For those unaware, Korean-born New York based jazz vocalist/pianist/composer Soyoung Park presents her debut album Behind The Clouds on SteepleChase which starts with a phenomenal rendition of “Baker’s Mood”

Park studied at Berklee College of Music and she then finished her Master’s degree at Manhattan School of Music. Park received Korean singer-songwriter title in Yoo Jaeha Music Award in 2007 and was named a top 6 finalist in 2016 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Voice competition. She was also semi-finalist in 2016 Montreux Jazz Voice competition.

1. BAKER’S MOOD
2. BEHIND THE CLOUDS
3. THREE-NOTE SAMBA
4. LIKE A RAINBOW
5. ON THE OCEAN
6. SKYLARK
7. NOW OR NEVER
8. MOVING FORWARD
9. HOW I KNOW
10. HER VOICE

This exquisitely-hued, almost magically-shimmering new recording opens on the playful BAKER’S MOOD and then brings us the shimmering BEHIND THE CLOUDS, the upbeat and joyfully emphatic THREE-NOTE SAMBA and then comes the smoldering LIKE A RAINBOW and the serene ON THE OCEAN.

Up next is one of my own personal favorites, the languishing beauty found within the aching SKYLARK which is itself followed seamlessly by the finger-snapping scat of NOW OR NEVER, then we get the delightfully-hued MOVING FORWARD, the album rounding out on the heartfelt HOW I KNOW, coming to a close on the resoundingly opulent piano work within HER VOICE.

Soyoung Park, originally from South Korea, is a New York based vocalist, pianist and songwriter. She has a perfectly tuned, crystal clear voice and her compositions have interesting harmony progressions which are organically related to the melody and the lyrics.

In 2008, Soyoung moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music, where she majored in piano/voice performance. Afterwards, Soyoung completed her Master’s degree Program in Jazz voice at Manhattan school of music in New York.

Besides her studies, Soyoung was named a Top 6 finalist in the “2016 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Voice” competition and was chosen as a semi-finalist in “2016 Montreux Jazz Voice” competition. Then in 2019, she released her album called “Sing the Spring” with guitarist Junbeom Kim. In the same year, she also released ‘As the deer’ with vocalist Christie Dashiell.

Since 2013, she performed as session pianist and music director on many K-pop artists’ concerts including: Kim Bum-Su, with whom she performed at Carnegie Hall in 2013. She performed at Carnegie Hall again as Soyoung Park Quartet in 2016.

Now she lives in both Korea and New York. In the US, She teaches Jazz Voice/Piano at Muhlenberg College. Her first album ‘Behind the Clouds’, a reflection of her pure inspiration of her life and faith, is about to be released from Steeple Chase Lookout in May 2023. Soyoung is writing, arranging, teaching, and performing and continues to expand her musical career.

Official Website

Soyoung Park @ Facebook