民謡成世流吉泉会 第二十五回発表会

先週、三重県で「宇和島さんさ」を披露するために日本に帰国しました。この地を訪れるのは初めてで、またその日は日本に到着してから2日目でした。帰路はとても長く、また三重への出発ということで朝はとても早かったのですが、幸運にも車に乗らせていただき、睡眠をとることができました。

Last weekend, I returned to Japan to perform “Uwajima Sansa,” in Mie prefecture. It was my first time visiting the area, while also my second day back in Japan. It was a long day returning and an early morning departing to Mie, but luckily I was able to ride in a car and catch up on sleep.

会場に到着すると、発表会に参加する演奏者に慣例で贈られるお弁当をいただきました。お弁当の中身は、魚、漬け物、ご飯の盛り合わせで、1日の始まりにふさわしい物でした。（アメリカのベーコンエッグとは大違いだ！）私はもともと午後3時に出演する予定だったので、温かいお茶を飲みリラックスしたり、本番に備えて精神を備えたりする十分な時間がありました。最大の難関は、日本の地に降り立ったばかりの中再び日本文化に飛び込むことでした。今後慣れるかどうかは分かりませんが、正直なところ、私はその方が好きです。その方が物事が楽しくなるんですよね。

When we arrived at the show, we were presented with a Bento box, which is customarily given to performers participating in these events. It contained an assortment of fish, pickled foods and rice, to start off the day— a far cry from the American bacon and eggs! I was originally scheduled to perform at 3:00pm, which gave me ample time to drink hot tea, relax, and mentally prepare for the show. The biggest challenge was being catapulted back into Japanese culture, after having just landed on Japanese soil. I am not sure if I’ll ever get used to it but to be honest, I prefer it that way. It makes things more fun.

日本での練習は久しぶりだったので、歌詞を頭に浮かべながらも少し慎重になっていました。私が受けてきた指導は、私の潜在意識に刻み込まれているので、単純に冷静になり、初期のお稽古の間にこれまで蓄積してきた心の記録に耳を傾けることが重要でした。本番間近にも関わらず、自分がどれだけ多くのことを記憶し思い出せるかということに驚くでしょう！唯一の問題は、本番が午後3時ではなく、1時間早まったことでした。袴を着る時間もほとんどありませんでしたが、なんとかステージに立つことができました。

Since I hadn’t practiced in Japan for a while, I was a little more cautious, while running the lines through my head. The training I have received has been engrained into my subconscious, so it was simply a matter of being calm and listening to the mental notes I had made, during my initial practice of the song. You’d be surprised how much you can retain and remember, when it’s almost time to go live! The only problem was that instead of going on at 3:00pm, my performance was bumped up an hour early. I barely had time to put on my hakama(the skirt of a man’s formal Kimono), but I was able to make it out on stage and perform.

発表が終わると観客は多くのサポートを示し、演奏に感激しているようでした。夜は、友人たちとの素敵な晩御飯で幕を閉じました。日本酒を飲みながら、他の先生とも時間を過ごすこともできました。素晴らしい一日の、素晴らしい締めくくりでした。

At the end of the show, the audience showed much support and seemed thrilled with the performance, which made my heart sing. The evening was just as supportive, ending with a nice dinner, among friends. I was even able to spend time with the other Sensei, over a nice bottle of nihonshu. It was a great end to a great day.

MANHOLE 准セッション

みんなさんあけましておめでとうございます。年末は東京で沢山の仲間たちと素敵な時間を過ごしました。今年も皆さんにとって素敵な年になりますように。今年もよろしくお願い致します。

We did it again! With one rehearsal, we were able to get through 9 songs, a new original song, and a cover of "Winter Fall," by L'Arc~. We also played an older Heart song, which was a first for me. I definitely enjoyed the high speed tune and how it showcased great guitar playing. The synergy with the members was fantastic and notably stronger than our last performance together. Since our first show together, we’ve learned much about one another and what to expect on stage. Our guitarist Kohta wasn't able to join us in person, but we held a livestream, where he looked like a true "Big Brother," looming over the drum set. Although it wasn't 1984, it a was a great foray into 2022. At the end of the show, we had a Karaoke session and I sang "In The Air" by L'Arc~en~Ciel. Actually, both bands played tunes from L’Arc. “Niji", "Winter Fall," and one other I can't recall, but will be covered in the members-only area, shortly. If you follow my twitter, you will notice that Subaru-san announced that we will record a new song this year, on which I will play bass. Look forward to it, with me!

ハート(tRaeH) 准セッション

ハート(tRaeH)のメンバーと演奏するのは初めてでした。 コウタ(Kt)さん、ジュン(准)さん、スバル(昴)さんたち。 新潟出身のオズドラマーズキ(元OZのドラマーZukki)。 コウタ(Kt)はLAから戻ってきたので、今回は彼が最も長距離のメンバーでした！ 非常に優れたサウンドシステムで「ピンキー」を日本で演奏するのは初めてでした。 大きさが小さくて軽いので、普段は「モムジアン」mtdベースを持ってきますが、4弦で（もともとは5弦ベース用に書かれた）曲を弾き始めたので、ギリギリまで変わらない方がいいと思いました。 電車のドアやレストランの天井の備品の下に隠れているのは懐かしい感じでした。 実際、パーティー後の夕食は、天井が非常に低い部屋で私たちを密着させ、背の低いウェイトレスだけがまっすぐに立ち上がることができました！

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午後の暑さは非現実的でしたが、大阪はもっとひどいと思っていたので、今回は東京に来て良かったです。  2年前はとても暑かったけど、今回も人々は予想通り悶絶していました。 私たちが経験している「緊急事態」のさまざまな状態は、通りにいる人や車の数を

Outside, people were cool…

少なくさせ、少し涼しくてきれいでした。

お客さんたちは素晴らしかったです。 みんな素敵な服を着ていました。私も洋服ではなく、浴衣の方が家にいるようにくつろげて、良かったと思いました。お客さんのほとんどはドレスを着た女の子だったので、おそらく私の服とつり合っていて、ベルトをする必要がなかったので快適でした。 私のベースの低音を邪魔するリベット付きジーンズ。これを避けたいので、着物か浴衣以外は二度と着ません。 スティーブン・セガールがヌンチュアンシャツを着ることができるなら、私は浴衣を着ます。

ショーは私もとても感謝しましたし、問題なく進みました。 特に事前に会ったことがないメンバー同士でしたが、リハーサルが1回だけで、有名な2曲をカバーしていたこともあり、誰もが非常に上手に演奏しました。 次のライブでまたベースを弾くのを楽しみにしています。 楽器を肩にかけ、立ち上がってステージに上がるのは久しぶりでした！

Nanko de la Soul 南港デラソール

I decided it was time and get out of the “mansion” and experience an outdoor concert event in Osaka. Once I met my new friends at Cosme station, we made our way to Port Town and walked for about 15 minutes to the park from the station. We were all amazed at the magnitude of the bridge. Given that I am learning Red Hot Chili Peppers songs again, it was also surprising to see such a well kept “Under The Bridge” environment. Certainly no one had “drew some blood or gave their life away,” down here!

To be truthful, the bands were average, but I respected their effort. Each band seemed to be missing a key component: the Jazz band didn’t have a bass player, the Soul Singer didn’t have a band, and the Soul Band didn’t have… What the French call “je ne sais quo.” Yet it was still a great day. The music was the perfect background noise to the massive bridge and insanely good weather. Had I been in the U.S.A., I never wold have gone to such an event — it would have been noisy, full of weed smoke, and the food wouldn’t have been half as good as it was here. Everything was organized, peaceful and relaxing, in true Japanese fashion. Even the ride back was a treat, with a great sunset presented by our driverless train!

The first concert I remember seeing was Stevie Wonder at Osaka Jo Hall. It was my first time in Japan and a complete blur to me. All I remember is that the audience was completely silent and Stevie Wonder joked that he couldn’t see anyone in the crowd and asked everyone to make “some noise.” I was slightly disappointed because I had just finished explaining to my partner in crime that I was so glad we came to Japan to see Stevie because in the U.S., the sound of the crowd would have overpowered the musician. You could hear a pin drop in this hall and that’s exactly how I like it!I took this photo because it wasn’t until I saw the lights at night, that I remembered coming here almost 19 years ago! Things have completely changed at Osaka Jo Hall — street vendors, a Starbucks, and a completely renovated Park Station have made it a great destination for tourists to to refresh and/or retire. You can even rent a Ninja costume.

I started the day with pancakes and ended it with a Burrito in America Mura, but it wasn’t worth photographing. All in all, it was a great afternoon and definitely one that would have been more difficult to accomplish in L.A. One point for Osaka!