Kang Yun-mi & John Stowell, A Timeless Place: A Timeless Jazz Dialogue [Sejong]

[Performance Introduction] Kang Yunmi & John Stowell DUO A Timeless Place A profound and subtle invitation that questions the essence of music created through improvisation, empathy, and breath, while transcending genres and eras to invite listeners to a timeless place. Nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album at the 23rd Korean Popular Music Awards 2026 Selected in Top 10 Best Jazz Albums of 2025 by Cadence, American Jazz Magazine Critics A Timeless Place was recorded in Seoul in 2023 and released in 2025. The album features jazz standards including Skylark, I Thought About You, Prelude to a Kiss, and A Timeless Place (The Peacocks), which gain new vitality through the subtle and profound interpretations of both artists. In this work, the two performers transcend the traditional role structure of accompanist and soloist, instead creating music of spontaneous dialogue and empathy where melody and harmony are woven together. Melodic exchanges inspired by Bach's counterpoint, intertwined with John Stowell's characteristically fluid harmonies and Kang Yunmi's serene and authentic vocals, convey deep resonance. Influenced by legendary jazz vocalists such as Betty Carter and Jeanne Lee, Kang Yunmi's vocals are rooted in spontaneity and interpretive freedom rather than stylized reproduction of notes. Through three-dimensional phrasing utilizing long breath and silence, she navigates the music like a single instrument. Rather than adopting the dominant position typically taken by vocalists, she approaches the music by listening sensitively and responding as an equal to the guitar, standing out as an equal co-creator who makes music together rather than simply singing. The recording was conducted in a live-like manner with a single take, with no re-recording or editing. The focus was placed on living dialogue that captures the breath and emotion of the moment rather than refined perfection, with each track naturally completing itself as music that exists only in that moment.