Described by a “brilliant pianist” by legendary jazz saxophonist Benny Golson, accomplished pianist Hey Rim Jeon had released her fifth album as a leader, Groovitude, featuring multi-Grammy-Award-winning drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and other acclaimed musicians.
Hey Rim focuses more on arrangements than my compositions and includes a lot of jazz standards that people know quite well, which contains an accessible and melodic set filled with inventive versions of familiar standards and a few originals.
Among the highlights are such numbers as a grooving version of Nature Boy, a surprisingly bluesy What a Wonderful World, Fly Me to The Moon and Summertime, each of which is given fresh treatments. Hey Rim also contributes a few originals and plays Spring in Home Town, a famous Korean folk song that expresses a yearning about wanting to return to one’s home. She closes the memorable set with a sensitive rendition of the Korean pop song 100 Years of Promise by Jongwhan Kim. Hey Rim wishes everyone who listens to this album to get healed and comforted during this challenging time.
“I recorded this album while my father was battling cancer. He wanted to listen to nice and soothing music while he was fighting for his life. Even though I had released a couple of albums, I didn’t have one to help ease his soul. This motivated me to produce an album that anyone can simply listen to and enjoy. This album contains 9 songs, 7 of which are universally well-known, including one Korean folk song, Spring in Hometown, and one popular song, 100 Years of Promise by Jongwhan Kim, which my father used to sing to my mom every day,” the pianist says in the album’s liner notes.
Hey Rim Jeon with her father.
“It took me a long time to release this album due to my high expectation. I kept asking if I would ever be able to make it worthy enough to pay tribute to my dad, but after two and a half years of pandemic, I can’t think of any better time to release this album. My father wasn’t able to listen to it, but I am happy to share it with you in the spirit of love and hope,” Hey Rim Jeon added.