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Christopher Hale

Bassist Christopher Hale’s latest release, Ritual Diamonds, features Korean drumming innovator Woo Minyoung in an inspired reimagining of Korean ritual drumming and contemporary jazz.

Ritual Diamonds, the latest release from award-winning bassist-composer Christopher Hale, reimagines Korean ritual drumming and contemporary jazz, creating a music that is mysterious, complex and beautiful. Built within an intricate rhythmic world, the music is adorned with emotive melodies and virtuosic improvisation. Joining Hale is Korean drumming innovator Woo Minyoung and some of Australia’s finest jazz artists, saxophonist Jamie Oehlers, pianist Andrea Keller, guitarist Theo Carbo and drummer Simon Barker. Drummer Yaejee (Chloe) Kim and trumpeter Nadje Noordhuis also make guest appearances.

After a chance backstage encounter at a Korean festival in 2012, Hale and Woo quickly bonded over a fascination with rhythm. “We connected immediately,” recalls Hale, “Minyoung shared with me her deep knowledge of shaman ritual drumming styles and traditional rhythms. I shared with her the rhythms of my communities in Australia: the flamenco cycles of my background and the mathematical rhythm codes of [influential Australian percussionist] Greg Sheehan – our friendship grew, and in restaurants, bars, on buses, we had fun with rhythm.” More than just learning each other’s patterns or repertoire, the pair were sharing how their rhythms worked, revealing common musical ground deep beneath the surface differences of their respective styles. The connections between Korean ritual drumming, flamenco drama and playful rhythmic puzzles suggested a new common language for rhythm, unique to their friendship.

Growing up playing flamenco and Afro-Cuban music, Hale has long looked beneath the surface of his influences to create original music which avoids imitation or appropriation. In Woo’s Korean rhythm, Hale sensed qualities that resonated with his experience. Over the next ten years, he returned regularly to Korea, undertaking long-term study into the inner workings of Korean rhythm. “My goal was never to perform Korean music,” says Hale, “but to commit to learning how these amazing rhythm traditions worked, to better understand Minyoung and her community, and expand my musical world. Then, when Minyoung and I started playing together, it was more than just a ‘fusion’ of styles. We found musical common ground in the deep structures of each other’s rhythm, and from that place built something new together.”

Hale translated some of the pair’s shared rhythmic ideas into new compositions, creating unique settings for Woo to harness her powerful, virtuosic drumming style on the changgo (the Korean hourglass-shaped double-headed drum). “The process was inspiring,” Woo explains, “we tried different ideas through continuous exchange over a long time and tried to melt each of our strong personalities into a single music.” While traditional and contemporary Korean forms inspire the music, the rhythms and concepts of this album are brand new. “I was confident that what’s already within me could be slightly ‘twisted’ in order to make these varied and fun rhythms,” says Woo.

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Radio & Podcasts

Christopher Hale

Read "Christopher Hale" reviewed by Lawrence Peryer


Today, the Spotlight shines On Australian jazz heavyweight Christopher Hale. Hale has been called “one of the most unique and respected musicians in Australia" (Glam Adelaide) and an “unconventional virtuoso of the bass guitar" (The Age). His new release, Ritual Diamonds (Earshift Music), came out on March 3 and reimagines Korean ritual drumming and contemporary jazz, creating music that is mysterious, complex and beautiful. On it, Christopher is joined by collaborator and friend, Korean drumming innovator Minyoung Woo ...

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Multiple Reviews

Australian Allure: The Music Of Gian Slater And Christopher Hale

Read "Australian Allure: The Music Of Gian Slater And Christopher Hale" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Trying to define or pigeonhole the music and artistry of vocalist Gian Slater and bassist Christopher Hale is an exercise in futility; in fact, reductive tags like “vocalist" and “bassist" don't even really do them justice. Slater and Hale have each managed to transcend the normal parameters of their chosen instrument(s), reaching a place where they can play multiple roles within a single work and travel through various musical landscapes with subtlety and grace or passion and power. They're both ...

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