뉴욕에서 활동하는 재즈 베이시스트 정승민(Seungmin Jung)씨가 최근 데뷔 앨범 'Anecdotes (일화들)'를 출반했다. 

 

맨해튼 음악학교 출신 정승민씨를 비롯 피아니스트 김보민(Bomin Kim), 테너 색소포니스트 탈 칼만(Tal Kalman), 트럼페터 다프니스 모글리아(Daphnis Moglia), 드러머 펠릭스 암바흐(Felix Ambach), 기타리스트 요하네스 라븐(Johannes Ravn) 등 2년간 함께 밴드에서 활동해온 뮤지션들이 이번 레코딩에 참가했다. 

 

수록곡을 작곡, 편곡, 프로듀싱 전 과정에 직접 참여한 정승민씨는 “이 앨범은 나의 경험, 관계, 감정들을 음악이라는 언어로 풀어낸 이야기들 입니다. 동료 연주자들과의 진심 어린 교감이 곡마다 담겨 있습니다”라고 밝혔다. 

 

Anecdotes는 뉴욕 Bunker Studio 에서 녹음되었으며, 현재 Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music 등 전 세계 주요 스트리밍 플랫폼에서 감상할 수 있다.

https://seungminjung.bandcamp.com/album/anecdotes

 

 

Anecdotes 

by Seungmin Jung

 

Acadia 00:00 / 12:31

 

Digital Album

Streaming + Download

 

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Download available in 24-bit/96kHz.

Buy Digital Album  $6.99 USD

 

1. Blue 07:58

2. Three black beans and a boy 14:05

3. From the middle of light 07:18

4. Wasteland 03:12

5. Acadia 12:31

6. Firefly 03:58

 

It was a year ago. Spring was beginning to show its face, though the air was still cold, when I decided to record my debut album. When it came to choosing my band members, it didn’t take me long. I had appreciated Felix Ambach’s drumming from the very first time I heard him. I still vividly remember how supportive he was—always putting effort into making the whole band sound better, rather than trying to stand out for himself. That kind of musical selflessness is rare, and I knew I wanted that in the group. As for the front line, I often thought about it like positions in football. If Tal Kalman is the one-top striker—powerful, direct, with the ability to score at any moment—Daphnis Moglia is more like the left wing: lyrical, emotional, with a smooth tone that brings contrast and balance. That contrast between the two was very much intentional on my part.

 

Bomin Kim, with her classical piano training and background in music that lives outside traditional jazz boundaries, brought something unique. I trusted her intuition to interpret my music in a way that opened up new possibilities and directions for the band. Johannes Ravn was the last member I chose. Funny enough, I hadn’t originally planned to include guitar in this project. But when he subbed for Bomin one time, something clicked. His unique tone and the way he approached my music felt just right, and from that moment, I knew I wanted him in the group. We come from all over the world, and I’m so grateful our paths crossed. Since none of us are originally from the U.S., I wish us all good luck and a strong tailwind ahead.

 

Writing music, for me, isn’t just about theory or craft—it’s about listening to what my heart tells me in the moment. Intuition is easy to overlook, but inspiration is always around us—in the scent of spring air, a short humming by a kid on the train, or even in a mouse darting across the subway tracks. I try to catch those moments, hold them close, and let them shape my music.

 

About six years ago, I watched Tokyo Night Sky is the Densest Shade of Blue just because the title caught my eye. I didn’t even check the reviews like I usually do. The movie was pretty dark, all about young people feeling lost, dealing with death and loneliness. It wasn’t exactly uplifting, but something about it felt really real to me. I could relate to the characters and their quiet struggles. What stuck with me most was the color blue. It felt like more than just a color—it had a mood, a personality. Sometimes it felt warm and gentle, other times cold and distant. That complexity really hit me. Later, I wrote a song called Blue, inspired by that feeling. I wanted to explore all the different sides of blue—calm, intense, sad, peaceful.

 

When I wrote Three Black Beans and a Boy, I wanted to dedicate it to my puppy named Love. He was a Maltese with such deep black eyes and a black nose. That’s why I titled it Three Black Beans and a Boy (me). On January 31, 2025, he crossed the rainbow bridge. I felt so bad because the last time I saw him was a year ago, and I wasn’t able to be with him when he took his last breath. I listened to this song to remember him, and I realized it had turned into a requiem. I never intended to play this song sadly, but his passing changed my whole perspective on the music. I realized two things: everything can change, even music that’s already been recorded—and I will miss him every time until I meet him again.

 

One of my favorite composers is Wayne Shorter. I’ve been really into his work since 2023, and I watched his documentary Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity (if you haven’t seen it yet, you have to watch it). It’s a phenomenal film about a jazz musician, but what really hit me hard was the scene where a little kid walks into the light and disappears. Wayne Shorter’s belief in the cycle of life and eternity especially moved me. I started thinking a lot about light—something that has existed from the very beginning, alongside darkness, and perhaps where we come from and where we go in the end. I wanted to dedicate that concept, so I titled this song From the Middle of Light.

 

I watched the Fallout series, and it was the best show of 2024. The way they portrayed the Wasteland was exactly how I had imagined it. Plus, I’m kinda into dystopian-vibe movies and shows, so it was easy to write a bass line that gives off a dry and hopeless feel. I also left out chord instruments to avoid adding any vibrant color. I want to quote a phrase from the game series that feels especially relevant to our time: "War. War never changes."

Both of my parents came to New York to attend my graduation ceremony, and afterward, we traveled together to Acadia National Park in Maine. It was our first time experiencing the United States together, and I wanted to hold on to every moment—the vast, endless sky that felt impossible to fully take in, and the deep, bittersweet feeling of knowing how much I would miss that time with them. So I wrote a song to reflect how my emotions shifted throughout our journey in Acadia, traveling with my family.

 

Last song, Firefly, is really special to me. One of the things I love about living in New York is seeing Fireflies everywhere between summer and fall. To me, they feel like symbols of yearning and loss—perhaps because I’ve never caught or held one, as if they’re something I’m meant to admire from a distance and then let go.

—Seungmin Jung 

 

credits

released February 28, 2025

 

Bomin Kim, Piano / Tal Kalman, Tenor Saxophone / Daphnis Moglia, Trumpet / Felix Ambach, Drums / Johannes Ravn, Guitar

 

Recording Engineer - Alex Conroy

Studio - Bunker studio

Mixing & Mastering - Jeremy Loucas

Album design - Seungmin Jung

Photo - Xavier Kim

 

https://seungminjung.bandcamp.com/album/anecdotes