Media — Francesca Han

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Exude (2022, Hanji)

After many postponements, it is in the fall of 2021 that Francesca was finally able to invite trumpeter Ralph Alessi to bring to life an original repertoire during a beautiful session at La Buissonne studios, South of France.

Precise and refined gestures on delicate matter, a shared trust and a very free dialogue : the duo exudes a sensitivity that serves an original music for all sorts of journeys.

CD & Digital are available on Bandcamp.

LINER NOTES

“Admittedly, this is not the first time a piano and a trumpet have met for a dialogue.
Pell-mell in my memory are Earl Hines and Louis Armstrong, a supreme meeting, but many more such as Ruby Braff with Ellis Larkins or Dick Hyman, Doc Cheatham with Jimmy Andrews, Oscar Peterson with Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge, Harry Edison, Clark Terry and Jon Faddis. More recently Uri Caine with Dave Douglas or Fred Hersch with Ralph Alessi.
Added now to these creative and memorable encounters is the equally accomplished duo of Francesca Han and Ralph Alessi. And it's a pure delight!

From the very first notes, the intense reciprocity of listening that binds the two instrumentalists is palpable. And if we feel such complicity at work, it's because the pianist and the trumpeter are not meeting here for the first time as while living in New York, Francesca had several opportunities to play and record with Ralph. Their superb understanding generates a serene exchange on each of their compositions. A shared investment in a perfectly structured musical universe with a rich melodic sensitivity. The music here is at the same time intense, fragile and poetic, of a great and constant beauty, and it is magnified by an exceptional recording sound. Very focused, never overwhelmed by their technical mastery, the pianist and the trumpeter strive to serve their music. Demanding but never excessive, terribly haunting. The emotion aroused by this rich dialogue is deeply touching and fascinates with its irresistible power of seduction.

The art of the duo finds here one of those moments of grace and plenitude that one must savor with delight and a great deal of pleasure.
When all the way down... a kind of blue.”

Jean-Paul Ricard
(founder of AJMI, jazz scholar, author, dedicated collector)

CREDITS

Francesca Han - piano, compositions
Ralph Alessi - trumpet, compositions

Apollo - Tokyo (Francesca Han)
Sage Advice (Ralph Alessi)
Arirang (Korean Trad., Arr. Francesca Han)
Camargue (Francesca Han)
Humdrum (Ralph Alessi)
They Agree (Francesca Han)
Throwing Like A Girl (Ralph Alessi)
Diagonal Lady (Ralph Alessi)
Présent [improvisation] (Francesca Han)
Chrysanthemum [for Kikuchi] (Francesca Han)
Pannonica (Thelonious Monk)

Artwork
‘Lucio Fontana believed that matter should be transformed into energy in order to invade space in a dynamic form’.
Lucio Fontana 61 T 105 : Concetto Spaziale, Attese, 1961, (water-based paint on canvas, 65cm x 50cm)
© Fondation Lucio Fontana, Milano / by SIAE / Adagp, Paris, 2022

Recording 29th Oct 2021 (Nicolas Baillard / Matteo Fontaine)
Mixing 30th Nov 2021 (Gérard de Haro)
Mastering 2nd Jun 2021 (Nicolas Baillard)
Studios La Buissonne, Pernes-les-Fontaines, France
Design - Cyril Jean www.woomstudio.com
Photo - Yohann Charrin www.yohanncharrin.com
Production - Pierre Biancarelli
CD - Cat. number HJCD001
© & ℗ HANJI - 2022

Blues Suns (2016, Pleasantville Records - 18 rue Pville)

Collectively improvised music by Avant Trio which is Francesca Han - piano, Sungbae Kim - bass, Oki Kim - saxophones.

Abdul-him
Gleanings
Solar Buddha
Cohesive Force
Controversy
Tembo Steps
Little White Stone
The Loudest Silence
Shaman Dance
Bush Winds
East Suns
Dadam

The vinyl double LP edition of ‘Blue Suns’ album by Avant Trio described further down.

Released by Beatball, Seoul, South Korea.
Record Company – Beatball
Phonographic Copyright (p) – ILIL Sound
Copyright (c) – Beatball Music Group, Inc.
Mastered At – Total Sonic Media
Lacquer Cut At – Gearbox Records
Design, Artwork, Graphic Design, Art Direction – Lee Jae Min
Executive Producer – Lee Bong Soo
Lacquer Cut By – Caspar Sutton-Jones, Darrel Sheinman
Liner Notes, Executive Producer – Pierre Biancarelli
Piano – Francesca Han
Double Bass – Kim Sungbae
Tenor Saxophone – Kim Oki

Available on Apple Music, Spotify..

Body & Soul (2016, Audioguy Records)

Duo album with South Korean jazz vocal legend, Ms Park.

The Man I Love 5:12
I'll Be Seeing You 3:48
Body And Soul 5:48
Easy Living 4:54
For All We Know 5:26
Don't Explain 5:16
Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) 4:46
Good Morning Heartache 5:12
I'm A Fool To Want You 5:45

Icarus (2015, Audioguy Records)

Francesca Han original compositions with her Seoul based trio (Sunyong Lee - bass, Dongjin Shin - drums).

Study 37
Beneficial
Count Yourself
Rotten Peanuts
Detour
Far East
Lost Moon
Moranism
Notoriety
One Whole

Available on Apple Music, Spotify..

Dream Episodes (2016, Audioguy Records)

Francesca Han duo with Alex Sipiagin

Orbit (Unless It’s You)
Stepping Zone
Luiza
Videlles
I Can’t Get Started
Tenor Madness
My Funny Valentine (Live)

Available on Apple Music, Spotify..

Blues Suns (2015, iLiL Records)

Collectively improvised music by Avant Trio which is Francesca Han - piano, Sungbae Kim - bass, Oki Kim - saxophones.

Abdul-him
Cohesive Force
Solar Buddha
Controversy
Tembo Steps
Gleanings
Little White Stone
Bush Winds
East Suns
The Loudest Silence
Shaman Dance
Dadam

All music spontaneously composed through collective improvisations, except Francesca Han (7, 12) Kim Sung Bae (1, 10, 11) Pierre Biancarelli (5)

Executive Producer: Pierre Biancarelli
Recorded at Yul House (24th May 2014) and Yireh Studio (24th September 2014), Seoul
Mixed by K at Slow Room, Seoul, Korea
Mastered by Steven Berson, Total Sonic Media (Austin-Texas, USA)
Design by : Jinho Bae
Art Work : 371a-19 (2013, oil on wood panel) by D Hwang http://dhwang.org

Available on Apple Music, Spotify..

Ascetic (2012, Audioguy Records)

Francesca Han piano solo album.

Ambidextrous 3:09
Ascetic 5:54
Dismantled 4:30
Winter Bush 5:12
Promonade 3:56
Why Is This Thing Called Love 3:11
Green In Blue 4:17
Lament For The Fallen 8:06
Ceili 4:39
Spontaneous Essay On Nothing 6:17

Available on Apple Music, Spotify..