There are a few characteristics I am obsessed with: diversity, productivity, constancy, duality, and so on.
This page is intended to discuss diversity.
My obsession with diversity stems from my personal interpretation of the 20th-century tragedies born from Joseon’s isolationist policies and Japan’s Meiji Restoration while studying history, as well as the objective fact that Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty expanded his territory by employing Marco Polo. (I am simply saying that I am more obsessed with diversity than one might think.)
The historic jazz bar “천년동안도” sits in a corner of the Ikseon-dong alley, exuding a powerful aura that proclaims, “I am Korean jazz.” And this bar showed me Korean jazz through the diversity of jazz: Bebop, Satsumo, Blues, and Korean jazz.
When I visit this place, the jazz sounds somehow localized to Korean style.
They say that if you import Australian cattle alive into Korea, graze them for a certain period, and then slaughter them, they become domestic beef; this is a completely different concept. A cow cannot be reborn, but jazz can.
The decisive reason I chose “Diversity” as the title for this page was the truly diverse performance I witnessed there by a band called “Soulful J.” They improvised saxophone for every song requested on the spot, cracked stand-up comedy jokes in between, and delivered a moving performance of a Disney medley. If you get the chance, I highly recommend listening to Disney medley.