WoongSan

Woong San
Birth name	Kim Eun Young
Born	April 18, 1973 South Korea
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, bandleader, Teacher, Actress, Vocalist, Sing-a-song writer
Years active	1996~Present
Website	www.woongsanjazz.com

WoongSan (born Kim Eun Young) is an award-winning South Korean musician, actress and TV show host.^[1] She has been a leading figure in the jazz music scene in Korea and Japan for over a decade, having performed live over 500 times since her 1998 Japanese debut. She is the first Korean-born musician to perform at New York City’s historic Blue Note Jazz Club and has collaborated with many other well-known jazz musicians including Benny Green, Lonnie Plaxico, Rodney Green, Conrad Herwig and Suzuki Hisatsugu. She is also well known for training Ali (South Korean singer), a popular K-pop singer.

Biography

When she was 18, WoongSan spent a year and a half at a Buddhist temple in the Korean countryside. During her training she had a powerful realization: her calling in life was music.^[2] Initially she played in a college rock band, but after a friend played her a Billie Holiday record, she began to dedicate herself to jazz. She spent several years performing as a solo artist then released her first album accompanied by a jazz ensemble in 1996. By the end of 1998 she was a recognizable figure in both Korea and Japan, and since then, she has released six albums, garnered numerous awards and critical acclaim, and continues to tour prolifically. She has also written many songs for films.

Last year, she proved her career was an ongoing path as a music performer on the stage collaborated with Lee Ritenour.^[3]

Style

WoongSan's style is a distinctive blend of jazz, blues, Latin and funk style. Her mid-low voice does not span as much tonal ground as other famous singers, but what she lacks in range she more than makes up for in creativity and malleability.^[4] As an independent lyricist, Woong San has penned powerful ballads, cozy love numbers and everything in between. Buddhism has played a prominent role in her life, and it shines through in her songwriting: she often explores the themes of freedom, mindfulness and the beauty of change in her songs. Her work has been described as “soulful, fearless, sultry.”

Albums

Year	Title	Details	Track listing
2004	Love Letters	1st album released both in Korea and Japan	Track listing  I Want To Be Happy Love Letters My Funny Valentine Misty Blue Fever Cry Me A River The Man I Love Superstition Once Upon a Summertime It's All Right With Me Please Send Me Someone To Love
2005	The Blues	the 2nd album in Korea	Track listing  Call Me Revolves,but back to beginning...(돈다, 그래도 제자리...) W-O-M-E-N I'd Rather Go Blind Drunk (취하다) Life(삶) Fine and Mellow Cheongryang Lee Blues (청량리 불루스) Just Like (I Treat You Baby) If I have to let go (잊어야 한다면) Daydreaming(몽상) Rain Bird(비새(雨鳥))
2007	Yesterday	the 3rd album in Korea	Track listing  Don't Say Anything (아무말 말아요) (Feat. Jaeduk Jeon) I Sing The Blues (Feat. Joohan Lee) Yesterday Angel Eyes Resentment and Loss (미워하고 그리워하며) Spider Web(거미줄) The Look of Love Comes Love Loving U Was Like Party Blame It On My Youth Blue Dawn (파란 새벽) Love Let You Go (사랑이 널 놓아준다) All Night Long
2008. 12	Fall in Love	the 4th album both in Korea and Japan	Track listing  Feel Like Making Love Don't Cry My Heart Belong To Daddy It Was You(어느새) Sweet Georgia Brown Baby Won't You Please Come Home Tell Me All About It It Had To Be You On a Sunny Day(매일 그대와) Crazy Little Thing Called Love Like I Let You Go With Smile (미소를 띄우며 나를 보낸 그 모습처럼) Yesterday (Trio Ver.) (bonus track)
2009. 10	Miss Mister	special gift album for fans	Track listing  Miss Mister Deadly Love(지독한 사랑) Afterimage(잔상) Woman Windy Spring Carmen Amor Your Last Word(너의 한마디) All I Want
2010. 5	Close Your Eyes	the 5th album both in Korea and Japan	Track listing  Close Your Eyes Walk on By (Feat. Toku (musician)) Vivaldi's Song Straighten Up And Fly Right All I Want Angel Eyes Just one Of Those Things After You've Gone Fever Love For Sale Round Midnight Sentimental Journey
2011. 10	Once I Loved	2nd gift album	Track listing  Once I Loved As Time Goes By Never Let Me Go The Water Is Wide No Moon At All Teach Me Tonight The Lady Wants To Know The Man I Love She's Not There You Don't Know What Love Is The Lady is A Tramp What The World Needs now
2011. 10	Tomorrow	6th album released in Korea	Track listing  Tomorrow Am I Blue The Boulevard Of Broken Dream This Masquerade Like A River Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You Tea Cups Street life Black Coffee Loving You Was like A Party Floral Leaf You've Got a friend
2013	I Love You	7th album released in Korea	Track listing  I Love You Smooth Mr.Blues Savannah Woman I Wanna Dance Asi Que(Spanish Ver.) Mi Tango Triste(Spanish ver.) Unchain My Heart Steamroller Blues Knockin' on Heaven's Door Una Furtiva Lagrima I Can't Tell You Why Asi Que(Korean Ver.) Mi Tango Triste(Korean ver.) Yesterday (2013 Ver.)
2015	Temptation	8th album released in Korea

Awards

1. 1993 MBC Korean Popular Music Festival's "Best Singer' award
2. 2001 MM Jazz's (jazz magazine), "best Artist" award
3. 2003 MM Jazz's "Best Musician" award
4. 2008 Korean Popular Music Awards' "Best Jazz & Crossover Album" award
5. 2008 Reader Poll magazine's "best Vocalist" award
6. 2010 Swing Journal's "Gold Disc" award for her album <Close Your Eyes>
7. 2011 Jazz Criticism's "Jazz Disc Grand Prize" award

Soundtracks

1. "Elegy" for Korean TV show, Kyungsung Scandal
2. "I Think I Loved You" for Korean TV show, Mother, Sister
3. Participated in OST for Korean TV show, Lema Lee, the Sun
4. "Destiny" for Korean TV show, Ill Ji Mae
5. "In the Mood" for Korean film, Who Slept With Her?
6. "Pierro's Mask" for Korean film, The Shadow Murder
7. "Outrageous Love" on soundtrack for Korean TV show, Chuno

References

1. "Profile of Woong San". Woong San Jazz. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
2. "Beautiful, Brooding Sound". Bubblews. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
3. "The Collaboration of Eastern and Western Musicians: WoongSan & Lee Ritenour". YTN. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
4. "Styles of Woong San Music". Japan beyond 3.11 Stories of Recovery. Retrieved 26 June 2015.