love,’ ‘Myeong-dong Calling,’ ‘Love is Forgotten by Another Love,’ and ‘Winter Rain is Falling’ are masterpieces that need no explanation. Combined with a twilight-hued trumpet sound reminiscent of Chet Baker, the heavy solo of the double bass, the transparent rhythm of the acoustic guitar, and the sorrowful melody of the violin, the tracks—which reinterpret beloved pop songs into folk blues and cool jazz—are absolute gems, leaving not a single regret.
The reason these sounds reach the listener with such vivid texture is due to the producing process, where everything is poured into the recording. From performances aiming for one-take takes to a tenacity to capture the original sound and meticulous mix-downs, an album overflowing with a live feel is completed. This is why Woong San's albums are well-known among audiophiles as reference recordings for comparative listening.
This winter, it will be remembered as a special gift not only for jazz enthusiasts but for all music fans, and for the audiophiles who have waited two years for the ‘Love, That Longing’ series.
