Korean heritage music meets modern swing in Incheon
A century ago, in the smoke-filled cafes of colonial-era Seoul — then known as Gyeongseong — a radical new sound began to turn heads. Detractors sniffed that those who abandoned decorum for the infectious, Western-inflected syncopations of swing and ragtime were part of a shameless "jass" band. Next month, that historical audacity returns to the stage in a contemporary skin. The Incheon Culture and Arts Center said Thursday that its flagship matinee series, the Coffee Concert, will host a collaborative performance titled "Modern Jass" on July 15, pairing traditional gukak vocalist Chun Young-rang with the veteran jazz quartet Prelude. The performance offers a rare cross-generational bridge, reimagining the hybrid pop music of the 1930s and 40s. During that era, "jass" served as a sonic umbrella for "shin-minyo" (new folk songs), comic songs and early Korean swing. By filtering these archival melodies through contemporary jazz arrangements, the artists aim to evoke the romantic, turbulent atmosphere of early 20th-century Korean café culture. The collaborative pairing brings together
