[Live Report] Kawasaki Jazz 10th Anniversary GRAND FINALE produced by Eric Miyashiro
The concert marking the finale of "Kawasaki Jazz 2024," which has been held under the theme "Jazz Builds Bridges," was a rare project featuring a collaboration between two big bands: the special big band led by Eric Miyashiro and the Showa University of Music Lily Jazz Orchestra. It was held on November 24th at the Teatro Giglio Showa at Showa University of Music, on a day when autumn had deepened significantly and a clear, expansive blue sky stretched overhead.
The large hall, with a capacity of 1,367 seats, was nearly full. The first part featured the Showa University of Music Lily Jazz Orchestra, and the second part featured a special big band composed of top-tier musicians. With guests joining in, there were duos and solos, and the music delighted the audience with a variety of combinations, ranging from swing to fusion and funk.
In the first part, right at the start time, the members of the Showa University of Music Lily Jazz Orchestra appeared on stage to the sound of a bell, receiving loud applause. A short while later, when conductor Eric Miyashiro appeared, the applause grew even louder.
Under Eric's direction, the performance of "Cute" began energetically. It was an up-tempo, groovy swing piece. I was surprised by the high level of this orchestra; they had a soft sound and were perfectly in sync. The saxophone and trombone solos also had a gentle tone. It is reassuring to think that they will support the future of Japanese jazz.
Next, Eric gave a greeting. Explaining that it was "a concert featuring those who will carry the future and the best of the present," he welcomed guest Satoru Shionoya. The piece that began with a sharp piano strike was Chick Corea's "Got a Match." It started with just piano and drums, and the band joined in at full volume immediately after. Shionoya's piano exploded with energy that matched the band's intensity. It was delightful to see the hits at key points in the song align perfectly with Eric's cues. The audience gave a big round of applause for the expression of young talent.
Today's two guests, Shionoya and Onuma, perform as a duo and are known as "OnuShio." Here, the members of the Lily Jazz Orchestra left the stage, and the duo performed Shionoya's original piece, "Delicious Breeze." The two were perfectly in sync, truly the pinnacle of interplay. The audience responded with the biggest applause yet.
Next was Shionoya's piano solo, his original piece "A Brand New Day." It was a free-spirited piano performance, like a lively child running through fields and mountains. The articulation was clear, and the combination of dynamic accents, silence, and movement was exquisite. It felt like watching a drama. This was followed by Onuma's guitar solo, "Flyway," referring to the flight path of migratory birds. Under a round spotlight, it began quietly with rubato from chords that also felt Japanese. As he layered the chords and the rhythm gradually emerged, he tapped his foot on the floor to keep time. As it decrescendoed back into delicate sounds and ended quietly, a large round of applause rose from the venue. He showed us various landscapes with just one guitar.
Here, the members of the Lily Jazz Orchestra appeared again for a collaboration with Onuma. Eric announced the next song title as "Assassin," but what began to play was "Happy Birthday." It happened to be Onuma's birthday, so Eric handed him a present on stage, and the audience joined in to celebrate. The atmosphere instantly became warm and friendly.
"Assassin" began with a fanfare, followed by a super-fast funk beat, featuring a collaboration between the big band and Onuma's cutting guitar. The excitement in the venue reached a peak, creating a whirlpool of enthusiasm. Amidst thunderous applause, Onuma left his present on stage as he exited, and when he came back to retrieve it, the audience burst into laughter.
At this point, Eric introduced the members one by one. The Showa University of Music Lily Jazz Orchestra is a band that won first place last year and second place this year at the Yamano Big Band Jazz Contest. Eric's son is also in the trumpet section. The final piece of the first part was "Dream Chaser," the song performed at that contest. It began with a high-speed funk beat, then shifted to a calmer beat, and back to a high-speed beat, keeping the audience engaged with scene changes like a suite. At the end, all the members of the Lily Jazz Orchestra lined up at the very front of the stage to perform. It was a spectacular sight. It was also a valuable opportunity for the members to show off their finest moment, with their families likely in the audience.
The second part featured a special band of Japan's top musicians, and the first song was Maynard Ferguson's "Knee Deep in Rio." As expected, there was a sense of ease and depth in the sound. Eric's trumpet high notes approached sharply, and Senri Kawaguchi's drums exploded. This flood of sound increased the audience's excitement all at once. When it ended, there were cheers of "Oh!" and loud applause.
In his MC, Eric talked about the history of big bands and their instrumentation. This was helpful even for audience members not accustomed to listening to jazz. From the Count Basie Orchestra library, they played a song recorded in 1952, "Back to the Apple." It was an ultra-up-tempo swing piece. The trumpet section moved their mutes up and down to add variation to the sound. It was a swingy performance that made me think, "This must be what jazz in the 1940s was like."
As the era progressed to the late 1950s, improvisation became more important. Thad Jones left the Count Basie Orchestra to form the Thad Jones & Mel Lewis Orchestra. From their repertoire, they played "Lowdown." It was swing, but the tempo was more relaxed than the previous song, resulting in a modern sound. Following Nakagawa's trombone solo, Eric signaled with his hand for the trombone and the band to play alternately, and the hits throughout the song were perfectly executed, which felt great.
Next was "Something's Coming" from the musical "West Side Story." The original was a march, but they performed the version arranged by Dave Grusin for his own band. It started with a piano trio intro, followed by a stylish arrangement in 3/4 time. The brilliant sound of the brass section filled the hall. Eventually, it became quiet as if the tide were receding, shifting to a slow 4/4 time, and tenor saxophonist Miku Yonezawa took a solo with a beautiful tone. It ended quietly in pianissimo.
In the 1960s, rock and jazz fused to become fusion. Masato Honda, who was active in the representative fusion band T-SQUARE, used a wind synthesizer called NuRAD to perform a medley of songs by keyboardist Hirotaka Izumi, who composed "Takarajima" (Treasure Island), a song that has now become a staple for wind orchestras, with the big band as backing. "TAKARAJIMA ~ Omens of Love." This instrument has a unique, clear tone like a flute. The nostalgic fusion sound was revived in the modern day.
Next, Shionoya joined in for Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed." It was a Latin arrangement, and Shionoya's piano solo had a beautiful tone. The entire audience listened intently to the band's flawless ensemble. It was a precious space where one could lose track of time and immerse oneself in music.
Shionoya left and Onuma joined for the next song, "Moai's Tihai." Riding on the groovy beat played by Kawaguchi, the band's performance and the solo performance were exquisitely combined. The arrangement was wonderful. Honda's alto saxophone delivered high notes that sounded like silk tearing, then it suddenly became quiet, and Onuma's guitar solo resonated with sounds like a tabla, before the big band suddenly played a thick ensemble again. The dynamic accents were dramatic.
For the finale, Eric introduced all the members and energetically played "Lingus." The unison theme rang out brilliantly, then developed into harmony. The time signature also shifted from odd meters to swing before we knew it. Honda and Yonezawa took turns soloing, engaging in a battle. The end featured a magnificent drum solo by Kawaguchi. This drew huge cheers.
The applause did not cease. In response to the encore, they brought the members of the Lily Jazz Orchestra back onto the stage. They lined up alternately with the seniors by instrument. With the big band now double in size, Shionoya and Onuma also joined in for the classic song "Spain." Clapping started naturally from the audience. In a situation where opportunities for young and veteran musicians to meet are limited, this was a valuable opportunity for the students to perform side-by-side with top musicians.
Eric then continued, telling the double big band to do one more song. The song was "Birdland." This time, everyone in the band took an 8-bar solo each. With students and seniors combined, there were 9 in the sax section, 8 in the trombone section, 9 in the trumpet section, plus piano, keyboard, electric bass, drums, and percussion. After everyone finished their solos, Eric finally closed it out with a brilliant high note. The whole venue raised their hands high and sent endless applause for the ultra-luxurious sound that is rarely heard. It was truly an ending worthy of a grand finale.
The people leaving in small groups all have satisfied expressions on their faces. I left the venue with the lingering excitement, thinking that it surely won't be long before the members of the Lily Jazz Orchestra, who performed in the first part, stand on the stage of the second part as world-class musicians active on the front lines.
Text: Nori Ikeda (Kawasaki Jazz Official Reporter)
Photo: Tak. Tokiwa
● Performance Information
Kawasaki Jazz 10th Anniversary
GRAND FINALE produced by Eric Miyashiro
Date and Time: Sunday, November 24, 2024, Starts at 15:00
Venue: Showa University of Music, Teatro Giglio Showa
Performers: Eric Miyashiro (cond, tp, produce), Masato Honda, Runa Watanabe (a sax), Ryoji Ihara, Miku Yonezawa (t sax), Kei Suzuki (b sax), So Gushiken, Teppei Kawakami, Chihiro Yamazaki, Rintaro Saito (tp), Eijiro Nakagawa, Naoki Fujimura, Ryota Sasaguri, Amane Takai (tb), Shuto Nakagawa (p), Ryu Kawamura (b), Senri Kawaguchi (drs), Showa University of Music Lily Jazz Orchestra, and others
[GUEST] Satoru Shionoya (p), Yosuke Onuma (g)
SETLIST
[1st] Lily Jazz Orchestra & Guests
1. Cute / Lily Jazz Orchestra
2. Got a Match? / Satoru Shionoya & Lily Jazz Orchestra
3. Delicious Breeze / Satoru Shionoya + Yosuke Onuma
4. A Brand New Day / Satoru Shionoya
5. Flyway / Yosuke Onuma
6. Assassin / Yosuke Onuma & Lily Jazz Orchestra
7. Dream Chaser / Lily Jazz Orchestra
[2nd] Special Big Band
8. Knee Deep in Rio
9. Back to the Apple
10. Lowdown
11. Something's Coming
12. Izumi Medley (Takarajima - Omens of Love)
13. Moai's Tihai w/ Yosuke Onuma
14. Overjoyed w/ Satoru Shionoya
15. Lingus
== ENCORE==
EN1: Spain
EN2: Birdland