JAWing On – Life on Okinawa

In the comments section Brad and I have been discussing various artists of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Two of the favorites mentioned were Bread’s “If” and Lobo’s “I’d Love You to Want Me”. For some people, including me, other favorites of that era might include “Happy Trails” by Quicksilver Messenger Service, “Sunny Days” by Lighthouse, or “Black Cat Moan” by B.BA. If you get the chance check out any of the songs mentioned, it’ll be worth your time if you’ve never heard them before (or if you have heard them, a pleasant way to spend some free time).

Well here it is mid-August and it seems none of the destruction phase of the new Music Town project has yet to begin. Originally scheduled for February, then March, then July, it seems to be turning into one of those “whenever” projects. As with many things on island, it will get done when it gets done. So for those of you who lost your favorite hang-out due to the project, I hope the hang-out was able to find an easily accessible new location. And maybe one day you will get to see why the original dig was marked for destruction.

Although the weather has been rather in and out, the band is still in the preproduction stages of the new CD. Taki and I continue to pump out new original tunes and have decided to save “Ryukyu Island Rock ‘n’ Roll” for another CD further down the road. For now our originals “My Angel”, “Rock ‘Till the Morning Sun,” and another new tune “Remember” are on the plate for this upcoming CD. The actual release date is still indefinite.

Even though it’s hard to tell on Okinawa right now, we are heading for the unofficial start of summer in a couple of weeks. For those of you who are planning your summer schedule, don’t forget the annual Peaceful Love Rock Festival is the first weekend in July. This year that means July 2 and 3. This started out as a rock festival in the ’80’s, but don’t let the name fool you. True, most of the artists are still from the Okinawa or mainland Japan. However the concert hosts bands of different genres and locations. Maybe they should consider renaming the concert to the Peaceful Love Music Festival!

For those of you who are interested in a wide array of music, a fledgling Okinawan independent artist download site was announced yesterday. The name of the site, Okinawa Music Flea Market, pretty much says it all. Although this is a newborn site with the works of only about 20 artists available presently, there is a large independent artist community on island. The opportunity for a healthy growth of this site is evident.

Well it’s official. Although the destruction of the sector of Gate 2 Street that is to house the new music Town project was rescheduled for later this year, rumor had it that Hideaway was to have its grand finale on Saturday and Sunday April, 9 and 10, 2005. Bill, house band O’Rock’s lead singer, stopped over at Live Music Bar JET on Saturday, April 16, to let us know that indeed Hideaway closed its doors for good as of Monday 11 April 2005. And so another chapter in the local music scene begins.

Okay here is the latest official news on the Music Town project. According to a local newspaper release, those of you who have a favorite eatery or watering hole in the area scheduled for destruction in order to make room for the new Music Town have until July before the demolition of current facilities begins. Of course the project has been delayed and postponed several times, so this may not be the final start date for the project. Who knows, by July there may be another delay!

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.