WoongSan
# WoongSan

WoongSan (born Kim Eun Young) is a South Korean musician. She has been a leading figure in the jazz music scene in Korea and Japan for over a decade, having performed live over 500 times since her 1998 Japanese debut. She is the first Korean-born musician to perform at New York City's historic Blue Note Jazz Club and has collaborated with many other well-known jazz musicians including Benny Green, Lonnie Plaxico, Rodney Green, Conrad Herwig and Suzuki Hisatsugu. She is also well known for training Ali (South Korean singer), a popular K-pop singer.

## Biography

When she was 18, WoongSan spent a year and a half at a Buddhist temple in the Korean countryside. During her training she had a powerful realization: her calling in life was music. Initially she played in a college rock band, but after a friend played her a Billie Holiday record, she began to dedicate herself to jazz. She spent several years performing as a solo artist then released her first album accompanied by a jazz ensemble in 1996. By the end of 1998 she was a recognizable figure in both Korea and Japan, and since then, she has released six albums, garnered numerous awards and critical acclaim, and continues to tour prolifically. She has also written many songs for films.

Last year, she proved her career was an ongoing path as a music performer on the stage collaborated with Lee Ritenour.

## Style

WoongSan's style is a distinctive blend of jazz, blues, Latin and funk style. Her mid-low voice does not span as much tonal ground as other famous singers, but what she lacks in range she more than makes up for in creativity and malleability. As an independent lyricist, Woong San has penned powerful ballads, cozy love numbers and everything in between. Buddhism has played a prominent role in her life, and it shines through in her songwriting: she often explores the themes of freedom, mindfulness and the beauty of change in her songs. Her work has been described as "soulful, fearless, sultry."

## Albums

| Year | Title | Details | Track listing |
| - | - | - | - |
| 2003.12.11. | Love Letters | 1st album released both in Korea and Japan | Track listing I Want To Be Happy Love Letters My Funny Valentine Misty Blue Fever Cry Me A River The Man I Love Superstition Once Upon a Summertime It's All Right With Me Please Send Me Someone To Love |
| 2005.11.07. | The Blues | 2nd album released in Korea | Track listing Call Me Revolves,but back to beginning...(돈다, 그래도 제자리...) W-O-M-E-N I'd Rather Go Blind Drunk (취하다) Life(삶) Fine and Mellow Cheongryang Lee Blues (청량리 불루스) Just Like (I Treat You Baby) If I have to let go (잊어야 한다면) Daydreaming(몽상) Rain Bird(비새(雨鳥)) |
| 2007.07.24. | Yesterday | 3rd album released in Korea | Track listing Don't Say Anything (아무말 말아요) (Feat. Jaeduk Jeon) I Sing The Blues (Feat. Joohan Lee) Yesterday Angel Eyes Resentment and Loss (미워하고 그리워하며) Spider Web(거미줄) The Look of Love Comes Love Loving U Was Like Party Blame It On My Youth Blue Dawn (파란 새벽) Love Let You Go (사랑이 널 놓아준다) All Night Long |
| 2008.09.17. | Fall in Love | 4th album released both in Korea and Japan | Track listing Feel Like Making Love Don't Cry My Heart Belong To Daddy It Was You(어느새) Sweet Georgia Brown Baby Won't You Please Come Home Tell Me All About It It Had To Be You On a Sunny Day(매일 그대와) Crazy Little Thing Called Love Like I Let You Go With Smile (미소를 띄우며 나를 보낸 그 모습처럼) Yesterday (Trio Ver.) (bonus track) |
| 2009.10.06. | Miss Mister | 1st special gift album for fans | Track listing Miss Mister Deadly Love(지독한 사랑) Afterimage(잔상) Woman Windy Spring Carmen Amor Your Last Word(너의 한마디) All I Want |
| 2010.03.18. | Close Your Eyes | 5th album released both in Korea and Japan | Track listing Close Your Eyes Walk on By (Feat. Toku (musician)) Vivaldi's Song Straighten Up And Fly Right All I Want Angel Eyes Just one Of Those Things After You've Gone Fever Love For Sale Round Midnight Sentimental Journey |
| 2010.10.04. | Once I Loved | 2nd special gift album | Track listing Once I Loved As Time Goes By Never Let Me Go The Water Is Wide No Moon At All Teach Me Tonight The Lady Wants To Know The Man I Love She's Not There You Don't Know What Love Is The Lady is A Tramp What The World Needs now |
| 2011.10.04. | Tomorrow | 6th album released in Korea and Japan | Track listing Tomorrow Am I Blue The Boulevard Of Broken Dream This Masquerade Like A River Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You Tea Cups Street life Black Coffee Loving You Was like A Party Floral Leaf You've Got a friend |
| 2013.10.03. | I Love You | 7th album released in Korea and Japan | Track listing I Love You Smooth Mr.Blues Savannah Woman I Wanna Dance Asi Que(Spanish Ver.) Mi Tango Triste(Spanish ver.) Unchain My Heart Steamroller Blues Knockin' on Heaven's Door Una Furtiva Lagrima I Can't Tell You Why Asi Que(Korean Ver.) Mi Tango Triste(Korean ver.) Yesterday (2013 Ver.) |
| 2014.12.13. | THE BEST WOONG SAN | THE BEST album released in Korea | Track listing ON A SUNNY DAY(매일 그대와) YESTERDAY STREET LIFE THE DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES TOMORROW VIVALDI'S SONG I LOVE YOU WINDY SPRING THE WATER IS WIDE SMOOTH CALL ME 미소를 띄우며 나를 보낸 그 모습처럼 LOVING YOU WAS LIKE A PARTY |
| 2015.08.12. | Temptation | 8th album released in Korea and Japan | Track listing Use me The look of love Get up, Stand up Light my fire You hurt me Black magic woman Papa was a rolling stone Night away Between the sheets Loving you was like a party Temptation Someday |
| 2016.11.01. | JAZZ IS MY LIFE | MINI ALBUM VOL.1 released in Korea | Track listing Hey Boy Crazy Love Jazz Is My Life I Can't Help Myself Beautiful Arirang Jazz Is My Life [Inst.] |
| 2018.09.05. | I'm Alright | 9th album released in Korea and Japan | Track listing Smoke Gets In Your Eyes Heartless Bear Walk Too Far Love Is A Losing Game I'm Alright You And The Night And The Music Forget Regret I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know I Can't Stand The Rain Tell Me Why |
| 2020.05.13 | Reminiscence of Love | 3rd special gift album [3선물] | Track listing The Day He Loves Me Behind Of Your Smile Purple Morning The Memory Of Old Days Maybe Tomorrow Reflection Tea Story Feuillle Don’t Explain Woman Somehow Today Love Let's You Go |
| 2020.10.23 | Estate | EP released in Korea | Track listing Estate Wind Blows Promise |
| 2022.01.18 | Love, Its Longing. Vol. 2 | album released in Korea | Track listing Star Falls Memory Lost in My Heart Promise Wind Blows Love, Its Loneliness Only You Dreamlike World Yearning To You Who Don't Love Me |
| 2022.09.22. | Who Stole The Skies | 10th album released in Korea and Japan | Track listing All in a Dream [꿈이로다] Rain Bird [비새 (雨鳥) 2022 version] I'm Not a Butterfly Canadara Blues [가나다라 Blues] Who Stole The Skies Today [오늘] Spread Your Wings [틔우리라] Four Weeks [사주팔자(四柱八字)] Song for a Clown [광대가] Sonnima [손님아] |
| 2020. 11. 8. | 가제: Nothing Compares To You | 10th album을 기다리며ㆍㆍㆍㆍㆍ 뜨거운 화살처럼 네게로 가리(WoongSanLOVE) P.S. 웅산 님의 노래를 좋아하고 웅산 님에게 관심을 갖고 자료수정요청을 해주신 큰산 객 님에게도 감사드립니다. | Track listing Nothing Compares To You |

## Awards

* 1993 MBC Korean Popular Music Festival's "Best Singer' award
* 2001 MM Jazz's (jazz magazine), "best Artist" award
* 2003 MM Jazz's "Best Musician" award
* 2008 Korean Popular Music Awards' "Best Jazz & Crossover Album" award
* 2008 Reader Poll magazine's "best Vocalist" award
* 2010 Swing Journal's "Gold Disc" award for her album <Close Your Eyes>
* 2011 Jazz Criticism's "Jazz Disc Grand Prize" award

### State honors

Name of country, year given, and name of honor :

| Country | Year | Honor | Ref. |
| - | - | - | - |
| South Korea | 2021 | Prime Minister's Commendation | |

## Soundtracks

* "Elegy" for Korean TV show, Kyungsung Scandal
* "I Think I Loved You" for Korean TV show, Mother, Sister
* Participated in OST for Korean TV show, Lema Lee, the Sun
* "Destiny" for Korean TV show, Ill Ji Mae
* "In the Mood" for Korean film, Who Slept With Her?
* "Pierro's Mask" for Korean film, The Shadow Murder
* "Outrageous Love" on soundtrack for Korean TV show, Chuno
* "You Make Me" on soundtrack for Korean TV Show, Kiss Sixth Sense
