Podcast 281: A Conversation with Hey Rim Jeon

Hey Rim Jeon has been on the radar for a number of years as a pianist, composer and educator to watch. That promise is being fulfilled as Ms. Jeon has just released Introducing Hey Rim Jeon, her first set for NCoded Music and distributed by RED, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. In conjunction with the release, Hey Rim will present "An Evening of Original and Classic Jazz" at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston, MA on Tuesday, June 19 at 8:30 PM. Born in Korea, Ms. Jeon’s fascination with musical improvisation led her from classical piano to jazz formats. By the time she had finished at Berklee College of Music, she was an accomplished jazz composer and performer, and has been made an Assistant Professor at the noted school. Her CD mixes covers of well-known standards like Chick Corea’s “Spain” and Sigmund Romberg’s “Softly as in a Morning’s Sunrise” with her own originals, There is a bit of Corea in her sound, or maybe its McCoy Tyner, as she plays with a percussive style that is not afraid to tackle odd and intriguing time signatures. She could not ask for a more exciting band to play with – fellow Berklee teacher Terri Lynne Carrington is on drums, James Genus on bass and Richie Barshay on percussion. The great Dave Liebman joins on sax, contributing a memorable duet on the highly improvised version of Debussy’s “Claire de Lune”. I spoke with Hey Rim as she prepared for her Scullers gig, which will feature her long-time collaborators Tim Mayer on saxes, Greg Holt on bass and J. Curtis Warner, Jr. on drums. We talked about her musical upbringing, her recent travels and how players have influenced her over time. Click here to listen to the conversation, which includes musical selections: Hey Rim Jeon - “Claire de Lune” from Introducing Hey Rim Jeon. A striking duet with saxophonist Liebman that was highly improvised in the studio. Hey Rim Jeon - “Mona Lisa Puzzle” from Introducing Hey Rim Jeon. A strong Hey Rim original, the track appears in this wonderful group version, and a striking solo piano take. Dig the rhythm section on this one, as the bass and drums take different meters than the rest of the band, creating some inspired collaborations. Hey Rim Jeon – “Peace” from Hey Rim Jeon & Friends. This 2003 CD release had some originals by Hey Rim and her drummer Warner, but the best tracks focused on her many piano influences, covering artists like Herbie Hancock (“Dolphin Dance”) and this Horace Silver classic. An Evening of Original and Classic Jazz, Tuesday, June 19, 8:30 PM. • Tickets at $20.00 each can be purchased on line at www.scullersjazz.com or by calling: 617-562-4111. • The DoubleTree Suites by Hilton, is located at 400 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA 02134. • For more information, call: 617-562-4111.