Post 561: JAPAN COMES TO NEW ORLEANS

Haruka Kikuchi, the great young Japanese trombonist who settled in New Orleans in 2014, has been busy both as a record producer and as a player in the last couple of years. She has produced a series (at present five 'volumes') of recordings under the general title 'JAPAN: NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION'.

What has happened is this: several of her Japanese jazzing colleagues have visited her in New Orleans over the past months and she has taken advantage of the opportunity to get them into a New Orleans recording studio, together with some of the local musicians, in order to record a few tunes.

By November 2017, she will have released the fifth Volume in this series.

I think this fifth volume could be the loveliest, to judge from the one sample track that I have so far been able to hear. Haruka uses just a quartet (see the photo above); and what a terrific team they are! Molly Reeves (guitar and vocals) and Joshua Gouzy (bass) are a super pair to provide the chords and rhythmic backing, as well as an occasional solo chorus. And Haruka herself, with the wonderful Makiko Tamura (currently considered by many of us one of the most talented and tasteful clarinet players in the world) produce delightful interplay in the 'front line'. The tune I have been able to hear is I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now, which is played through twice as a waltz before breaking into 4/4 time. Makiko takes the lead on the melody in the first chorus. This is such a beautiful and appealing performance, that I feel sure the other three tunes on the recording will be well worth hearing too. They are Give It Up, Burgundy Street Blues - wow, I bet Makiko will be brilliant on that - and Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor - which I know Molly has often sung beautifully.

I found the necessary information on all the above at:

https://harombone.bandcamp.com/album/japan-new-orleans-collection-series-vol-5

Also already available is Volume 4, in which Haruka uses a 6-piece combination which is most unusual in having no banjo or guitar or clarinet or trumpet or saxophone. What it offers is a feast for trombone enthusiasts, as the entire 'front line' comprises three trombonists! They are Shoichi Yamada and David L. Harris as well as Haruka herself. However, they do not get in each other's way, as you might expect. The music is well arranged and disciplined. It is quite something to hear Royal Garden Blues and When My Dreamboat Comes Home played by 'massed' trombones!

Post 412: BRAIN TEASER

Recently I offered you this brain-teaser sent in by James Sterling of Florida. 
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Ivan,

I began a mind game with myself recently trying to list all of the traditional jazz song titles with New Orleans street and place names. The thought occurred that this might make a good brain-teaser for your blog. 

So far I have come up with:

Bourbon Street (Parade)

South Rampart Street (Parade)

Franklin Street (Blues)

Gravier Street (Blues)

Basin Street (Blues) (Stomp)

Burgundy Street (Blues)

Canal Street (Blues)

Perdido Street (Blues)

Bienville (Blues)

Storyville (Blues)

Milneburg (Joys)

West End (Blues)

St. James Infirmary

(Relaxing at ) The Touro

James
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Well, here are some more that have been sent to me by blog readers. I'm not declaring a 'winner', though I must say the number of John Whitehorn's contributions amazed me!

Pontchartrain (Blues) - - from John Whitehorn, Robert Duis, Jim Buck, Paul Morris and Barrie Marshall
(Sailing on) Lake Pontchartrain from Barrie Marshall
Algiers (Strut) - from John Whitehorn, Marinus-Jan Van Langevelde, Jim Buck, Paul Morris and Barrie Marshall
Algiers (Bounce) - from John Whitehorn
Astoria (Strut)- from John Whitehorn
Back 'o Town Blues - from John Whitehorn, Jim Buck and Paul Morris
(Blues for) Rampart Street - from John Whitehorn
(Moon Over) Bourbon Street - from Paul Morris
Congo Square - from John Whitehorn
Conti Street Parade from Barrie Marshall and from John Whitehorn
Dauphine Street (Blues) - from John Whitehorn, Marinus-Jan Van Langevelde, Robert Duis and David Withers
Decatur Street (Blues) - from Robert Duis and Jim Buck and Barrie Marshall
Dumaine Street (Drag) - from John Whitehorn
Dumaine Street (Blues) - from Jean-Luc Rivier 
(Farewell to) Storyville - [aka Good Time Flat Blues] - from John Whitehorn and Paul Morris
French Market (Blues) [Tony Parenti]- from John Whitehorn
Gallatin Street (Grind)- from John Whitehorn
La Harpe Street Blues - from John Whitehorn, Jim Buck
Mahogany Hall (Stomp) - from John Whitehorn, Chris Rule and Barrie Marshall
House of the Rising Sun (?Well - O.K.) from Barrie Marshall 
Mississippi Mud (?Well - O.K.) - from Robert Duis
North Rampart Street (March) - from John Whitehorn
Bucktown Blues - from Robert Duis
Perdido Street (Stomp) - from Paul Morris
Red Onion (Drag) - from John Whitehorn
Red Onion (Blues) - from John Whitehorn
Tin Roof (Blues) - from John Whitehorn and from Jim Buck
Toulouse Street (Lament) - from John Whitehorn
Toledano Street Blues - from John Whitehorn
Tulane (Swing) - from John Whitehorn and from Bob Wright 
St. Philip Street (Breakdown) - from Henry Kiel, Marinus-Jan Van Langevelde, Susan Enefer and David Withers and Barrie Marshall and John Whitehorn

Post 36: 'BURGUNDY STREET BLUES' ON THE CORNET!

George Lewis

One of the great classics of the traditional jazz canon is Burgundy Street Blues - a sequence of exquisitely beautiful 12-bar blues choruses created in 1944 by George Lewis. Most clarinet players ever since have aspired to play it as a party piece. You can hear George himself playing it in a version running for just under three minutes by clicking here.

And now we find the great Shaye Cohn playing Burgundy Street Blues as a CORNET feature with Tuba Skinny.

Shaye Cohn

Is there nothing that young lady cannot do? You can watch Shaye's performance (well recorded by the videomaker codenamed RaoulDuke504) by clicking here.

George Lewis - and clarinet players generally - play this tune in the key of C. As she does with all the vintage tunes in her repertoire, Shaye plays it in her own way, without slavish imitation. She has also brought it down to the key of F, where it is more comfortable for the cornet's range and where it still sounds exquisitely beautiful. The Tuba Skinny version runs for over six minutes - filled out with a couple of improvised choruses from each of the saxophone and clarinet, and one from the banjo.