Namely: on the one hand you can senses oral traditions, on the other hand you hear new-jazz spontaneity.
KIHNOUA is a term borrowed from ancient Greek that might have meant “the difference;” or for us now: “the unity of opposites.” This is a San Francisco based ensemble formed by Larry Ochs in 2007 to play some new changes. A long-time fan of traditional Korean p’ansori folk-singing and of Korean sinawi improvisation, it is with great pleasure that Larry Ochs presents music that intermingles the very
new thoughts, sounds and structures of jazz (or perhaps better said as “Western improvised music”) with influences from very ancient sounds of Korea and other folk-music/ blues influences of Asia, Africa and the USA. The band’s core is Scott Amendola on drums and electronics, Dohee Lee on vocals, with Ochs writing the compositions and playing saxophones. Guest musicians added to the band for performances and recording have included Zeena Parkins, Carla Kihlstedt, Joan Jeanrenaud, Fred Frith, William Winant, Devin Hoff, and Trevor Dunn. A first trip to Europe (to two festivals in Zagreb and Gradisca d'Isonzo, Italy) took place in November 2008 with Okkyung Lee joining Kihnoua on cello. A second European tour took place April 25 to May 5, 2010 with special guest Wilbert de Joode on bass (including concerts in Padova, Ljubljana, Moscow, Prague, Berlin, & Ulrichsberg Kaleidophon Festival).
