Azusss!
I just returned from playing in Japan for the first time in my life and it was worth the wait. The hospitality and respect that the Japanese audiences exhibited towards Bob, Keita, and I was underpinned by a genuine interest in and deep knowledge of the music we were playing. Japan is a beautiful country with mountains rising up out of the ocean, Totoro-type forests, a city twice the size of NYC, and Japanese musicians bringing their own voices to the lingua franca called Jazz. Keita is from Sasebo, where we played last Sunday, and traveling with him and his family for most of our trip was a true luxury. This was never more apparent than after Bob and I ventured out on our own on our day off, only to get lost at least 4 times and to be thoroughly exhausted by the cognitive load of trying to figure out where we were.
The Japanese language is incredibly complex, especially for me as an English speaker who has only studied “Romance” languages. Even though I had memorized a few phrases to use in social interactions they completely deserted me in their moment of need. After several public failures I Googled ways of saying (and pronouncing) “thank you” and I found a page called “17 Different Ways of Saying Thank You in Japanese.” When I showed it to Keita he noted that it wasn’t even very comprehensive and proceeded to rattle off about 7 more ways of saying “thanks” in a more natural or colloquial way. A humorous leitmotif for us and for our audiences was Bob and I learning to say “Azusss,” a familiar corruption of the more formal “Arigato gozaimasu.” The phrase’s brevity and the entertainment it provided to the recipient helped it stick.
The night before we played at the Cotton Club in Tokyo we went to the Blue Note to see Charles Lloyd and his band, with Jason Moran on piano, Larry Grenadier on bass, and Eric Harland on drums. If you know Charles Lloyd’s music (and his bands) then you won’t be surprised to hear that it was a set to behold. Some adjectives that describe their set include unfettered, undulating, mercurial, emotive, fiery and stately. It was an extra bonus to get to catch up with Eric and his wife Anissa after the set.
The night after we played the Cotton Club Keita played there again with a Japanese pianist/composer/arranger (now living in Brooklyn) named Martha Kato. Our friend Moto Fukushima, whom I met in the band House of Waters, was playing electric bass in Martha’s septet which included Trumpet, Trombone, Tenor Sax, Flute/Soprano/Alto. Her music and piano playing are heavy. Check out her record Solúna for starters.
I can’t wait to be back in Japan, if ever so briefly, with Snarky Puppy later this month for the Blue Note Jazz Festival.
When it rains it pours.
Next Up…
Tuesday, September 3 at Mezzrow, NYC
Zach Brock Quartet with David Kikoski, Pablo Menares, and Mark Whitfield, Jr.
Sets at 7:30pm and 9pm.
Sunday, September 8 at COTA Festival of the Arts, Delaware Water Gap, PA
Brock, Lanzetti, Ogawa
Main Stage at 5pm