Biography
Kang Tae Hwan is a Korean free-jazz saxophone player.
An extraordinary saxophone player, Hwan is one of the grandfathers of the Korean musical avant-garde after the late taepyongso/hojok player Kim Seok Chul, with whom he collaborated. The Kang Tae Hwan trio (active from circa 1978 to 2004) combined a cosmpolitan openness with traditional Korean shamanism, touring outside Korea and working alongside Western musicians.
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The Shamanic principles are apparent in Hwan's performance style, which can be seen today in numerous Youtube videos. "Kang would typically perform cross-legged, with bare feet and closed eyes," writes Nat Roe. "His tone is as rich and complex as a vintage wine, with layered overtones collapsing into one another, and notes stretched with circular breathing for minutes on end." It's little wonder that we find him in the 1990s collaborating with the likes of Ned Rothenberg, who not only utilizes the same extended techniques but fully admits a strong Asian influence in his own playing.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.