So as part of my growing Jazz identity I've been playing more. On April 22 I got the chance to play at the Chikura Music Festival in Chiba with Rick Overton (trumpet), Yusuke Morita (bass), and Ryo Kanda
(drums), and a pianist who I don't remember.
I'll keep this short so I can get to the pictures.
It was an amazing experience. Rick is one of the top performers in Tokyo and asked me to join him for the festival. It wasn't a paying gig, but a chance that I couldn't say no to. You can read up on Rick here.
He's been very much a mentor to me and a contact I would never have imagined I'd make. I met him last year at our International School Band Festival where he was an adjudicator and then ran into him again this year when his son was on my basketball team (ended up being my best player).
When he asked me to play the gig I said yes with trepidation. I don't consider myself to be very good jazz musician at all and I've been asked by a guy who has played with groups ranging from The Four Tops to Branford Marsalis (he's actually really good friends with him). So it completely freaked me out and I practiced, a lot, like college performance major (almost I do have a job after all). Even with all the practice though I had no faith and almost cancelled two days prior.
All that being said, it went off with out much of a hitch. So well in fact that Rick said in an email afterwards that he had fun playing with a tenor since he normally doesn't get to play with one unless Branford comes through town. Yes, he compared me to Branford, as blasphemous as that sounds (to me at least).
For the event, we played 2 sets with about 3 hours in between so the Yusuke, Ryo, and I went to the beach. Alright enough talk, pictures!
(drums), and a pianist who I don't remember.
I'll keep this short so I can get to the pictures.
It was an amazing experience. Rick is one of the top performers in Tokyo and asked me to join him for the festival. It wasn't a paying gig, but a chance that I couldn't say no to. You can read up on Rick here.
He's been very much a mentor to me and a contact I would never have imagined I'd make. I met him last year at our International School Band Festival where he was an adjudicator and then ran into him again this year when his son was on my basketball team (ended up being my best player).
When he asked me to play the gig I said yes with trepidation. I don't consider myself to be very good jazz musician at all and I've been asked by a guy who has played with groups ranging from The Four Tops to Branford Marsalis (he's actually really good friends with him). So it completely freaked me out and I practiced, a lot, like college performance major (almost I do have a job after all). Even with all the practice though I had no faith and almost cancelled two days prior.
All that being said, it went off with out much of a hitch. So well in fact that Rick said in an email afterwards that he had fun playing with a tenor since he normally doesn't get to play with one unless Branford comes through town. Yes, he compared me to Branford, as blasphemous as that sounds (to me at least).
For the event, we played 2 sets with about 3 hours in between so the Yusuke, Ryo, and I went to the beach. Alright enough talk, pictures!
The Festival
Ryo
The band
Rick
Me
Yusuke
Sand Art! Yusuke said it was poop.
Ryo thought it to be an ice cream come.
One man's trash is another man's poop cone.
My beach art.
They also yo-yoed
Two at once!
A certified Pro-spinner.
No comments:
Post a Comment