Sept. 13, 2024

Yeore Kim interview

Yeore Kim interview

Yeore Kim joins me on episode 119. Yeore is from South Korea, where she first picked up the tremolo harmonica at the age of six. Her mother is a piano teacher, so she also learnt piano and other instruments, including trumpet, before focusing on the chromatic harmonica from age 18. Yeore has released two albums of duets with different pianists. She moved to France in 2018 after meeting her guitarist husband, Antoine Boyer, with whom she has released an album, Tangram. This contains a great mi...

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Season 1 Chromatic Harmonica Female Harmonica Player Classical Chromatic Jazz Chromatic Pop Harmonica

Yeore Kim joins me on episode 119.
Yeore is from South Korea, where she first picked up the tremolo harmonica at the age of six. Her mother is a piano teacher, so she also learnt piano and other instruments, including trumpet, before focusing on the chromatic harmonica from age 18.
Yeore has released two albums of duets with different pianists.
She moved to France in 2018 after meeting her guitarist husband, Antoine Boyer, with whom she has released an album, Tangram. This contains a great mix of jazz, world music and interpretations of pop songs.
Yeore is currently working on a duo album with her husband, due to released later in 2024, and to be followed by a tour in 2025 to promote the album.

Videos:

YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfFkS5hmOn6BCgU1FCO_IEQ

Japanese player Nobuo Tokunaga:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33t6gCajgyw

7AM duet with pianist Mia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA2INoVumc0

Oasis song: Don’t Look Back In Anger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGiQuyXSN7Y

HUK interview with Sam Spranger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSKLp_di5uw&t=98s

European Tour blog:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaQmcObOMiU


Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com  or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com


Support the show

01:45 - Yeore is from South Korea, now living in France

02:02 - Harmonica is not that popular in South Korea

02:29 - Started learning music due to influence of mother, who is a piano teacher

02:46 - Tremolo was first harmonica started playing, at age six

03:02 - Tremolo is the most commonly played harmonica in Korea, playing classical music pieces usually on it

04:26 - Mother is a piano teacher

04:52 - Learnt harmonica in a music academy

05:14 - Yeore is now a chromatic harmonica player, switching to the instrument age 18, having lessons for six months before self-learning

05:46 - Applied knowledge of music from other instruments to the chromatic

06:22 - Mainly plays jazz on the chromatic, initially inspired by Japanese player Tokunaga Nobuo and Toots Thielemans

07:07 - Musical links between South Korea and Japan, but now the world has opened up with online resources

07:32 - The influence of Toots and transcribing his music

08:57 - The Brazil Project albums are Yeore’s favourites, and so she likes to play Brazilian styles of jazz

09:53 - Yeore studied jazz at Seoul University and plays a diverse range of jazz styles now

10:13 - Studied trumpet as main instrument on the university music course, but could also use the chromatic on the course

11:20 - Similarities between trumpet and chromatic harmonica

12:21 - Can you play same musical lines on trumpet and chromatic

14:00 - Doesn’t perform on other instruments now, only harmonica

14:46 - Plays some piano still, but not to perform on

15:08 - Played with Filip Jers in a guitar workshop in Sweden

16:46 - Yeore’s husband (Antoine Boyer) is a great guitar player, and she performs and tours with him

17:34 - Didn’t play gypsy jazz before meeting her gypsy jazz guitarist husband, and still doesn’t

18:31 - Moved to France in 2018, not being able to speak French of English, and similarity of learning music and languages

19:41 - Based in Paris but also spends time in Dijon, France

20:22 - Recorded an album with Antoine: Tangram, which means a Chinese puzzle

22:33 - One of strengths of harmonica is the dynamic range

23:19 - Uses some effects pedals to raise the intensity of the chromatic

24:53 - Composed a song with a brass section from experience of playing the trumpet

26:23 - Composed other songs on the album

26:43 - Blackbird song chosen as harmonica is similar to a bird sound

28:11 - Yeore played Bye Bye Blackbird with Jens Bunge at the Seoul Harmonica Festival in 2018

28:30 - Does some duets with Antoine on the album

29:41 - Classical piece on the album: Valse L, from Yeore’s experience of playing classical music when younger

30:38 - Sings on one of the songs on the Tangram album

31:38 - Planning to make a new duo album with Antoine soon

33:47 - Recorded album with pianist Mia in 2023, a university friend from South Korea

34:42 - Antoine and other musicians appear on Eutopia song

35:58 - 7AM song from album

37:14 - Alone song from Eutopia album

38:12 - Breeze is a samba song on the album

39:04 - Recorded an album with a Korean pianist, Sunhang Lee, in 2014, Year’s first jazz album recording

40:17 - Recording of Oasis song, Don’t Look Back In Anger, on YouTube, and approach to playing pop songs

42:01 - Blog of European tour

43:01 - Used jazz trumpet and saxophone tutorial material to learn jazz on chromatic

44:12 - Teacher at university was a saxophone player

44:48 - Placed third in the harmonica competition at the harmonica festival in Seoul with Antonio Serrano and Gregoire Maret as the judges

45:44 - Performed a gig in India to a crowd of over 500,000 people, getting the gig through yoga

47:09 - Has taught some tremolo previously, but focusing on performing at the moment

47:29 - Ten minute question

49:08 - Hohner Super 64 black model is chromatic of choice, also using Super 64X Performance

49:36 - Uses low octave on 16 hole models to provide accompaniment to Antoine on guitar

50:44 - Doesn’t play any diatonic or any tremolo any more

51:03 - Has played some bass and chord harmonica

51:42 - Plays chromatic only in key of C

52:07 - Does some basic maintenance, but sends off to a technician for more major work

52:48 - Embouchre is tongue blocking

53:11 - How applies vibrato

53:26 - Usually plays with mic in hand

53:47 - Mic of choice is the Beyer Dynamic 88

53:58 - Uses PA for amplification

54:13 - Effects uses Line 6 multi-effects pedal

55:09 - Future plans include recording the new album with Antoine

56:17 - Going to Australia tomorrow and giving a harmonica workshop in South Korea in December

57:13 - Why there aren’t more female harmonica players

WEBVTT

00:00:00.162 --> 00:00:02.185
Yore Kim joins me on episode 119.

00:00:02.245 --> 00:00:08.537
Yore is from South Korea, where she first picked up the tremolo harmonica at the age of six.

00:00:09.319 --> 00:00:17.634
Her mother is a piano teacher, so she also learned piano and other instruments, including trumpet, before focusing on the chromatic harmonica from age 18.

00:00:18.082 --> 00:00:21.887
Yore has released two albums of duets with different pianists.

00:00:22.768 --> 00:00:30.478
She moved to France in 2018 after meeting her guitarist husband, Anton Boyet, with whom she has released an album, Tangram.

00:00:30.978 --> 00:00:35.143
This contains a great mix of jazz, world music and interpretations of pop songs.

00:00:36.606 --> 00:00:46.078
Yore is currently working on a duo album with her husband, due to be released later in 2024, and to be followed by a tour in 2025 to promote the albums.

00:00:46.274 --> 00:00:48.817
This podcast is sponsored by Seidel Harmonicas.

00:00:49.258 --> 00:00:58.570
Visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seidel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at Seidel Harmonicas.

00:01:38.305 --> 00:01:40.671
Hello, Yorei Kim, and welcome to the podcast.

00:01:41.251 --> 00:01:42.935
Hello, thank you for having me.

00:01:44.216 --> 00:01:45.760
Great to speak to you, Yorei.

00:01:45.799 --> 00:01:53.756
So you are a South Korean harmonica player, and you are currently based in France, but you're originally from South Korea.

00:01:54.397 --> 00:01:58.906
Yes, I was born in South Korea, and now I live in Paris.

00:01:59.778 --> 00:02:00.239
Excellent.

00:02:00.299 --> 00:02:01.680
Very exciting place to live.

00:02:02.221 --> 00:02:03.183
So great.

00:02:03.222 --> 00:02:07.347
So tell us about South Korea and what's the harmonica scene like there?

00:02:07.849 --> 00:02:12.996
In Korea, there is really few of the harmonica player.

00:02:13.015 --> 00:02:14.157
It's really rare.

00:02:15.558 --> 00:02:22.127
Yeah, it's pretty good to play harmonica because there is not many harmonica players in Korea.

00:02:22.628 --> 00:02:24.371
Yeah, not much competition then, eh?

00:02:24.471 --> 00:02:25.211
That's always good.

00:02:25.772 --> 00:02:26.092
Yeah.

00:02:27.235 --> 00:02:29.298
So what got you into playing the harmonica?

00:02:29.858 --> 00:02:36.951
So I started playing music because of my mother, who is a piano teacher.

00:02:36.991 --> 00:02:41.721
First I learned piano, then cello and drum, trumpet, etc.

00:02:41.741 --> 00:02:45.207
And she gave me a lot of music experiences.

00:02:46.530 --> 00:02:53.539
When I was six years old, I started playing tremolo harmonica from a music academy near my home.

00:02:54.241 --> 00:03:01.591
In that class, I realized that I'm good at playing the instrument with my breath in, and I really like to play it.

00:03:02.413 --> 00:03:03.633
So you started on the tremolo.

00:03:03.653 --> 00:03:06.718
So is that the most common harmonica in Korea?

00:03:07.620 --> 00:03:09.301
Yes, tremolo is common.

00:03:10.082 --> 00:03:14.530
And so what sort of music are they playing on the tremolo there in Korea?

00:03:15.138 --> 00:03:17.081
Kind of classic pieces.

00:03:18.104 --> 00:03:20.088
Classical music on a tremolo, is that?

00:03:20.729 --> 00:03:21.031
Yes.

00:03:21.772 --> 00:03:22.715
How does that sound?

00:03:23.836 --> 00:03:25.020
Yeah, normally.

00:03:25.381 --> 00:03:28.106
In Europe or in America, there is no...

00:03:29.049 --> 00:03:32.897
You don't play classical pieces with tremolo harmonica?

00:03:33.825 --> 00:03:39.413
No, it's mainly used for folk music, traditional sort of pieces.

00:03:40.115 --> 00:03:43.118
Because a tremolo, of course, isn't chromatic, is it?

00:03:43.158 --> 00:03:48.788
So it'd be interesting to hear how you could play classical music on a tremolo.

00:03:49.568 --> 00:03:50.008
Really?

00:03:50.028 --> 00:03:50.109
Okay.

00:03:51.792 --> 00:03:53.554
I don't know.

00:03:54.336 --> 00:03:58.401
I learned tremolo harmonica with classical pieces.

00:03:59.169 --> 00:04:01.635
Yeah, you know this piece?

00:04:04.282 --> 00:04:05.406
The William Tell Overture?

00:04:05.466 --> 00:04:15.712
Yeah, kind of these tunes I played with G tremolo and 3D front key tremolo harmonica I used.

00:04:16.545 --> 00:04:19.007
Oh, you would switch between the three to play the song?

00:04:19.048 --> 00:04:20.069
Yeah, exactly.

00:04:20.088 --> 00:04:20.129
Ah,

00:04:20.889 --> 00:04:21.310
excellent.

00:04:21.911 --> 00:04:24.194
Did you say age six when you started playing the tremolo?

00:04:24.494 --> 00:04:25.634
Yeah, when I was six.

00:04:26.475 --> 00:04:26.716
Great.

00:04:26.776 --> 00:04:29.619
And then were you also playing the piano at this stage?

00:04:30.360 --> 00:04:32.901
Yeah, because my mom is a piano teacher.

00:04:32.942 --> 00:04:36.105
Naturally, I learned piano from my mother.

00:04:36.466 --> 00:04:43.833
And after, yeah, she asked me also, why don't you play harmonica?

00:04:43.853 --> 00:04:44.754
So I played.

00:04:45.153 --> 00:04:51.665
So when you were playing at a young age on the tremolo harmonica, was your mother playing the piano with you?

00:04:51.685 --> 00:04:51.725
No,

00:04:52.827 --> 00:04:55.533
because I learned in music academy.

00:04:56.375 --> 00:04:58.418
So, you know, there is teacher.

00:04:58.459 --> 00:05:01.384
With her, I played harmonica only.

00:05:01.644 --> 00:05:04.290
Ah, the teacher, she played the guitar.

00:05:04.641 --> 00:05:05.583
together with me

00:05:06.103 --> 00:05:19.654
great so you went to this academy what from the age of six that you're learning this wow that's a young age to be uh starting on the on the harmonica yeah so you're mainly a chromatic harmonica player now let's establish that so that that's correct yeah

00:05:19.954 --> 00:05:20.696
yes right

00:05:21.036 --> 00:05:23.637
so when did you switch over to the chromatic harmonica

00:05:24.059 --> 00:05:33.786
after tremolo harmonica i've been playing the harmonica as a hobby and i started playing chromatic harmonica when i was 18.

00:05:34.387 --> 00:05:36.949
i had lessons for about six months.

00:05:37.410 --> 00:05:39.112
After that, I found myself.

00:05:39.773 --> 00:05:42.555
But you played the other instruments that you mentioned.

00:05:42.574 --> 00:05:45.497
Trumpet, yeah, drum, yeah.

00:05:46.237 --> 00:05:51.543
How did you feel you could apply your knowledge of music from the other instruments to the chromatic?

00:05:51.583 --> 00:05:52.624
Was that very helpful?

00:05:53.144 --> 00:05:54.045
Yeah, of course.

00:05:55.146 --> 00:06:01.552
It was really helpful about the harmony and chords, changes.

00:06:02.451 --> 00:06:04.413
Yeah, it's really helpful for me.

00:06:05.218 --> 00:06:28.071
So when you started playing chromatic harmonica at age 18, what sort of music were you then learning on the chromatic?

00:06:28.391 --> 00:06:29.392
Probably jazz.

00:06:29.814 --> 00:06:32.478
You were inspired by Toot Sealmans, were you?

00:06:32.994 --> 00:07:07.086
yeah of course and i'm not sure you know this name the japanese chromatic harmonica player tokunaga nobu He influenced me a lot, actually.

00:07:07.949 --> 00:07:12.721
So clearly, South Korea and Japan are quite closely aligned.

00:07:12.762 --> 00:07:16.853
So you were listening to music from Japan, and is that how you discovered him?

00:07:17.346 --> 00:07:18.648
Yes, right.

00:07:19.048 --> 00:07:22.935
Now we can listen every kind of music.

00:07:22.995 --> 00:07:26.841
We can listen on YouTube or Spotify.

00:07:26.920 --> 00:07:31.588
So it's so very helpful a lot for me, YouTube and albums.

00:07:32.189 --> 00:07:34.814
Did you find the Japanese player before you found Toots?

00:07:35.475 --> 00:07:36.536
Oh, no, no, no.

00:07:36.557 --> 00:07:37.398
Toots is first.

00:07:37.838 --> 00:07:39.161
Toots first, yeah.

00:07:39.180 --> 00:07:39.762
Yeah, of course.

00:07:39.802 --> 00:07:44.990
And so is Toots what got you into playing jazz?

00:07:45.122 --> 00:07:54.656
I learned jazz language by Tuch's music, and I transcribed a lot of his albums.

00:07:55.358 --> 00:07:57.521
How did you go about transcribing his albums?

00:07:57.581 --> 00:07:59.324
Did you do that on the computer?

00:07:59.384 --> 00:08:01.346
Did you write them out onto music scores?

00:08:01.947 --> 00:08:10.922
I found the video of Tuch on YouTube, and I listened to that, and I transcribed it on the music note.

00:08:11.843 --> 00:08:13.245
So you wrote it onto paper?

00:08:13.858 --> 00:08:14.858
Yes, right.

00:08:15.699 --> 00:08:19.384
Yeah, so that transcribing is a very valuable way to learn here.

00:08:19.425 --> 00:08:22.970
So that's one of the main ways you learned how to play the jazz chromatic.

00:08:23.230 --> 00:08:24.091
Yeah, I agree.

00:08:24.391 --> 00:08:25.314
It's a really good way.

00:08:26.235 --> 00:08:28.637
Sometimes I use an application.

00:08:28.677 --> 00:08:32.023
The name is Transcript Plus.

00:08:33.283 --> 00:08:36.889
So in this application, I can...

00:08:37.570 --> 00:08:45.301
I can make the speed slow down and speed up and all of the key, I can change it.

00:08:46.201 --> 00:08:50.808
So it's really practical for transcribing.

00:08:51.269 --> 00:08:53.613
Yeah, and they're amazing tools, aren't they?

00:08:53.692 --> 00:08:57.018
So what's one of your favorite Toots Tillman songs?

00:08:58.038 --> 00:09:02.346
My favorite album, actually, it is Brazil Project.

00:09:03.009 --> 00:09:06.120
This album is really fantastic.

00:09:06.722 --> 00:09:10.355
Especially, I really like the album Brazil Project 2.

00:09:27.234 --> 00:09:34.883
So does that mean you were interested in playing Brazilian music initially and Bossa Novas and these styles of Brazilian music?

00:09:35.063 --> 00:09:41.250
Yeah, Bossa Novas and Samba and even Cuban.

00:09:42.312 --> 00:09:44.134
I really like Latin music also.

00:09:44.956 --> 00:09:53.285
So is that the style of jazz you like to play now or is it initially just, have you moved away from the Brazilian styles?

00:09:53.730 --> 00:10:07.246
then i started learning about jazz in university so i have a opportunity to play all of the genre the music yeah yeah so that's why

00:10:07.826 --> 00:10:12.032
so you studied a music degree in university there did you

00:10:12.091 --> 00:10:25.293
yeah i i entered when i was I entered Seoul Art University as a trumpet player because I studied trumpet when I was 19.

00:10:26.836 --> 00:10:33.125
So as a trumpet player, I entered and I learned jazz and all the different types of music there.

00:10:33.144 --> 00:10:38.393
And were you able to use the chromatic harmonica on that jazz course?

00:10:39.234 --> 00:10:40.134
Yeah, of course.

00:10:40.816 --> 00:10:42.238
Sometimes I played jazz.

00:10:42.690 --> 00:10:46.255
harmonica with my friends, college friends.

00:10:46.535 --> 00:10:50.741
But mainly I choose a trumpet in this moment.

00:10:50.802 --> 00:10:52.125
So, yeah.

00:10:52.565 --> 00:10:57.753
Because often these courses don't accept the harmonica as an instrument.

00:10:57.793 --> 00:11:01.018
They want another better established instrument.

00:11:01.658 --> 00:11:03.402
Ah, yeah, it's true, yeah.

00:11:03.763 --> 00:11:08.250
Because, I mean, that's why I learned trumpet.

00:11:08.738 --> 00:11:15.486
because it is so hard to enter the university in Seoul as a harmonica player.

00:11:16.187 --> 00:11:20.073
So that's why I started to play trumpet.

00:11:20.614 --> 00:11:26.201
And so what about the similarities between playing trumpet and chromatic harmonica?

00:11:27.224 --> 00:11:31.528
Are you able to use some of the same techniques on both?

00:11:32.190 --> 00:11:34.352
What's similar and different between the two instruments?

00:11:35.618 --> 00:11:38.741
Similar thing is just one thing.

00:11:39.442 --> 00:11:42.267
We use the mouth, our mouth.

00:11:43.028 --> 00:11:46.351
But the other thing is completely different.

00:11:47.673 --> 00:11:56.785
And plus, with mouth, harmonica, we use, how I can say, we use the other part of mouth.

00:11:57.187 --> 00:12:02.354
I mean, when we play trumpet, we have to vibrate.

00:12:03.073 --> 00:12:20.922
like this like this we have to make sound with mouth but with harmonica no we just blow and harmonica he just play with my breath so it is different

00:12:21.474 --> 00:12:25.809
So what about the musical lines that you're playing, say, on a trumpet?

00:12:26.171 --> 00:12:27.676
That's what you learnt in your course.

00:12:27.735 --> 00:12:31.730
Are you able to play the same lines on the chromatic harmonica?

00:12:31.770 --> 00:12:33.517
How would you approach that?

00:12:34.114 --> 00:12:44.586
Yeah, I started learning about just trumpeter music then, so like Lee Morgan and Chad Baker, Kenny Doran, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, of course.

00:12:44.667 --> 00:12:49.432
So I learned a lot from those of artists.

00:12:50.052 --> 00:13:00.245
So when I copy, I mean transcribe, trumpeter music, I try with harmonica, with same thing.

00:13:01.025 --> 00:13:09.936
And do you think that those, you know, the Lee Morgan and Miles Davis, etc., you know, does that fit well on the harmonica?

00:13:10.635 --> 00:13:12.719
Sometimes yes, but sometimes no.

00:13:13.479 --> 00:13:17.624
So I can choose the pieces that…

00:13:18.544 --> 00:13:19.765
That fit on the harmonica.

00:13:20.647 --> 00:13:21.928
Yeah, yeah, right.

00:13:22.528 --> 00:13:30.057
So that's why I like the Latin music or Bossa Nova and Brazilian because you're really good with harmonica normally.

00:13:30.721 --> 00:13:34.765
So what makes the pieces good for the chromatic harmonica, do you think?

00:13:35.386 --> 00:13:42.994
Is it maybe when the breath direction, you know, you don't have to change the breath direction between blowing out and breathing in.

00:13:43.033 --> 00:13:46.738
Is that what makes it fit well on the harmonica?

00:13:47.158 --> 00:13:48.559
Yeah, it's right, it's right.

00:13:48.919 --> 00:13:52.342
Also, the trumpet tone is really...

00:13:52.744 --> 00:13:54.905
It is not thin.

00:13:55.687 --> 00:13:58.649
Harmonica tone is really little...

00:13:59.361 --> 00:13:59.621
Thin.

00:14:00.043 --> 00:14:00.562
Yeah, thin.

00:14:01.063 --> 00:14:04.868
So do you still perform on the trumpet as well as the harmonica?

00:14:05.749 --> 00:14:07.129
I don't play the trumpet now.

00:14:07.571 --> 00:14:12.735
I love the sound of trumpets, but harmonica was more attractive to me.

00:14:13.116 --> 00:14:16.561
It was physically hard to play the trumpet.

00:14:17.160 --> 00:14:23.368
And there are not many players who play harmonica, so it is one of the reasons that I choose harmonica.

00:14:39.649 --> 00:14:45.658
And do you play any other instruments, like still the piano, or any of the other instruments to perform with?

00:14:46.458 --> 00:14:53.707
Yeah, I play piano sometimes, but my level is not so professional, so I just enjoy,

00:14:53.788 --> 00:14:54.749
yeah.

00:14:54.808 --> 00:14:57.513
So the chromatic harmonica is what you perform

00:14:57.993 --> 00:14:58.033
on?

00:14:58.053 --> 00:15:01.999
Yeah, mainly I'm focusing on the chromatic harmonica, yeah.

00:15:02.458 --> 00:15:03.240
No, fantastic.

00:15:03.299 --> 00:15:06.083
That's great to hear on this podcast.

00:15:06.745 --> 00:15:07.485
Okay, so...

00:15:08.225 --> 00:15:12.051
I understand Philip Gers was another influence on you.

00:15:12.892 --> 00:15:16.316
How did you meet Philip, and how did he influence your harmonica playing?

00:15:16.976 --> 00:15:19.120
With Philip, we met in Sweden.

00:15:20.341 --> 00:15:23.085
It was in a guitar festival.

00:15:23.826 --> 00:15:37.022
Usually I'm touring a lot with my husband, who is a guitarist, and he is pretty famous in the guitar world, so there is no lot of...

00:15:37.186 --> 00:16:09.034
harmonica festival in the world so we touring a lot for the festival guitar so yeah in sweden there are the festival guitar festival I think it was Uppsala yes it was in Uppsala we met in Uppsala guitar festival and he came the concert and we met and we jammed some tunes.

00:16:09.936 --> 00:16:11.738
Yeah, it was really cool.

00:16:12.038 --> 00:16:16.042
He was really kind and I learned so much things from him.

00:16:16.081 --> 00:16:18.705
Yeah, he's a great player,

00:16:19.524 --> 00:16:22.769
yeah.

00:16:36.322 --> 00:16:41.611
Yeah, he's coming to the UK, Harmonica UK festival at the end of October this year.

00:16:41.652 --> 00:16:43.875
So yeah, he's going to be around these parts.

00:16:43.975 --> 00:16:45.899
So I hope to see him there.

00:16:45.938 --> 00:16:49.966
And so you mentioned your husband there, who's called?

00:16:49.986 --> 00:16:54.794
Yeah, in French, we called Antoine Boyer.

00:16:55.395 --> 00:16:58.000
So he's French and you're married, as you say.

00:16:58.061 --> 00:17:00.586
So that was the reason for moving to France, was it?

00:17:01.090 --> 00:17:02.152
Yes, exactly.

00:17:02.452 --> 00:17:04.717
We met in 2018.

00:17:04.737 --> 00:17:10.367
I just participated in Gypsy Jazz Festival in Taiwan.

00:17:11.209 --> 00:17:19.505
So we met in there, and Antoine, he came there to give a master class and concert.

00:17:20.066 --> 00:17:24.991
And we just recognized each other and then I moved my life to France.

00:17:26.594 --> 00:17:26.914
Great.

00:17:26.934 --> 00:17:31.701
So were you playing gypsy jazz on the harmonica before you went to that festival?

00:17:32.823 --> 00:17:36.748
Actually, I really, I don't know about gypsy jazz.

00:17:36.768 --> 00:17:44.798
I just wanted to go and feel and I wanted to, yeah, learn.

00:17:45.442 --> 00:17:48.948
Yeah, sure, and meet your husband there, so that turned out well.

00:17:49.347 --> 00:17:50.309
Yeah, yeah.

00:17:51.010 --> 00:17:55.096
Anton, he plays mainly gypsy jazz, does he, on the guitar?

00:17:56.419 --> 00:18:05.933
Mm-hmm, he plays gypsy jazz, but now he's trying to play kind of jazz and world music.

00:18:06.515 --> 00:18:09.700
Yeah, so you've got him to branch out from gypsy jazz.

00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:10.922
That's good to hear.

00:18:13.165 --> 00:18:13.246
Yeah.

00:18:21.442 --> 00:18:34.809
So you moved to France, I think, six years ago, was it?

00:18:34.849 --> 00:18:38.057
Yes, exactly, six years ago.

00:18:38.882 --> 00:18:42.368
And at that point, I understood you couldn't speak English or French.

00:18:42.650 --> 00:18:45.496
So you're doing very well with your English.

00:18:45.536 --> 00:18:46.617
How's your French?

00:18:48.320 --> 00:18:50.445
It's better than my English now.

00:18:52.189 --> 00:18:53.151
That's good in France.

00:18:55.576 --> 00:18:59.845
So, yeah, as well as learning the music, you're having to learn lots of languages.

00:19:00.897 --> 00:19:01.618
Yes.

00:19:03.142 --> 00:19:07.689
Well, people often say there's a similarity between learning languages and learning music.

00:19:07.890 --> 00:19:09.192
Do you see a similarity?

00:19:09.752 --> 00:19:13.219
Yeah, I completely agree.

00:19:14.220 --> 00:19:19.769
Because it's like, for example, the phrase of jazz.

00:19:20.770 --> 00:19:24.336
It's like the sentence of when I say something.

00:19:25.185 --> 00:19:34.134
so yeah it's really similar to stay something and run the rengis and run some music yeah

00:19:34.776 --> 00:19:45.769
yeah so maybe it's helping your your music uh learning languages so yeah that's uh interesting so you're living in in paris now uh and you're based there yeah

00:19:46.090 --> 00:20:18.724
yes i live in paris but just six months ago i moved in dijon so actually we are home is in dijon but Anyway in Paris we have small room for stay because we are touring a lot so take the plane or take the train we need the place like a bus stop So in Paris, we have one small room.

00:20:19.465 --> 00:20:21.388
So I stay here now.

00:20:21.848 --> 00:20:22.329
Very nice.

00:20:22.971 --> 00:20:30.782
So with Anton, you have recorded an album in 2020, I think during the COVID pandemic, yes?

00:20:31.163 --> 00:20:32.945
Yes, during the pandemic, yes.

00:20:33.507 --> 00:20:35.951
Yeah, and this album is called Tangram.

00:20:37.553 --> 00:20:39.355
What does that name mean, Tangram?

00:20:39.896 --> 00:20:43.142
Yeah, it's a Chinese puzzle with seven pieces.

00:20:43.554 --> 00:20:48.943
So we can create whatever we want with it.

00:20:49.605 --> 00:20:49.905
Right.

00:20:49.925 --> 00:20:51.367
And is that the album cover?

00:20:51.387 --> 00:20:53.531
Because it's kind of like a puzzle on the album cover.

00:20:53.551 --> 00:20:55.615
Is that what the Tangram is on there?

00:20:56.317 --> 00:20:57.378
Yes, exactly.

00:20:57.419 --> 00:21:05.534
So in our album Tangram, we are seven musicians and we created our own from like puzzle.

00:21:05.890 --> 00:22:01.705
right great so yeah a really interesting album and listening to it ahead of talking to you and some really quite intense music on there and and a great setting for the harmonica where you're playing in some it's quite diverse the music you're playing you know different sorts of songs and again quite intense music in places so yeah some great use of the harmonica on there so So the song Melodia is a song which starts off quite slow and then melodic, but then it ramps up the intensity and the harmonica really comes in again at this intense level.

00:22:27.874 --> 00:22:30.817
That's an approach you were trying to get on the album,

00:22:30.837 --> 00:22:31.638
yeah?

00:22:31.838 --> 00:22:32.318
Yes.

00:22:32.980 --> 00:22:38.467
The advantage of harmonica is kind of dynamic.

00:22:39.188 --> 00:22:51.041
I mean, we can be so easily be intense than the other instrument because it is the closest instrument to human voice.

00:22:51.321 --> 00:22:56.449
So I can express various emotions with it.

00:22:56.769 --> 00:23:02.576
So it's really easy to be intense.

00:23:03.458 --> 00:23:04.500
Yeah, no, absolutely.

00:23:04.859 --> 00:23:09.626
But as you said earlier on, the chromatic maybe can sound a little thin.

00:23:09.707 --> 00:23:13.311
It's maybe not as powerful sounding in some ways as, say, the diatonic.

00:23:13.332 --> 00:23:25.650
So are you playing the chromatic quite hard to get that intensity out of it, or are you using maybe some effects to help with that, some effects pedals or anything like that?

00:23:26.145 --> 00:23:30.330
Yeah, I tried some pedals in this album.

00:23:31.352 --> 00:23:39.842
First, I tried to use a disto pedal in Radiohead's Exic Music.

00:23:40.623 --> 00:23:49.133
With this pedal, I can make my tone a little more powerful and a little more violin.

00:24:27.329 --> 00:24:30.494
And again, that is also very intense, yeah?

00:24:30.875 --> 00:24:36.064
Like you say, using effects on there, and you're really getting a lot of really interesting sounds out of the chromatic harmonica.

00:24:36.724 --> 00:24:43.895
Yeah, with Antoine, I tried so a lot of the effects.

00:24:44.636 --> 00:24:53.150
Because, you know, harmonica is an instrument that has quite limitations.

00:24:53.346 --> 00:25:32.096
and then there's a song called the waltz on you can dance um where there's lots lots going on on there lots of horns and guitar and lots of movements on that song so So can you tell us about that song?

00:25:33.337 --> 00:25:51.064
Yeah, this song, the idea about the brass, I play the trumpet, so I was sure it worked really good with harmonica and with brass.

00:25:51.365 --> 00:25:57.354
So I asked Antoine, maybe we can play...

00:25:57.761 --> 00:25:59.105
with brass players.

00:26:00.267 --> 00:26:00.528
But you

00:26:00.847 --> 00:26:02.652
didn't play trumpet yourself?

00:26:03.292 --> 00:26:10.728
No, it's not possible because I had to play harmonica on my own.

00:26:11.108 --> 00:26:15.317
I played in a big band for 2-3 years.

00:26:16.001 --> 00:26:22.273
So I know the kind of section and the feeling of the big band.

00:26:23.315 --> 00:26:28.223
So did you compose some of the album yourself with Anton and these songs that you've written?

00:26:29.246 --> 00:26:32.692
Yeah, I composed this album at the first.

00:26:32.952 --> 00:26:39.965
And after Anton, he put some rich harmony and...

00:26:40.321 --> 00:26:41.824
Yeah, let's work like this.

00:26:42.664 --> 00:26:43.205
Great, yeah.

00:26:43.286 --> 00:26:49.094
And so some of the songs are original songs and obviously there are some cover songs.

00:26:49.414 --> 00:26:51.518
So you do Blackbird by The Beatles.

00:26:52.519 --> 00:26:53.180
Ah, yes.

00:27:08.961 --> 00:27:09.021
Yes.

00:27:10.690 --> 00:27:24.588
That's a very well-known song and very beautifully played, a nice interpretation.

00:27:24.648 --> 00:27:27.412
So, yeah, tell us about the Blackbird song.

00:27:27.972 --> 00:27:31.157
Blackbird, because I think...

00:27:31.778 --> 00:27:38.128
But the song of the harmonica is like, it's really similar with bird sound.

00:27:38.589 --> 00:27:43.638
So I think it's really good with this song.

00:27:43.960 --> 00:27:46.344
And he really liked this song already.

00:27:46.364 --> 00:27:50.672
So we tried, yeah, we tried to record.

00:27:50.692 --> 00:27:53.917
And of course, Toots Tillmans plays Bye Bye Blackbird.

00:28:09.922 --> 00:28:11.009
Do you also play that song?

00:28:11.712 --> 00:28:13.463
Oh yeah, I really like that.

00:28:13.905 --> 00:28:15.556
In 20...

00:28:15.970 --> 00:28:16.871
18, maybe?

00:28:17.371 --> 00:28:21.154
In Seoul, there is International Harmonica Festival.

00:28:22.256 --> 00:28:24.458
Jens Brunier, you know Jens Brunier?

00:28:24.798 --> 00:28:24.999
Yeah.

00:28:25.519 --> 00:28:29.063
He was there, and we played together this song.

00:28:30.584 --> 00:28:44.416
As well as having, like you say, seven members of the band on the album, you also do just some duets with Antonin Guitart, such as Imaginer, so a much more gentle duet with Guitart, which is a nice contrast.

00:28:45.346 --> 00:29:35.387
Ah, yes, as you know, when we play a lot of people together, we don't have to be really aware, how I can say, I mean, if we are just a duo right if we play just a duo for example me and antoine guitar and harmonica we have to be really conscious and of course the sound can be more sensitive and yeah more Yeah, right.

00:29:35.688 --> 00:29:36.249
Yeah, it's nice.

00:29:36.269 --> 00:29:40.654
But again, a nice contrast to some of the other more forceful songs on the album.

00:29:40.694 --> 00:29:41.435
So that's great.

00:29:41.497 --> 00:29:45.082
And you also do a classical piece, the Vols L.

00:29:59.922 --> 00:30:02.164
So yeah, you get some classical music on there too.

00:30:02.849 --> 00:30:03.992
Mm-hmm.

00:30:04.012 --> 00:30:11.550
Because I started classical music by my mother, so I know classical pieces a little.

00:30:11.791 --> 00:30:17.385
And Antoine, he studied a lot of classical music.

00:30:17.486 --> 00:30:20.733
So yeah, we play this song.

00:30:20.993 --> 00:30:25.923
So when you're playing classical music on the harmonica, are you reading them from music scores?

00:30:25.962 --> 00:30:28.247
Do you still read a lot when you're playing?

00:30:29.670 --> 00:30:30.290
Now, no.

00:30:31.373 --> 00:30:37.565
Now I'm just focusing on the world music, kinds of jazz like this.

00:30:39.041 --> 00:30:45.609
and um there's a song on there called mother to the world uh yeah is that you singing on there

00:30:46.211 --> 00:31:04.574
yes because i studied improvisation free in paris actually during two years yeah yeah

00:31:05.730 --> 00:31:10.397
Thank you

00:31:20.481 --> 00:31:30.094
Right, so that is a Tangram album, which again is really interesting and they're very varied and you're getting all sorts of different varied sounds out of the chromatic, as we've said.

00:31:30.173 --> 00:31:33.597
So it's really interesting and some really interesting playing on there.

00:31:34.138 --> 00:31:34.638
Thank you.

00:31:34.679 --> 00:31:37.482
Well done on that album with Anton.

00:31:37.782 --> 00:31:44.111
And I think you're planning on putting together another album with Anton.

00:31:44.751 --> 00:31:46.153
Are you in the near future?

00:31:47.154 --> 00:31:49.277
Yes, we are...

00:31:49.890 --> 00:32:09.134
going to recording new duo album now it's not the band we just trying to record our own duo album yes This year we will record, and next year it will be released.

00:32:09.594 --> 00:32:13.338
Great, and what sort of music genres will be on that one?

00:32:13.378 --> 00:32:19.007
Will it be different music genres again, or because it's a duo, it will be more jazz?

00:32:19.406 --> 00:32:24.634
It's a mix of our own composition and some popular songs, so it's similar.

00:32:25.015 --> 00:32:32.845
We are going to record beautiful songs that are easy to listen to, but can be immersed in.

00:32:33.665 --> 00:32:36.471
Any more singing from you on that Euray?

00:32:36.951 --> 00:32:37.332
Singing?

00:32:38.433 --> 00:32:38.994
Not really.

00:32:39.015 --> 00:32:41.199
No, not really.

00:32:41.219 --> 00:32:43.844
I do love to, yeah.

00:32:44.545 --> 00:32:48.172
And also, there's some songs which don't have harmonica on.

00:32:48.231 --> 00:32:52.118
Obviously, there's some guitar, but do you play any other instruments on the album?

00:32:53.079 --> 00:32:58.589
No, I just, yeah, I just play harmonica, yeah.

00:33:06.433 --> 00:33:06.846
Okay.

00:33:12.577 --> 00:33:14.019
Hey, what's happening, y'all?

00:33:14.038 --> 00:33:20.845
Jason Ritchie from Blue Moon Harmonicas, and I'm here to tell you that Blue Moon Harmonicas are the way.

00:33:21.306 --> 00:33:24.347
You can customize them yourself, or you can get Tom to do them.

00:33:24.647 --> 00:33:26.349
The website is a rabbit hole.

00:33:26.410 --> 00:33:46.069
We're talking about custom combs, custom cover plates, throwbacks, refurbished pre-wars, double reed plates, anything you can imagine, aluminum, ABS, plastic, phenolic resin, wood, any kind of comb you want, any kind of Then you

00:33:47.392 --> 00:34:00.292
do have another release out, which is called Utopia, which is an EP, which has got six songs on, with a pianist called Mia, who I think is one of your friends from Korea, university friends.

00:34:00.313 --> 00:34:02.296
Yeah, my university friends.

00:34:03.478 --> 00:34:07.805
Thirteen years ago, we met in university in Korea.

00:34:08.545 --> 00:34:14.467
We put this album, pop and jazz with some Korean atmosphere.

00:34:14.945 --> 00:34:16.306
What year is this album from?

00:34:16.606 --> 00:34:17.507
Just last year.

00:34:17.969 --> 00:34:20.150
Yeah, last December, yeah.

00:34:20.630 --> 00:34:22.693
Yeah, so this is a more recent album.

00:34:23.092 --> 00:34:25.976
And so it's just you and piano, yeah?

00:34:25.996 --> 00:34:27.697
Yeah, it's just a duo album.

00:34:28.358 --> 00:34:30.699
She still lives in Korea, Mia, does she?

00:34:30.840 --> 00:34:35.184
Yeah, she lives in Korea, but she really loves Paris.

00:34:35.543 --> 00:34:41.648
So she wants to come to Paris really often.

00:34:42.250 --> 00:34:42.469
Yeah.

00:34:42.750 --> 00:34:44.911
There is one song with a...

00:34:44.911 --> 00:35:10.063
Yes, actually it's

00:35:13.208 --> 00:35:14.710
called Utopia.

00:35:15.106 --> 00:35:24.771
As we know, utopia means we can't reach it, but e-utopia is an ideal society that we can actually realize.

00:35:24.791 --> 00:35:31.588
So we put our thought on e-utopia in this album, in this song.

00:35:32.673 --> 00:35:32.974
Great.

00:35:33.034 --> 00:35:34.757
And who's playing the classical guitar?

00:35:34.956 --> 00:35:36.039
It's not Anton.

00:35:36.780 --> 00:35:39.503
Ah, yeah, of course it's Anton.

00:35:39.744 --> 00:35:42.208
And yeah, it is Anton.

00:35:42.309 --> 00:35:45.813
And there is contrabassist and violinist.

00:35:46.114 --> 00:35:46.315
Yeah.

00:35:46.635 --> 00:35:46.896
Right.

00:35:46.956 --> 00:35:47.155
Yeah.

00:35:47.335 --> 00:35:47.597
Great.

00:35:47.637 --> 00:35:50.420
So yeah, I've got some other musicians on that song.

00:35:50.460 --> 00:35:50.661
Yeah.

00:35:51.001 --> 00:35:53.846
But the other songs are duo with the piano.

00:35:54.266 --> 00:35:58.373
Yes, mainly just piano and chromatic harmonica.

00:35:58.393 --> 00:35:58.514
Yes.

00:35:58.945 --> 00:36:06.438
And there's a nice video of 7am of you playing the song with Mia on YouTube that people can find.

00:36:06.518 --> 00:36:08.963
I'll put a link onto that onto the podcast page.

00:36:09.083 --> 00:36:09.324
So...

00:36:28.353 --> 00:36:30.036
What is that 7 a.m.

00:36:30.056 --> 00:36:30.717
song about?

00:36:31.518 --> 00:36:33.019
Yeah, 7 a.m.

00:36:33.800 --> 00:36:41.150
is about the morning when I wake up in the morning at 7 a.m.

00:36:41.911 --> 00:36:54.688
But you didn't sleep well because in your head there is some thoughts and worries everywhere in your head, so...

00:36:55.425 --> 00:37:11.625
you couldn't sleep well so you just lay down on the on the bed and after you you wake up at 7am, so that's why the title is 7am.

00:37:11.704 --> 00:37:28.505
Another song you did on the album is the song Alone, which is a sort of slow and mournful song, and that's with Mia on piano, yeah?

00:37:28.525 --> 00:37:28.606
Yeah.

00:37:36.673 --> 00:37:48.731
Yes, it is Mia who composed this song.

00:37:49.572 --> 00:37:51.056
She is a really good composer.

00:37:51.777 --> 00:37:55.442
With harmonica, it's really good.

00:37:57.184 --> 00:38:00.369
It's kind of a classical song and I really love it.

00:38:00.898 --> 00:38:05.402
And the chromatic harmonica and the piano, I always think, go so well together, don't they?

00:38:05.523 --> 00:38:08.766
Yeah, yeah, usually it really goes well.

00:38:09.907 --> 00:38:12.371
Yeah, they're sort of similar voicing, aren't they, I think.

00:38:12.710 --> 00:38:17.115
And then we have Breeze, which is a much faster song on the album.

00:38:17.396 --> 00:38:21.360
Yeah, it's the fastest song in this album.

00:38:21.380 --> 00:38:22.202
It's like samba.

00:38:22.621 --> 00:38:25.465
But we didn't improve.

00:38:25.565 --> 00:38:27.927
We don't improve in this song.

00:38:28.128 --> 00:38:29.630
We just fix it.

00:38:29.858 --> 00:38:47.902
every note and yeah we played like this so

00:38:59.425 --> 00:39:00.467
Excellent stuff, yeah.

00:39:00.547 --> 00:39:03.110
So, some good recording there with Mia.

00:39:03.210 --> 00:39:10.760
So, you also, earlier on, I think, did a recording with another pianist in Korea called Seung Hang Lee.

00:39:10.800 --> 00:39:13.742
You've got a recording on YouTube called Romantic Song.

00:39:14.864 --> 00:39:17.867
Yeah, I think it was 2014.

00:39:18.047 --> 00:39:25.777
Yeah, it's a long time ago when I lived in Korea.

00:39:26.561 --> 00:39:31.469
Yeah, with her I recorded, we recorded her album, her own album.

00:39:32.331 --> 00:39:34.914
So was that your first album you recorded with Sun Hang?

00:39:35.496 --> 00:39:38.340
Yeah, first jazz album, I think.

00:39:51.501 --> 00:39:51.581
Yeah.

00:40:05.570 --> 00:40:16.907
And after Romantic Song with Anton, we really love this song, so we will re-record this song in our new duo album.

00:40:17.889 --> 00:40:22.054
Other videos you've got on YouTube, you've got a good active YouTube channel.

00:40:22.096 --> 00:40:26.302
You've also got the Oasis song, Don't Look Back in Anger.

00:40:45.409 --> 00:40:46.871
So that's a pop song.

00:40:46.911 --> 00:40:48.755
Yes, you like to record some pop songs too.

00:40:49.456 --> 00:40:56.648
Yeah, I really like to play popular songs with harmonica.

00:40:56.708 --> 00:41:06.023
Already harmonica tone is quite special, so with popular song, harmonica, it really goes well.

00:41:07.246 --> 00:41:12.173
Yeah, so do you approach playing a pop song differently than you do, say, a jazz song?

00:41:13.025 --> 00:41:28.079
yes I like jazz song but sometimes I feel a little difficult to listen and play also so I try to play popular song and K-pop and every kind of song yeah

00:41:28.239 --> 00:41:39.009
yeah great and you may have heard that Oasis have just announced that they're doing a tour together after being split up for a number of years so maybe they'll call on you to play some harmonica with them

00:41:39.688 --> 00:41:43.860
yeah I hope I really I'd love you'll

00:41:43.880 --> 00:42:17.364
have to send them a recording of Don't Look Back in Anger I have had Mark Felton previously on the podcast and he did record some songs and played some live gigs over Oasis so he might get the call first but yeah Okay You also have a blog of you doing a European tour with Anton called Fast Jazz Euro Tour so that's a travel diary with you playing and travelling around with Anton around Europe yeah

00:42:17.804 --> 00:42:45.918
yeah I usually I like to try something new and I'm touring a lot with Antoine so I just thought that yeah maybe I can film what I interest my life this kind of vlog so I can show my life and yeah but it was just two episodes and just I tried and then it finished

00:42:46.242 --> 00:42:54.728
It's good, it's very interesting and it's quite short as well so it's quite a nice way to get a flavour of what it's like touring around and doing some concerts.

00:42:54.768 --> 00:42:55.710
Yeah, it's an interesting watch.

00:42:55.750 --> 00:43:00.434
I'll put the link to the podcast page onto that video.

00:43:01.554 --> 00:43:12.864
Looking into how you learnt when you were younger, I saw that when you were learning jazz you used lots of trumpet and saxophone tuition books to learn to play on the chromatic harmonica, jazz on the chromatic harmonica.

00:43:13.244 --> 00:43:13.646
Yeah.

00:43:14.186 --> 00:43:18.331
Yeah, that's something you needed because the wasn't too much material for the harmonica

00:43:18.893 --> 00:43:41.351
it's true yeah there are no lot of things for harmonica player for jazz so i learned about jazz a lot from charlie parker omni book for example yeah there is so many education books for saxophonist and trumpetist I learned a lot from this.

00:43:41.992 --> 00:43:46.036
Yeah, yeah, definitely learned that jazz language from the Charlie Parker Omnibook.

00:43:46.496 --> 00:43:49.418
So did you learn to play Donnelly on the chromatic harmonica?

00:43:50.059 --> 00:44:01.148
Yeah, I transcribed, you know, the solos of Charlie Parker's and yeah, B-bar and hard bar, but it's not my things, I think.

00:44:02.730 --> 00:44:05.411
Yeah, certainly a challenge transcribing Charlie Parker.

00:44:05.431 --> 00:44:09.615
So yeah, you know, he plays a lot of notes very fast.

00:44:09.615 --> 00:44:10.777
So, yeah.

00:44:12.099 --> 00:44:12.760
Yeah, amazing.

00:44:12.981 --> 00:44:16.847
And your teacher at university, he was a saxophone player, I think, wasn't he?

00:44:17.128 --> 00:44:20.032
Yeah, I was saxophone teacher.

00:44:21.195 --> 00:44:25.222
So, he just gave me the advice, but he don't know.

00:44:25.634 --> 00:44:28.201
really don't know about harmonica.

00:44:28.221 --> 00:44:31.650
And at that time, I was a trumpet player.

00:44:32.072 --> 00:44:34.980
In major, I played trumpet.

00:44:35.702 --> 00:44:41.056
Anyway, it doesn't matter about the instrument.

00:44:41.474 --> 00:44:47.483
If you want to learn jazz language, we can just accept every method.

00:44:47.965 --> 00:44:56.318
So, talking about your appearances at different festivals, you played in the festival there in Korea.

00:44:56.380 --> 00:44:57.561
Tell us about that.

00:44:57.954 --> 00:45:01.719
and festivals our harmonica festival i guess

00:45:02.260 --> 00:45:02.460
yeah

00:45:02.880 --> 00:45:23.568
it was 2018 i think i met there i participated in solo part in jazz and maybe i got third prize there and the jury was Antonio Serrano and Mare

00:45:24.481 --> 00:45:25.262
Gregoire Moray.

00:45:25.983 --> 00:45:28.905
Yes, Gregoire Moray.

00:45:29.266 --> 00:45:38.873
Yes, so I met them and I am really fan of them, so I asked to take the photo with them.

00:45:38.914 --> 00:45:40.536
Yeah, I remember that.

00:45:41.577 --> 00:45:42.737
Yeah, two great judges.

00:45:42.777 --> 00:45:44.139
Yeah, fantastic.

00:45:44.760 --> 00:45:52.786
And you played some gigs in some interesting foreign countries, so you played a big gig in India to a huge audience.

00:45:53.327 --> 00:45:56.590
Yeah, it was really huge festival in India.

00:45:56.630 --> 00:45:59.193
It's one of the huge festival in India.

00:45:59.735 --> 00:46:02.818
There were more than 500,000 people.

00:46:02.858 --> 00:46:05.601
So the energy.

00:46:05.882 --> 00:46:06.943
Wow, in the crowds.

00:46:07.143 --> 00:46:09.327
Yeah, it was huge.

00:46:09.907 --> 00:46:13.052
So the energy I felt there was incredible, yeah.

00:46:13.612 --> 00:46:15.414
So how did you get that gig in India?

00:46:15.956 --> 00:46:20.300
Because I've been doing the yoga two, three years.

00:46:21.025 --> 00:46:54.757
ago so we know some guru the name is sadguru and he created foundation of yoga is called isha center so we we went with antoine and we went to isha center several times and after we meet the group of isha so the code is sound of isha So we met this musician from India and we know each other after they invite us for the festival.

00:46:55.398 --> 00:46:55.699
Nice.

00:46:55.739 --> 00:46:57.621
So doing yoga got you a gig.

00:46:57.661 --> 00:46:58.463
That's good to hear.

00:46:58.923 --> 00:47:00.686
Yeah.

00:47:00.706 --> 00:47:01.788
I do some yoga myself.

00:47:01.807 --> 00:47:03.028
I haven't got any gigs out of it yet.

00:47:03.048 --> 00:47:04.831
I'll have to try that.

00:47:05.132 --> 00:47:07.876
Yeah, it's a good way.

00:47:09.570 --> 00:47:13.853
And do you do any teaching of the harmonica at all yourself?

00:47:14.253 --> 00:47:29.146
Yeah, when I was 20 years or 20, 25, I gave a lot of lessons, but now I'm just focusing on to be a performer now.

00:47:29.788 --> 00:47:35.112
So a question I ask each time, Yoriz, if you had 10 minutes to practice, what would you spend those 10 minutes doing?

00:47:35.693 --> 00:47:40.817
If I have 10 minutes to practice, I practice the song I'm going to play.

00:47:41.498 --> 00:47:55.592
The things I need to remember in detail, the melody of the song to be played at the upcoming concert, or the chord changes that I was confused about, or the section.

00:47:56.653 --> 00:48:00.157
Yeah, sure, yeah, so you're focusing on the difficult parts of the songs, yeah.

00:48:00.778 --> 00:48:07.065
And what about if you haven't got a, you know, songs to learn for a gig or an album?

00:48:07.809 --> 00:48:12.396
Usually I practice the song while I feel it is beautiful.

00:48:12.416 --> 00:48:19.005
So I choose the tune that I thought it is beautiful.

00:48:19.666 --> 00:48:30.981
For example, recently I transcribed the song, our Spanish love song from Charlie Hayden.

00:48:31.489 --> 00:48:38.298
And I transcribed the solo of Pat Metheny in this tune.

00:48:39.239 --> 00:48:44.286
And I repeat over and over, over and over in my head, and yeah.

00:48:45.168 --> 00:48:52.458
And it's really good to learn completely different language from the other solo.

00:48:53.346 --> 00:48:57.077
Yeah, and from different instruments like guitar and from Pat Metheny, yeah.

00:48:57.659 --> 00:49:00.911
Yeah, guitar and piano and every whatever.

00:49:02.530 --> 00:49:03.190
Great stuff.

00:49:03.210 --> 00:49:07.556
Yeah, so we'll get into the last section now and talk about the gear that you use.

00:49:07.637 --> 00:49:14.586
So I understand you like to use a Hohner Super 64 as a 16-hole four-octave chromatics.

00:49:15.708 --> 00:49:15.827
Mm-hmm.

00:49:15.847 --> 00:49:27.425
I prefer Hohner Super X64 black model, and I enjoy playing also Super 64X performance because it has really natural sound for me.

00:49:28.045 --> 00:49:35.876
Maybe some people could say it's too tough, compared to the other models, but I'm so used to this model.

00:49:36.717 --> 00:49:39.740
So, have you always played 16-hole chromatics?

00:49:41.163 --> 00:49:48.052
Because, as you know, in harmonica, there is a little bit of a limit.

00:49:48.413 --> 00:49:58.005
So, for accompaniment, for example, for me, I usually work with guitarist Antoine.

00:49:58.447 --> 00:50:05.793
So, when he wants to Doing solo, I should do the accompaniment.

00:50:06.373 --> 00:50:11.943
Yeah, I really like to play 16th chorus harmonic.

00:50:12.664 --> 00:50:15.509
Yeah, to get the low notes for the accompaniment.

00:50:15.568 --> 00:50:16.590
Yeah, makes sense.

00:50:17.110 --> 00:50:23.460
And you're playing what, bass lines in the bottom octave and all the sort of chord arpeggios and things like that?

00:50:24.483 --> 00:50:26.525
Yeah, I try, yeah.

00:50:26.657 --> 00:50:43.393
I try bass line or some line, not only bass, but also some includes, yeah, some plays that I feel interested, yeah.

00:50:44.074 --> 00:50:47.418
And so you don't play any diatonic harmonica at all?

00:50:48.139 --> 00:50:48.960
No, not at all.

00:50:50.221 --> 00:50:51.581
I'd like to try, yeah.

00:50:52.623 --> 00:50:55.025
And do you still play any tremolo harmonica?

00:50:55.521 --> 00:50:56.844
No.

00:50:58.204 --> 00:51:03.371
I don't know why, but there's no opportunity to play tremolo.

00:51:04.032 --> 00:51:08.177
And what about the orchestral harmonicas, such as a bass and chord harmonicas?

00:51:09.219 --> 00:51:17.849
Yeah, I played a bass and chord harmonica, but I think my personality is still more about the list.

00:51:18.429 --> 00:51:18.670
So...

00:51:25.474 --> 00:51:44.717
And do you play the chromatic just in the key of C?

00:51:45.940 --> 00:51:46.880
Yeah, just C.

00:51:48.342 --> 00:52:01.864
Because if you have every tonality, I mean every scale, to have keys in your head, just to see chromatic harmonica is really practical to play.

00:52:02.465 --> 00:52:05.869
Yeah, you know where you are if the notes are all in the same place.

00:52:07.771 --> 00:52:13.237
Yes, do you do any repair or maintenance on your chromatico monicas?

00:52:13.878 --> 00:52:31.438
Yeah, I learned a little bit about repair, but I'm not a professional, so I can raise or lower the note a little bit, and I can change the reed, but yeah, I do myself when I'm in a hurry, when I'm touring, but...

00:52:31.969 --> 00:52:38.295
usually send, if I have time, I usually send it to the expert to repair.

00:52:38.956 --> 00:52:42.260
And which expert do you use to repair your harmonicas?

00:52:42.800 --> 00:52:47.244
Oh, I usually send Michel, who is an expert in France.

00:52:48.085 --> 00:52:48.266
Yeah.

00:52:49.226 --> 00:52:51.789
And what embouchure do you like to use?

00:52:51.969 --> 00:52:53.311
Are you puckering, tongue-blocking?

00:52:53.951 --> 00:52:54.791
Yeah, tongue-blocking.

00:52:55.032 --> 00:52:56.594
I use always tongue-blocking.

00:52:57.875 --> 00:53:00.818
Because, yeah, I feel...

00:53:01.409 --> 00:53:06.557
It makes me feel a stable feeling and give a rich tone, I feel.

00:53:06.838 --> 00:53:11.005
And when I use tongue blocking, I feel it's my own tone.

00:53:11.525 --> 00:53:15.150
What about applying vibrato to the chromatic harmonica?

00:53:15.170 --> 00:53:15.891
How do you do that?

00:53:15.931 --> 00:53:15.952
I

00:53:15.972 --> 00:53:19.797
use my hands usually.

00:53:19.838 --> 00:53:30.152
As I use tongue blocking, I play usually with microphone.

00:53:30.722 --> 00:53:37.929
In my hands, so if I do the vibration with hands, there is limit.

00:53:38.210 --> 00:53:46.277
So when I can't use my hand, I use my tongue and my neck muscles.

00:53:47.179 --> 00:53:48.679
And so you mentioned your microphone there.

00:53:48.719 --> 00:53:50.422
What microphone do you like to use?

00:53:52.244 --> 00:53:58.429
I use the Beyer Dynamic M 80A microphone.

00:53:58.594 --> 00:54:00.396
Do you use any amplifiers at all?

00:54:01.036 --> 00:54:02.478
No, I don't use amp.

00:54:03.318 --> 00:54:04.119
Go through the PA.

00:54:04.179 --> 00:54:12.108
Yeah, so each concert hall has a different amplifier, so I usually adapt to the sound of the concert place.

00:54:13.170 --> 00:54:19.197
And do you use any effects on the PA at all, like some reverb or anything like that?

00:54:20.036 --> 00:54:23.961
Yeah, I use Line 6 HX Stomp.

00:54:24.514 --> 00:54:30.043
In this pedal, I put the reverb, harmony, and disto programs.

00:54:30.063 --> 00:54:32.085
Actually, you can put what you want.

00:54:32.807 --> 00:54:35.431
Yeah, okay, so you use a Line 6 pedal, yeah, to go

00:54:35.592 --> 00:54:35.731
through.

00:54:35.751 --> 00:54:37.315
Yeah, it's really efficient.

00:54:37.896 --> 00:54:41.300
Yeah, nice and small and does lots of things, doesn't it?

00:54:41.320 --> 00:54:45.427
I had a Line 6 a long time ago, but it's been a long time since I used one, but yeah.

00:54:46.088 --> 00:54:46.590
Ah, okay.

00:54:46.818 --> 00:54:47.278
Oh, great.

00:54:47.338 --> 00:54:47.880
Okay, great.

00:54:47.900 --> 00:54:52.429
So yeah, so you use a little, like you say, a little reverb there and a couple of other things.

00:54:53.291 --> 00:55:00.023
Yeah, when I play a ballad song, kind of ballad, I need really long reverb.

00:55:00.965 --> 00:55:03.811
Okay,

00:55:03.831 --> 00:55:06.797
so you vary the effects a little for different songs.

00:55:07.521 --> 00:55:08.523
yes

00:55:09.083 --> 00:55:20.181
okay then so just about your future plans about what you've got coming up you've already mentioned you've got uh you're going to record an album with uh with anton what this year so um yeah where is that going to be recorded it

00:55:21.083 --> 00:55:32.440
will be at home actually because we we have already what we need so there's mike

00:55:32.802 --> 00:55:32.862
and

00:55:33.186 --> 00:55:36.590
Every amp and light, everything.

00:55:36.650 --> 00:55:41.896
So we just try to record at home in Dijon.

00:55:42.536 --> 00:55:42.918
Nice.

00:55:42.938 --> 00:55:46.141
Well, it's nice to be at home and have all that time at home to do it.

00:55:46.202 --> 00:55:47.242
So yes.

00:55:48.925 --> 00:55:53.811
Is this a mixture of your own compositions and other songs, cover songs?

00:55:54.592 --> 00:55:57.235
Yeah, it's going to record a duo album.

00:55:58.356 --> 00:56:02.322
It's a mix of our own compositions and some popular songs.

00:56:03.010 --> 00:56:05.494
that go well with harmonica and guitar.

00:56:06.197 --> 00:56:06.838
Marvelous, yeah.

00:56:07.139 --> 00:56:08.661
And when do you think that'll be released?

00:56:09.543 --> 00:56:12.929
It will be next year, summer, I think.

00:56:13.291 --> 00:56:14.052
Before summer,

00:56:15.114 --> 00:56:15.195
yeah.

00:56:15.215 --> 00:56:15.916
Great stuff, yeah.

00:56:15.936 --> 00:56:16.998
I look forward to hearing that.

00:56:17.599 --> 00:56:19.182
And what else have you got planned?

00:56:19.202 --> 00:56:20.206
Are you doing some touring?

00:56:20.610 --> 00:56:23.914
yeah we are going to australia tomorrow we

00:56:23.934 --> 00:56:24.255
tomorrow

00:56:24.875 --> 00:56:33.967
yeah tomorrow so we have two duo concerts there in adelaide and then we are going to have a couple of tours this year

00:56:34.527 --> 00:56:39.494
yeah fantastic so um you're going uh well i think you're going back to korea at some point is that this year

00:56:39.534 --> 00:56:48.565
in december we will go to korea and meet my family and we will be doing concert and workshop there

00:56:49.090 --> 00:56:50.972
you'll be giving a harmonica workshop, will you?

00:56:51.012 --> 00:56:56.240
Yes, harmonica and with improvisation free, what I

00:56:56.601 --> 00:56:58.063
learned in Paris.

00:56:58.784 --> 00:56:59.405
Nice, yeah.

00:56:59.445 --> 00:57:02.751
So hopefully you'll be encouraging some more Korean harmonica players.

00:57:03.612 --> 00:57:04.393
I hope, yeah.

00:57:04.813 --> 00:57:05.235
I'd love to.

00:57:06.036 --> 00:57:09.380
And maybe some more female Korean harmonica players.

00:57:09.922 --> 00:57:10.824
Yes, it's true.

00:57:11.485 --> 00:57:13.186
There are really, yeah.

00:57:13.887 --> 00:57:16.032
There's not enough female harmonica players.

00:57:16.431 --> 00:57:17.273
Why do you think that is?

00:57:17.985 --> 00:57:29.688
But you know, in every instrument, professional player, I think female player is less than...

00:57:30.409 --> 00:57:31.050
The men, yeah.

00:57:31.632 --> 00:57:36.702
Yeah, it's not just only harmonica player, I think.

00:57:37.057 --> 00:57:45.847
No, although you do get some wonderful musicians, female musicians on the other instruments, and obviously you get some wonderful harmonica players too, but there seem to be more women in the other ones.

00:57:46.329 --> 00:57:50.554
Okay, yeah, so, well, have a great time traveling to Australia tomorrow.

00:57:50.574 --> 00:57:52.376
I hope that's not too tiring a trip for you.

00:57:53.436 --> 00:57:56.380
So, yeah, it's been great to speak to you, Yura Kim.

00:57:56.721 --> 00:57:57.561
Thank you, Nir.

00:57:57.922 --> 00:58:00.545
Thank you so much for inviting me.

00:58:00.833 --> 00:58:03.536
Once again, thanks to Zydle for sponsoring the podcast.

00:58:03.817 --> 00:58:13.708
Be sure to check out their great range of harmonicas and products at www.zydle1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at Zydle Harmonicas.

00:58:14.429 --> 00:58:16.132
Thanks to Yore for joining me today.

00:58:16.172 --> 00:58:18.755
She's doing some really interesting work on the chromatic.

00:58:19.496 --> 00:58:24.320
Be sure to check out her tour in 2025 with Ace Guitare's husband, Anton Boye.

00:58:25.242 --> 00:58:28.306
And check out the links on the podcast page for more info on Yore.

00:58:28.833 --> 00:58:32.318
Also thanks to Richard Yems for the donation to the podcast.

00:58:33.059 --> 00:58:39.989
The next episode will be a retrospective, where I will have some expert guests discuss one of the great players who is no longer with us.

00:58:40.771 --> 00:58:42.353
This will be out in a couple of weeks' time.

00:58:43.295 --> 00:58:47.501
I'll sign out now with Yore playing us another track from her Tangram album.

00:58:47.780 --> 00:58:49.724
This one is called After the Storm.

00:58:49.744 --> 00:58:51.326
After the Storm

00:58:58.177 --> 00:59:15.230
me me