Recital: Joseph Jun Hyuk Seo '22 MM, Contemporary Improvisation

Joseph Jun Huuk Seo | Overture: Neo Seoul

Lyra Montoya, flute
Miguel Landestoy, piano
Solomon Caldwell, double bass
Joseph Jun Hyuk Seo, drums

Program note

My composition, Overture:Neo-Seoul is my original tune that was written for a class assignment at professor Hankus Netsky’s Third Stream Methodology class this semester. It is inspired by James Brown's rhythmic variation on his song, Cold Blooded, and I used the major seventh chords that support my melody and style. I am grateful to present this tune in the beginning of my recital.

Ran Blake/Harry Belafonte (recomposed by Joseph Jun Hyuk Seo) | Memphis/Bon Dieu

Miguel Landestoy, piano
Solomon Caldwell, double bass
Joseph Jun Hyuk Seo, drums

Program note

My recomposition, Memphis/Bon Dieu, is based on two songs: Merci Bon Dieu (Harry Belafonte) and Memphis (Ran Blake). Those are the two songs that I learned at professor Ran Blake’s Long Term Memory class. Since the tunes were such an inspiration, I incorporated them in one arrangement which represents my artistic interpretation of the songs.

Joseph Jun Hyuk Seo | Joe's Lament

Lyra Montoya, alto saxophone
Miguel Landestoy, piano
Solomon Caldwell, double bass
Joseph Jun Hyuk Seo, drums

Program note

Joe's Lament is a song inspired by Ornette Coleman’s (1930-2015) song, Ballad. This original piece was written for my class project of professor Hankus Netsky. There is no tonal center in the song and melody, so it freely expresses one’s feeling throughout the improvisation. Mainly, my melody represents the sadness during the pandemic in the beginning. The feeling of frustration and chaos will be expressed through the melody, and the musicians will build up the dynamics as the song goes to the climax. Finally at the end, this song will be connected to the next song Glowing Sunday which represents our hope and faith in Christ that would overcome the sadness during the time of pandemic.
 

Joseph Jun Hyuk Seo | Glowing Sunday

Miguel Landestoy, piano
Solomon Caldwell, double bass
Joseph Jun Hyuk Seo, drums

Program note

Glowing Sunday is a recomposition based on Gloomy Sunday by Rezso Seress. Although the original song has a heavy and dark kind of feeling, I wanted to change to a little bit brighter and more hopeful feeling in the song with rhythms and melody. I play the baiao groove which supports the encouraging emotion of the song.

Zequinha de Abreu | Tico-Tico No Fubá

Hanna Kim, flute
Cate Byrne, violin
Mattias Kaufmann, accordion
Miguel Landestoy, piano
Joseph Jun Hyuk Seo, pandeiro, cajón

Program note

Choro (Chorinho) is a Brazilian popular music genre that originated in 19th century Rio de Janeiro. Although choro means cry or lament, most of choro music has uplifting and fast tempo. It is played with various kinds of improvisation, modulation, syncopation and counterpoint. The rhythm is heavily influenced by the African groove. Choro is mostly incorporated with samba. The song, Tico-Tico No Fubá is one of the most popular choro tunes composed by Zequinha de Abreu in 1917.

Jacob do Bandolim | Dôce de Coco

Hanna Kim, flute
Cate Byrne, violin
Mattias Kaufmann, accordion
Miguel Landestoy, piano
Joseph Jun Hyuk Seo, pandeiro, cajón

Program note

Jacob do Bandolim is one of the most famous choro composers in history, and Dôce de Coco one of his most famous songs.  Whenever I play this tune, I imagine a beautiful afternoon with a nice breeze outside during summertime.

Jacob do Bandolim was a Brazilian composer and musician. Born Jacob Pick Bittencourt to a Brazilian-Jewish mother and a gentile father in Rio de Janeiro, his stage name means "Mandolin Jacob", after the instrument he played. In addition to
his virtuoso playing, he is famous for his many choro compositions, more than 103
tunes, which range from the lyrical melodies of Noites Cariocas ("Carioca Nights"), Receita de Samba and Dôce de Coco to the aggressively jazzy Assanhado, which is reminiscent of bebop. He also researched and attempted to preserve the older choro tradition, as well as that of other Brazilian music styles. He died of a heart attack, when coming back from spending the day with Pixinguinha, planning a recording project to benefit his friend. His son Sérgio Bittencourt was also a musician and composed the hit song Naquela Mesa as a tribute to his father. Jacob had 2 mandolins, which he called "number one" and "number two". After his death they were kept in storage until 2002, when they received minor restoration. Now under the care of Instituto Jacob do Bandolim, they have been used in a few recordings again.
https://www.pcmsconcerts.org/composer/jacob-do-bandolim/ From Philadelphia Chamber Music Society.

Joseph Jun Hyuk Seo | Auburn Pathway

Sahana Narayanan, voice
Yoona Kim, ajaeng
Henry Wilson, marimba
Joseph Jun Hyuk Seo, drums

Program note

During my semesters at NEC, I learned African rhythms in the classes. Those rhythms have been such an inspiration that I was inspired to compose this song. In the song, some of the important Korean and African traditional rhythms contributed to support the melody. The Auburn pathway exists in my imagination where the road meets both graceful countries.

I am grateful to God who has supported me in my life.
I praise Him with all my heart.
 

Thank you professor Hankus Netsky for your teaching
I am thankful for taking your classes and studio during the semester which inspired me in so many ways. 

Thank you professor Ran Blake for your teaching.
Because of your class I memorized so many songs which inspired me to write my own song.

Thank you professor Jerry Leake for your teaching about the African rhythms.

Thank you professor Nasheet Waits for your teaching.

Thank you professors; Eden Macadam-Somer, Dominique Eade, Amir Milstein, Ted Reichman, Joe Morris, Anthony Coleman, and Nima Janmohammadi.

Thank you to my classmates and friends, especially all of the musicians who helped me to finish this recital.

Thank you to everyone who came to my recital.