JAWing On – Life on Okinawa

Although being married to a musician has many ups and downs, one of the enjoyable things about the life is being able to help write songs with your spouse. Many of you have been waiting since 2000 for the next JET CD to come out. Although we began working on the project in the summer of ’03, for various reasons it just wasn’t in the cards until now. The band is currently in the preproduction stage of recording a new CD. Like the last CD, this one will have several songs co-written by Taki and myself, as well as tunes written exclusively by Taki. I don’t know if there are plans to include a strictly Japanese language song on this CD as they did with the first JET CD. Hopefully, the new CD will be available sometime in the late spring or early summer and include songs such as a remade “Rock ‘Till the Morning Sun” (known to some of you as “Shout at the Moon”), “My Angel”, and “Ryukyu Island Rock ‘n’ Roll”.

Last night, at Pianissimo, Taki and I had the honor of enjoying the sounds of a jazz ensemble that was outstanding. Two members, Kibata Haruya and Tanaka Youicihi, were from mainland Japan and the other three members, Kohamoto Tadashi, Gandhi Nishigaki and Shimabukuro Suguru, are local musicians. The show consisted of two sets that were not only kept the mind fully occupied with sound, but relaxed and stimulated the body and brain at the same time. All the members were outstanding. But especially impressive was the alto sax player, Kohamoto Tadashi. A small statured man, the gentle, yet energetic, sounds that emanated from his sax showed that he and the instrument are able to come together as one. I don’t know the next time this particular group of musicians is going to play again. But if you ever get the chance, this ensemble is a must hear.

Well, rumor has it that those of you who have a favorite watering hole or eatery that was marked for demolition for the Music Town project have been given a short reprieve for the start date. If the rumor is true, you have until sometime in June before the project will commence

I recently caught part of a musical performance on television that provided a pleasant surprise. I don’t know the name of the act, but it consisted of two young men playing violins in a semi Charlie Daniel’s style. The total song wasn’t limited to “fiddle” playing. It also included bits of rap in it. The overall effect produced from the combination was a very energetic and rhythmic sound. What I was able to catch of the act was totally enjoyable. If you ever hear of an act similar to this description, give yourself a treat and check it out.

Note: This was originally posted in July 2004. But when I saved the updated post with different contact data for Kween, the program reset it to today’s date.
Each year the persons of power, you know the ones that play God in determining which bands are going to play and when, select one closing act that is suppose to summate the over-all energy that the two day Peaceful Love Rock Festival generates. And each of the last few years the closing act is some former big-name Japanese band that, well to the more developed rock ‘n’ roll ears of the locals, just doesn’t seem to do the job. Meanwhile, they have been booking a mainland Japanese band that they seem to feel is not worthy of any time slot higher than early evening. This is a big mistake in my eyes and ears. If the response of the audience is to be taken into account of when which act plays, then this band should be the closing act. When this band plays the audience cheerfully sings along, and those who don’t know the words are sitting, or standing in front of the stage, with the biggest smiles across their faces a person will ever see. What seems to make this act so special, besides the well-known musical numbers that they perform, is the over-all energy of the band members. They really like what they are doing, and it shows. The lead singer is the most unlikely candidate for the role that he is playing, yet he has the personality and talent to pull it off. If those persons of power would use this particular band as the closing act, I could almost guarantee that the every single audience member would leave with a smile on their face. What band is it? Kween, the mainland Japanese tribute band to Queen. So maybe someone will get smart, as the plans for next year’s concert start to take formation. And, who knows, maybe we will be able to leave the 23rd annual Peaceful Love Rock Festival with songs on our lips and music in our hearts.

In a kind of farewell to the club that housed the ’70s Okinawan rock band Condition Green, the Hideaway was the scene of the Gate 2 Shinenkai party last night. Word has it the brick mosh pit that once contained numerous over-energetic moshers, had been disassembled recently. Yet, the spacious club (known as Roaring ’20s in the early ’70s, Fillmore East in the late ’70s, and Disco Carnival in the early ’80s) still boasts an ample dance floor for those who want to move their feet to the music of the house band. As far as the destruction of the club itself, from what we are being told now, the destruction of buildings in the area to become “Music Town” is to begin in April and start on the Nakanomachi side of the project. Which means the Gate 2 Street section of the project is to be torn down last, maybe.

Yesterday Taki and I had a chance to go see a couple of local shopping mall performances. The first was one of two 30 minute Hard Rock Minyo performances that included S.K.p Bonenkai Bash 2004 vocalist, Kenichi, and guitarist, Kaoru. The relatively new form of Minyo combined traditional folk minyo lyrics with “hard rock” electric guitars and synthesized prerecordings. The performance was a very enjoyable look at the possibliites available by remaining opened-minded and possessing a willingness to fuse the talents of seasoned artists of various genres of music in new and innovative ways.

The second was a shopping mall “street” performance by some young local hip-hop artists. I found this to be a refreshing use of youthful energy in a positive and constructive manner. Local success on the national J-pop scene (as with the rock scene) has to date been limited to less than a handful of artists. Unlike the local rock music scene of the ’70s, this will probably change in the next few years. Given the decline of the overall birth rate on mainland Japan, the music industry will be turning its eyes, and pockets, to the more promising and booming youth market of Okinawa. Here they can find a refreshing new generation of local untapped talent (who have had the opportunity to be exposed to the American pop music scene on a one on one basis) waiting to be the next big thing on the national music scene.

Here it is the beginning of a new year. If all goes according to the information we have been fed, construction on the new Music Town facility will begin within a few weeks. The construction actually starts with the destruction of a large area of buildings in the Gate 2 Street and hostess bar (Nakanomachi) sector. Gate 2 Street will be losing one of its historic facilities that in the ’70s housed Condition Green, one of the three bands classified as Okinawan Rock that made some headway on the Japanese market. The building is now the site of Hideaway, home of the mosh pit. (Also, on the agenda for destruction are Club Red, Shooters, Take One, Good Times, etc.) I don’t know if Hideaway owner, James, has plans to replace the mosh pit with a new one at one of his other facilities. The Heavy Metal regulars still have a couple of facilities available, such as nearby 7th Heaven and Fujiyama’s, in which to enjoy that particular genre of rock music. As far as the construction time frame, we’ve been told it will take approximately two years. So this year will mark the end of a part of Gate 2 Street that I have known since 1973. This event, in its own way, seems to epitomize that familiar saying “out with the old, in with the new.”