Two powerful singers from 70es

Every once in a while, I feel the urge that I should let you know how the Japanese popular songs are. To do that, I sure will try to compare some technicality of it with jazz. If I say the popular, don't forget that I'm an old man. The Jazz is still one of the popular songs for me. So, the popular song can't be one of those anime songs that have been around with those cyber-creatures nonsenses.

During 1970es, well, allow me to repeat that I was young and full of hope to take over the corporation that my father established, or the blood and sweat and tears of his creation. There were, or should I say, are two ladies in this world who was singing with such powerful breathing and beautiful lyrics. Yes I can broaden the limits of each definition so that the area for jazz has been widened to include Ms. Streisand.

One was Ms. Barbara Streisand, singing "Where we were" and Ms. Sayuri Ishikawa, singing "Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyu-geshiki", meaning "The impression of Tsugaru Channel in Winter". The song is classified as one of the best Enka, Enka is the designation to this kind of music.

Tsugaru Channel in Winter


It may require a little explanation what this means. Tsugaru Channel is the northern most Channel running in between the Honshu Island and the Hokkaido Island. The point is that the Channel is used as the symbol of depressing loneliness in the dark cold winter.

The lyric may be in contrast each other. But both are quite sentimental. Barbara tells you her memory with someone, Sayuri tells her own depressing thinking and what she sees in her mind while traveling back to her homeland. It is nice to listen to good music and nice singers sing beautiful songs regardless of its category. That is the beauty of the art, right?

I cry over those Japanese Enkas, for the songs are too fit to my sentiment. I just cannot stop tearing. I don't know what it is. It may be the regret that I have over my past, or mere sentiment to the people I lost contact with, some may have been dead now...

Let me hear what you say on this Japaense song that have been marketed specifically in Japan

Maid dance with Take Five

We were at the College Jazz Band Contest. It was 1962 or 63, It's 45 years ago. So anyone under 45 hadn't existed at that time. Now you know how old I am. We played "So what" and relaxed as being the audience when one of the other contestants started to play "Take Five".



We knew pretty well that the improvisation of it was quite tough. Yes, the rhythm is 5/4. You count five for a bar, which is tough. If you try to keep beat you'll lose the melody line of your improvisation. It may be OK for 5-6 bars but eventually you'll give in to the four beat.

They started out all right. There was this alt sax player whose sound was pretty close to that of Paul Desmond. He stayed with 5/4 for the first chorus. A few bars later he started to play four beat. Rhythm section failed to keep time within next few bars. We all laughed out loud.

I've found this video interesting. First of all that is the amine. secondly girls dancing wear maid uniform. How does that connect to each other? Well, you must be one of the anime fun or you don't know the maid cafe in Tokyo.

It has started 4-5 years and been fad since then. Those cafes are the spot you must visit or you won't be qualified as one of the anime fun. They say "Welcome home, Master" as you walk into the cafe. Hey, you like that!

No, they don't serve alcohol, No, they don't sit next to you. They may allow to take picture with you. They may entertain you with some performance of their own.

In essence you can enjoy seeing and talking with them but no sexual matter involved.

I put up this video for its strange combination of 21st century and 1960es or 1950es for that matter. Enjoy! Let me know if you like it.

Jim Hall and two pianists, Evans and Petruciani

I haven't known this guy named Petruciani. He plays pretty nice with Jim Hall at this video. And I found that there is amazing resembalance with the recording of Undercurrent that was done with Bill Evans and Jim.

Petruciani + Jim Hall : beautiful love.

I am pretty sure that the Undercurrent was recorded much earlier than this video, isn't it? Yeah, right. That was 1962. I was 19. Arrogant in every aspect of my life. Were you not at the age?

I hear Evans touch of backing. With nice combination of block coding at lower octave. Beside, voicing itself sounds pretty close to that of Bill.

Would Petruciani is that tactful guy? I don't know 'cause this is the first time ever listen to his playing. It may be this: If Jim has to be comfortable with backing, the accompanist must be like Bill, is it? Jim is quite nice at both accompaniments.

Jim sure plays better with Valentine. But then it's a recording session. They both could have great time knowing each other. . .

By the way, the recording with this video is much better than the LP I bought.