Updated: June 8, 2024
Born: August 28, 1984
Hailing from South Korea, Song Yi Jeon is a singer and composer who deftly combines modern jazz harmony and odd time signatures with singable melodies that instantly catch the ear of the listener.
She studied classical composition at the University of Music and Fine Art in Graz, Austria, and Jazz vocals at the Music Academy in Basel, Switzerland and Berklee College of Music in Boston, in the US where she developed her unique sound. Through her background in classical composition, she uses her understanding of harmonic structure to create incomparable improvisations.
In 2013, as the inaugural Quincy Jones CJ&E fellow, she studied at the Berklee College of Music where she was also awarded the Billboard Endowed Award.
Song Yi made her Blue Note debut in New York to great acclaim for her mini album release in early 2015, and in 2018 she released her first album Movement of Lives with her Quintet, featuring Vitor Goncalves, Kenji Herbert, Peter Slavov, Jongkuk Kim and Rogerio Boccato. Release concert was held at the Jazz Gallery NYC. In November 2022, Song Yi released her duo album HOME with a Brazilian guitarist Vinicius Gomes by the label of Dave Douglas’ Greenleaf Music, and received rating of 4.5 by the Downbeat Magazine. Recently Song Yi released an album Solitary Bloom in trio with a Brazilian drummer Pauo Almeida and Italian pianist Lorenzo Vitolo.
Song Yi has played at many clubs/festivals including Blue Note NY, the Jazz Gallery NYC, the Falcon, Bimhuis Amsterdam, Opus Budapest, Moods Zürich, Bird’s Eye Jazz club Basel, Jarasum Jazz Festival in Korea, European Jazz Fest in Korea, Offbeat Jazzfestival Basel, and more. She performed with many illustrious colleagues including Guillermo Klein, Bill McHenry, Jeff Ballard, Vadim Neselovskyi, George Garzone, Tiger Okoshi, Alain Mallet, Peter Slavov, Billy Drewes, Simon Shaheen, and many more.
After she moved to Switzerland, she participated in an emerging artist program called “FOCUSYEAR” at the Basel Jazzcampus, performed with Wolfgang Muthspiel, Ambrose Akinmusire, Billy Childs, Ambrose Akinmusire, Julian Lage, Django Bates, John Hollenback, Guillermo Klein, Norma Winstone and more.
Song Yi was recently selected to be part of Rolex Arts Initiative Mentor & Protége 23-24, and as a Music Protégé she will be working closely with five-time Grammy Winner Ms Dianne Reeves.
Awards
- Rolex Arts Initiative Mentor & Protégé 2023-24 working with Dianne Reeves
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Song Yi Jeon is a vocalist from South Korea whose voice and music can be as ethereal as ectoplasm or as penetrating as a laser. She recalls the mystical flexibility of Sheila Jordan and the raucous improvisations of Patty Waters in her sound but comes up with her own brand of hypnotic beauty. On this CD, only two songs have lyrics--the opening track, the standard “Invitation," and the closing track, a Korean folk song. On the rest, Jeon ...
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“This is an amazing duo with a beautiful chemistry and musicality. The music is fresh and flows naturally like a river full of great surprises.” — Lionel Loueke
“This duo plays very engaging music; it is joyous, infectious and demands a lot of technique from both artists. Great guitar playing and vocal flexibility of the highest order!” — Norma Winstone
Reviews
“Home... glows from within and impresses on multiple levels. A powerful empathic link binds[Song Yi Jeon and Vinicius Gomes] as they explore a near-perfect example of a duet project." - Josef Woodard from Downbeat Magazine Rate 4.5!!!
Dianne Reeves
vocals
Luciana Souza
vocals
Betty Carter
vocals
Billy Childs
piano
Avishai Cohen
bass
Fred Hersch
piano
Brad Mehldau
piano
Guillermo Klein
piano
