Artist Profile: Hanna PK & the Dynamic 88’s

Hanna PK is a solid pianist, soulful vocalist, and vibrant performer, born and raised in South Korea, currently residing in Rochester, NY. She plays a wide variety of the blues & swing, old school folk, and boogie-woogie. She has a dynamic songwriting style – ranging from a funky tune with socially conscious lyrics to a mournful slow blues, from a pop-edged ballad to an uplifting swinging number, and from barrelhouse boogie to jazz. Her seemingly sweet and soft-spoken appearance often leads to surprise when hearing her rich, resonating voice that goes from a whisper to belting with intensity. Her piano style is much more lyrical and imaginative than simply repeating so-called “licks”, though she knows when to toss them in the mix for a thrill, and is always in the groove. And what draws the audience closer to her heartfelt, honest music are her genuine passion, and the originality that comes from within.

In November 2021, she released her debut album on the VizzTone label with Booga Music of internationally-known bluesman, Kenny Neal. Though Kenny had met her in Memphis, and during his tour in upstate New York, what got his attention to sign her to his label was a video of hanna’s performance on a Curtis Jones’ song “Decoration Day Blues” that she’s recorded in her U-Haul storage room. Debuted at #13 on Billboard’s US Blues chart, since it’s release, the album has been played all over the U.S. and the world.

But words, and even recorded samples, cannot fully convey the essence of Hanna’s music — to really understand it and feel it, you have to hear her perform live. Her music continues to evolve and reflects the very moment she is living in — the happenings and vibe in the room, the reactions of her listeners, the musical contributions of each band member, and even the events of the week in the world, all combine to inspire a new and different performance of each song. As is the case with all true blues performers, she works from and in the tradition of the music while bringing her own stamp of creativity and originality to it. Her music tells a story, sometimes an age-old one, but she tells it in her way from her perspective, which in turn informs and expands our experience.

To learn more about Hanna PK, visit her website at hannapk.com.