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My Journal / Apr-Jun 2004
Nagoya, Niigata, Hokkaido, Nagano Tours and Inspiring Music Lessons
Lead by Yoshiyuki Kozu |
Too many wonderful experiences to highlight these past few months and I would like to mention them all...
Last April I was back in Lovely Nagoya for two days, performing with my regular group Manabu Oishi (p), Osamu Koichi (b) and Cecil Monroe (ds). It's always such fun to be on the road, meeting friends who we only see when we come to town at least once a year. Music seems to make a lot of things possible. We had quite an interesting time here. We also played in Hamamatsu at Muse Gallery where we were joined by a local group of musicians headed by Asami Suzuki, an up and coming singer with her trio. Two other young ladies sang with me as back ups for a couple of my tunes. The blending of their voices with mine added a very rich texture to the harmonies and to my great delight, worked perfectly. Interaction with top level and local musicians all over the country can be very inspiring. If done properly, more producers should promote this type of collaboration to encourage and help develop younger artists.
I opened for the Manhattan Lounge on the 36th floor of the ANA Hotel in Roppongi, after it's largest renovation in many years. They wanted to project an image of a place with a New York feel. Truly breathtaking views of the skyline especially at night gives its' overall ambiance a very sophisticated look. I performed that night with Kei Shibata (p), Koichi Osamu (b) and Taro Koyama (ds). The stage wasn't exactly ideal that night but the music made up for it's lack and it did make a difference. I'm hoping they can make some improvements. Regularly, the live piano music and the spectacular "river of light" cityscape viewed from the high floor of the hotel makes for an elegant experience at the Manhattan Lounge.
In May, I was invited to perform for the first time in Nagaoka City to play at Cooktail Kubota with Oishi, Cecil and Shinichi Satoh on bass this time. Surrounded by rolling plains, Nagaoka is blessed with natural beauty. It is also known for its heavy snowfall in winter and its hot and humid climate in summer. The month of May is one of the best of the year, blessed with beautiful mountain ranges, hills, and rivers shining in the bright sunshine. It's a pity there was no time to enjoy all these. As expected, people living in beautiful places like these are so warm and receptive. A great audience! Music beautifully flows and it makes everyone happy. The after hour drinks doubled the fun. The following day we moved to Niigata City to perform at Gioia Mia, a trendy Italian restaurant that occasionally features jazz events. We had a good time. It was also here where I found out about the town's special jazz street event featuring local musicians to perform at selected venues around Niigata City. Apparently, a group of clubs joined together to form this event to mark the commemoration of Duke Ellington in May 1, 1966, in recognition of his achievements and contributions when he was awarded Honorary Citizenship. This is a good sign that many people strive to keep jazz alive.
 In Tokyo, JZ Brat celebrated its' 3rd anniversary and as part of it, I did a show with the Kenichi Tsunoda Big Band. Needless to say, it was a hit. At one point during the show Kenichi Tsunoda himself told the audience that not many singers can sing in front of a big band because of the tone levels, but big band music for me is always a thrill. Playing at this level is so very exhilarating indeed. What an exciting evening of music!
Towards the end of May I was invited by Yoshiyuki Kozu, a well known composer and artistic director, to one of his series of cultural presentations introducing jazz. He is a descendant of Senzaburo Kozu, who introduced Western music to Japan in the Meiji period (1868-1912). Mr. Kozu composes contemporary music, film scores and popular music in Japan. His interests extend to research on the relationship between human beings and sound, as well as the character of musical instruments. I have been very fortunate having had a number of opportunities working with him in different kinds of music format ranging from a small band unit to a 100 member symphony orchestra. All of which were very musically fulfilling. This time, I came with Junichiro Okuchi on piano, Shinichi Satoh on bass, Masahiro Fujioka on sax and Taro Koyama on drums.
 The show was held at Fuchu-no-Mori Theater in Fuchu City. I had to introduce jazz standards to an elderly audience, 600 in all, ranging from 50 years and above, mostly women. It was quite a challenge but an educational experience for myself and the band. I carefully selected very popular tunes and explained to them in very easy terms how each song gets transformed by interpretation and improvisation. They must have really enjoyed the show because their immediate response was very encouraging. Thus winning their hearts, my CDs sold out like pancakes.
In June, I also had the privilege to have been invited by Koji Fujika, Japan's most renowned clarinet player. This was for a concert series on it's 3rd year called "Koji Fujika plays Benny Goodman" held at the Yurakucho Asahi Hall. As the title suggests, most of the tunes are from the works of legendary late (1909-86) Chicago-born jazz clarinetist and bandleader, the "King of Swing" Benny Goodman. As expected, it was a night of swinging hits. I truly had a wonderful time.
In late June, I was on the road again, this time to the coldest, most Northern part of Japan, Hokkaido. Oishi, Osamu, Cecil and I played two nights in Asahikawa at a club called Sebastian. Each night had a different theme, first was Jazz Standard and the second was Jazz Funk. Both were very much appreciated by the audience, even though a good number of them were hearing jazz for the first time.
 I wasn't prepared for what I would experience in Asahikawa on our second day here when I was asked to sing at Tsutsuji-gaoka-en, a center for the mentally challenged (Down Syndrome, etc). I have been doing community service to other centers but mostly for the children or the elderly, this was a first for me. The minute our first note sounded, while I sang and Oishi played piano, I actually saw a total transformation in the facial expression of these people, aged between 20-40 years, some with their eyes closed savoring each melody and some grinning from ear to ear, most of them spellbound. They got totally absorbed in our music and I realized that they were especially receptive to music. I saw heaven in their eyes. They asked for an encore, to which I sang Love is a Many Splendored Thing... and by the time I was singing the line, "Love is nature's way of giving, a reason to be living..." I broke down and couldn't stop the tears but I kept on singing. These people gave me so much and I was happy to be there for them. I can never erase from my memory the loving hugs and the kind looks they gave me. The way they hollered to say goodbye until our car was out of sight. I was thankful for that moment and for the gift of music that led me to them.
The following day we hopped on a bus to get to our next destination. Hokkaido is a very agricultural island, with most areas farmed in some way. Beautiful. Asahikawa, from the outskirts, has wide roads and they often continue in a straight line for miles when there are no mountains to navigate around. I guess this is proof of how much wilderness is left in Hokkaido. The rolling hills also reminded me very much of Canada, now home to my family.
 The 3rd day of our tour was at Jazz Fool in Kitami, a very special place for jazz, where the audience become one with the band. In spite of the sauna like temperatures we had that night, so "inspiring" was the audience reaction, that the joy the band shared in their playing was infectious. It was more than just listening to the music. It really was also seeing their happy faces that added to the great pleasure the audience was given that night.
Lastly, we played in Abashiri, a vast, beautiful place with lots of forests and lakes where the farming and fishing industry are popular. We drove through an area that was famous for its wheat, potato and flower filled fields. The Potato is one of its famous crops. I simply love places of natural unspoiled beauty. Not to forget, Abashiri also has a famous prison, or should I say, infamous.
The show at the Central Hotel was sold out and was very much appreciated by the audience who I would say do not have much chance to see a live jazz performance. It was a very good show. The next morning, I was fortunate to get a glimpse of Cape Notoro, where there's a famous black and white lighthouse. The scenery was just fantastic, it was hard to imagine what it would look like when the water turns into ice and everything is blanketed in white during the winter. I took photos of this lovely place and of a break in the hills through which I saw a group of horses standing on top.
 At the end of June, I was invited to perform again at the Sugadaira Jazz Festival in Sugadaira-kogen, Nagano, well known for it's highland resorts. I played with Toshiyuki Daitoku (p), Yasumasa Ichikawa (p), Tetsuro Ueno (b), Mamoru Nihonyanagi (ds), Hal Saito (ts), Yukiyasu Yamada (s.g.), Kouichi Sasuga (producer,g). The show was very successful and everyone had a really fun time on stage.
It's always a great feeling to bring my music to many different places both near and far, because it gives me a chance to take a break from the city and enjoy nature's unlimited gifts. It refreshes my soul. I thank everyone who came to all of our shows. You make it happen for us. This summer, I will present to you my latest album of Brazilian Jazz, so please join me when you can, and let's samba together!
Charito
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