Jazz vocalist Sunny Kim talks about new album, life

Jazz singer Sunny Kim released a new album titled “Painter’s Eye” in Korea, early this month. Courtesy of Plus Hitch

By Baek Byung-yeul

Sunny Kim, a U.S.-educated jazz vocalist, said her newest album was inspired by a book she originally picked to practice her Korean pronunciation.

Kim Sun-doo’s poetry influenced her significantly enough to alter the reason she does music, which is now more about exploring her roots.

Her album, "Painter’s Eye," was released in the U.S. in August last year and in Korea earlier this month.

"At first, I didn’t mean to use Kim Sun-doo’s book as the source of the new album," said the 34-year-old, who was born in Korea but spent most of her teens and 20s in America.

"But as soon as I started reading the book, which is mostly about the beautiful nature of Korea, I intuitively felt a sense of simplicity and purity that rekindled old memories of my childhood."

Kim Sun-doo is a well-known painter and poet. His paintings are famously featured in the 2002 Im Kwon-taek movie "Strokes of Fire," which was based on the life story of 19th-century painter Jang Seung-up.

Kim wrote most of the songs on Painter’s Eye and recorded them in Korean, a big gamble for one of the most nuanced singers in the game.

"Since I decided to make my new album based on Kim’s poetry, I had to sing it in Korean. Translating it in English would just ruin the linguistic beauty," she said.

Debuting as a vocalist of Roswell Rudd’s jazz band in 2007, Kim released her first solo album, "Android Ascension," in 2008, noted for its experimental sound that combined jazz and electronic music.

"That album faithfully reflects who Sunny Kim was two years ago. The person I am today is also different from the person who I was then, and I will keep jazzing it up, reflecting myself," she said.