Hanna PK is a 2019 International Challenge Semi-Finalist — a solid pianist, soulful vocalist, and vibrant performer who channels a wide variety of the blues & swing, old school folk and boogie-woogie but with her own contemporary realness whether she’s performing her story-telling originals, breathing new life into songs that may be 100 years old, or anything in-between. Her seemingly sweet and soft-spoken appearance often leads to surprise when hearing for the first time her rich, resonating voice that goes from a whisper to belting with intensity. Her ranges from barrelhouse to jazzy to delicate, full of spontaneousness, and what draws the audience closer to her heartfelt and honest songs are her genuine passion and originality that comes from within. Once in a while, we meet an artist that seems to be quite nothing like what we’ve seen or heard, yet, reaching that common ground and emotions through their own creativity, makes us feel at ease, touched, and understood. With that kind of quality, Hanna is reaching out one show at a time.

Quotes "I can hear she has a very unique thing.. It's really really good. Old school folk, country blues & swing but with her own contemporary realness.” - Ray Hangen , drummer, Sean Costello's Band, The Bruce Katz Band "She is a very vibrant & emotionally expressive artist, what a pleasant surprise." - Felton Crews, Grammy nominated bassist "PK left her native South Korea and fell right into Rochester’s lap of the blues. Her style is more barrelhouse & stride than you’d think. Pretty damn cool! Over at the Record Archive, PK played with her band. She rocked the house. She sang pretty & played gritty. She rocked and rolled, bopped and strolled, all over the baby grand’s eighty-eights." -Frank DeBlase, City Newspaper

More about her journey with the blues and songwriting When meeting Hanna, a vocalist, pianist, and band leader born in South Korea, currently residing in Rochester NY, it’s not uncommon to wonder how a young woman born and raised in Korea stepped into the Blues. But her music makes it clear she is not only touched by it, but also dedicated to this great art form. Hearing her strong left hand bass rocking steady with her swinging right hand on the piano, one cannot deny she has done her homework and is carrying on the tradition. Her original songs from two self released CDs also proves her to be a creative artist who will continue to build her fans in wide range of ages and backgrounds.

Along with her piano playing, her soulful voice often surprises the ‘first timer' perhaps because of her seemingly sweet and soft-spoken appearance. But on stage, Hanna belies her commanding voice and presence. You will hear a soulful singer who can accompany herself on a piano, with an impeccably steady and strong left hand bass, and a swinging and shuffling right hand freely cascading over it. This all-in-one package allows her the flexibility of being able to play as a solo act or in any ensemble small or big.

One evening in 2014, when she first heard local blues legend John Cole and his band, she found what she was looking for. All along, it was the blues calling for her. She then totally immersed herself in this music, to which she felt so strongly called, by listening and later playing in clubs and jam sessions, and by collecting and hearing the recordings.

From those records, she came to love and be inspired by so many of the great piano-playing singers of the Blues and from Memphis Slim, Big Maceo Merriweather, , Hadda Brooks, Nina Simone, Norah Jones and . Through all these experiences she learned (and is still learning) the language and the meaning of the blues. It was her luck that even though Rochester isn’t exactly in the Delta region, the area’s blues scene is still carried on with authenticity by nationally-recognized bluesmen like Joe Beard and John Cole. In fact, the first time she got a chance to play with Joe Beard was at a festival celebrating Son House, and just a few years later, she is subbing on Joe’s band, and has performed with him in several duo shows.

In the summer of 2015, she formed Hanna and the Blue Hearts and in the summer of 2016, she released her 1st CD “Rearview Mirror” which includes Hanna’s original songs showing that she’s not only a traditionalist but also a creative songwriter. In 2018, she released the new CD “The Blues Is Here To Stay” which includes classic blues tunes like "" by Big Maceo Merriweather, two versions of boogie-woogie piece by , "Honky Tonk Train", Sippie Wallace’s hit from the 1920s “Up The Country Blues”, and story telling, and soulful originals like "Dirty Dishes" and "Love Keeps Walking In”.

In June 2018, Hanna and guitarist Aleks Disljenkovic won 1st place at Memphis Bound and represented Western New York at the International Blues Challenge took place in Memphis, TN in January 2019 and made it to Semi-Finals.

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. This hardworking woman’s 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.

Contact Electronic Press Kit 1-585-500-3299 www.hannapk.com/press [email protected]