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| Little Tokyo |
| Hiroshima |
| első megjelenés éve: 2007 |
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| (2007)
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CD |
| 4.521 Ft
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| 1. | Midnight Sun
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| 2. | On The Fence
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| 3. | Lanai
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| 4. | Red Beans and Rice
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| 5. | Sir Charles
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| 6. | Hidden Times
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| 7. | Shades of Honor
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| 8. | Quan Yin
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| 9. | Drama
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| 10. | Hiro Chill
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| 11. | Little Tokyo Underground
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Jazz / World Fusion, Crossover Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Dan Kuramoto Producer, Flute (Alto), Sax (Alto), Flute, Sax (Tenor), Shakuhachi, Group Member, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Sax (Soprano), Percussion
Daniel S. Markus Management
Danny Yamamoto Drums, Group Member
Dave Love Executive Producer
Dean Cortez Group Member, Bass
Dean Taba Bass (Acoustic)
Freeman Wong Art Direction
James K. Lloyd Synthesizer, Keyboards
June Kuramoto Koto, Group Member, Producer
Kenny Endo Percussion, Taiko Drums, Vocals
Kimo Cornwell Group Member, Synthesizer, Clavinet, Fender Rhodes, Piano, Producer
Leslie Chew Guitar, Mixing, Engineer
Martin Walters Mixing
Mary M. Garcia
Paul Blakemore Mastering
Richie Gajate Garcia Timbales, Conga, Percussion
Since Hiroshima's inception in 1980, the group has assumed the artistic mission of bridging cultural divides through the power of music. Founded in east L.A. by Japanese Americans Dan and June Kuramoto, Hiroshima has borrowed from numerous cultures - Asian, Latin American, African American and more - and merged these influences into a unique and innovative whole that is solely their own. The result is a brand of music that speaks to nearly every aspect of contemporary culture.
The goodwill mission continues with the May 22, 2007, release of Little Tokyo (HUCD 3123), Hiroshima's fourth album on Heads Up International. The album title, a reference to the well known Asian neighborhood in southern California, is Hiroshima's nod to the increasing importance in 21st century America of maintaining a positive and all-inclusive world view from our own respective back yards.
"We're always looking at things from a multicultural perspective," says Kuramoto. "We live in southern California, where the ethnic population is in the majority. We see this as the coolest thing about America. Its strength and its vision comes from its multi-ethnicity. Those differences are going to give us the strength to be more unified. The more we homogenize, the more we give up that notion of cultural diversity, and the less we'll understand each other."
Indeed, the eleven tracks on Little Tokyo embrace numerous musical styles and showcase a band that deftly weaves them together into a satisfying tapestry. "Midnight Sun" is the album's infectious opener, a slightly mysterious but highly melodic track that's front-loaded with a Middle Eastern hook yet spotlights the work of two taiko drum masters, longtime group member Shoji Kameda and his teacher, Kenny Endo. "We have both the student and the master playing on this record," says Kuramoto, "and on some of the tracks they're playing together. Each is an outstanding musician in his own right, and when they play together they truly complement each other."
Kameda and Endo reappear - together and separately - at various points along the way ("Hidden Times," "Shades of Honor," "Hiro Chill" and elsewhere), adding an exotic dimension at every turn.
The second track, "On the Fence," gets under way with an opening riff by keyboardist Kimo Cornwell and bassist Dean Cortez that is deceptively laid back yet energized at the same time. The track blossoms into a lighthearted arrangement that enables Kuramoto and Cornwell to trade licks and stretch their artistic muscles without crowding each other or the song itself.
Guest keyboardist and Heads Up labelmate James Lloyd, on loan from Pieces of a Dream, steps in for the catchy "Lanai." The track allows plenty of room for the Asian sensibilities of June Kuramoto's koto work and the contemporary jazz flavor of Dan Kuramoto's tenor sax.
The midtempo "Sir Charles" is perhaps the most culturally and stylistically blended track in the set, with June Kuramoto's koto deftly juxtaposed against the congas, timbales and other gadgetry of guest percussionist Richie Gajate Garcia. At any given moment in this four-and-a-half minute track, one is likely to hear elements of Asian, Latin, rock and pop music.
"Quan Yin (Goddess of Compassion)" features Karen Hwa-Chee Han on erhu, a Chinese stringed instrument whose hypnotic timbre falls somewhere between the violin and the female human voice. The song sits atop acoustic bassist Dean Taba's simple but solid jazz riffs, and features generous contributions from Cornwell and June Kuramoto's koto.
The syncopated closer, "Little Tokyo Underground," is Hiroshima's tip of the hat to jazz cats who are daring enough to take chances by setting up funky grooves and working them to their maximum potential, regardless of prevailing musical sensibilities. "Everything is just so marginalized these days, and played so safe," says Kuramoto. "So many musicians are so afraid to stretch themselves. There's so little that they're allowed to play if they want to survive commercially. But we as a band have always believed that there's more to it than that, and we will continue on our journey to explore those possibilities, regardless of the next fad on the horizon."
Kuramoto understands that Hiroshima's optimistic view of multiculturalism may be difficult for some to grasp, but to his way of thinking, the artist's role has always been rooted in idealism over realism.
"Optimism is not generated on likelihood," he says. "What I do know is the lessons I've learned from guys like Miles Davis and James Moody - or various other prominent or groundbreaking artists throughout history, for that matter. You have a vision, and you live according to that vision every day, in everything you do and everything you create. Look at Van Gogh, one of the great painters of all time. He never sold a painting in his life, but he changed the way the entire world looks at art and artists. That's the role of the artist in society - to constantly reshuffle the deck and force the rest of us to look at the world in a different way."
Little Tokyo is Hiroshima's brilliant musical reference to the importance of maintaining a positive, multicultural world view in the midst of international and intercultural tensions. The group has often used this type of subject matter and symbolism in their songs to convey the feelings and moods which have been inspired by current events, places, and people. The 11 songs span several musical styles including sensibilities inherent in Middle Eastern, Latin American, and Asian music. "Midnight Sun" spotlights the work of Shoji Kameda and Kenny Endo. The taiko drum masters complement each other as they underscore June Kuramoto's lovely koto work and Dan Kuramoto's exotic saxophone lines that exude a mysteriously melodic feeling. Guest keyboardist and labelmate James K. Lloyd of Pieces of a Dream sits in on the catchy tune titled "Lanai." The song includes plenty of spirited accompaniment and passionate lyricism from the Kuramotos. The syncopated closer, "Little Tokyo Underground," is Hiroshima's tip of the hat to the funk-jazz crowd. The funky grooves coupled with the adventurous shades of contemporary jazz adds yet another dimension to this artistic array of musical compositions. ~ Paula Edelstein, All Music Guide
Hiroshima
Active Decades: '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s
Born: 1974 in Los Angeles, CA
Genre: Jazz
Styles: World Fusion, Contemporary Jazz, Crossover Jazz
Hiroshima, a group whose music falls between R&B, pop, world music, and jazz, has long had its own niche. The band integrates traditional Japanese instruments into their musical blend and has generally been both commercial and creative within its genre. Hiroshima's founding members are keyboardist Dan Kuramoto (who also played shakuhachi), June Okida Kuramoto on koto (a key part of the group's sound), Johnny Mori on taiko drums, and Danny Yamamoto on drums, percussion, and taiko. Other additions include keyboardist Kimo Cornwell, bassist Dean Cortez, and singer Teri Koide (who was later succeeded by Kimaya Seward). Some of the musicians were descendants of Japanese Americans held in U.S. detention camps during World War II. Beginning with the band's self-titled 1979 debut, Hiroshima has recorded a series of best-selling albums for Arista, Epic, and Qwest, and although they have evolved over time (moving further away from jazz), they have managed to not only retain but increase their popularity. Since 2000, the band has released a handful of albums including The Bridge in 2003, Spirit of the Season in 2004, Obon in 2005, and Little Tokyo in 2007.
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
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