Korean gigs

Busy day in Seoul: first taping an interview and playing 3 solo pieces for the KBS (Korean Broadcasting Service) program Classic Odyssey, a weekly one hour program devoted to classical music (why not in Australia?). First I did an interview with the charming (female) host with the help of a translator. Lots of questions about inhabiting the space between and across classical music and jazz (which my playing is intended to demonstrate). Then I recorded an improvisation (free extemporisation) based on the idea of "water" (along the lines of my 4-CD set The Elements). Then I recorded my recent composition Angel followed by a jazz-ish interpretation of the Chopin E major etude (op 10). They had a lovely 9-foot Steinway in great shape (again unlike TV land back home). Due to the exigencies of TV I had to do a second run of each piece miming to the sound so they could get different camera angles (very challenging with a piece only just made up!). I went with my first takes, hope they will say enough. Straight after the TV I played with two wonderful Korean musicians at the Residence of the Australian Ambassador. It was just a fantastic night, firstly because of the quality of the musicians Jeon Sung Sik (bass) and Oh Jong Dae (drums) but not the least because of the cultured, warm, receptive and enthusiastic audience some of whom were key cultural figures in Seoul. There was a magnificent dinner and I kicked on with some late night eating kimchi and drinking soju with JJ (Jae-Jin In) my Korean manager, Chang Ho who drove me everywhere and my old friend from Music Omi composer So Young Jang.