Jongkuk (JK) Kim
How would you define jazz?
What do you consider a good jazz musician?
How do you decide which musicians to play or collaborate with?
Has your location ever influenced your playing or perspective on jazz?
Do you ever notice differences in the jazz scene depending on where you are?
Has your cultural background ever affected your drumming?
How did you come to play in Little Big III? How would you describe your experience?
Playing in SM’s Jazz Trio
I see that lately you've been incorporating K-pop into your jazz career.
What's your favorite collaboration you've done so far?
What's going through your mind when you improvise? Do you have a specific goal, or do you just let it happen?
When producing an album with other musicians, how do you decide on its direction? How do you negotiate your own artistic ideas with theirs?
What's been your biggest challenge on your jazz journey so far?
What are your thoughts on jazz education today? What do you think is the best way to teach jazz?
Any tips for people new to playing jazz?
How would you describe a 'true' jazz musician in your view? Do you see it more in terms of technical mastery, personal expression, etc?
When you think about your own identity as a jazz drummer, what aspects feel most central to who you are?
How do you perceive freedom in jazz, and are there limits you navigate that might not be obvious to people?
Do you notice differences in how jazz in interpreted or performed depending on the cultural context you're playing in?
When collaborating with musicians, how do you reconcile different approaches or expectations? Especially in Little Big III, where you are younger than your bandmates?
How do you and your bandmates communicate musical ideas while improvising? Can you describe it in terms of specific moments you might be able to recall? (Can you describe a moment in a performance where you had to negotiate with your bandmates on how to approach a section?)
When improvising with other musicians, how do you respond if someone takes the music in an unexpected direction?
How do you approach supporting the band while also expressing yourself as a drummer (or supporting a soloist)?
Does your approach differ between live performances and studio recordings?
Who are your biggest influences?
During a gig, how do you manage focusing on the audience, the band, and your own expression?
