Happy New Year everyone.

 

Many thanks to all who have provided stimulating topics, discussion and often funny comments and jokes. I especially thank all those who have given me great (and free!) advice and support with my medical problems this year. 

 

I hope I can give something back to you in the form of the glorious Jazz (from Asia! - and why not Asia?) that I have discovered recently on YouTube.

 

So much YouTube 'Jazz', especially 'Latin American' is appalling. Disgraceful 'musicianship' (or total lack of it!).  No originality, no creativity, no wit, no understanding of not only jazz but of these wonderful tunes.

 

Here is the Real Deal: I think you'll be surprised, perhaps even stunned. It's wonderful Jazz, completely contemporary, a trio which plays tunes and songs that many of us love, in an exciting, beautiful, characterful and really fun way. Yuka Yanagihara is a very fine pianist, the double bass players are highly talented musically and the drummer the best trio drummer of this style of Jazz I've heard in 65 years of listening to wonderful jazz music.

 

Please go to the Osaka Jazz Channel on You Tube. It's a large channel, so be careful to choose THIS  wonderfully symbiotic trio.  Yuka Yanagihara on piano, (make sure it's her), either Yuu Miyano or Satsuki Kusui on double bass and the great young drummer Takashi Kage. The sound engineer is Takashi himself. The filming is great too. I've never seen better. A joyous masterclass in making music - and the performances are live.

 

20 stunning tracks. Enjoy!

 

I Love You

Close To You

One Day I’ll Fly Away

Englishman in New York

Fly Me To The Moon

In Walked Bud

Saving All My Love For You

What Kind Of Fool Am I

Fantasy in D

Black Orpheus

Fragile

How My Heart Sings

All The Things You Are

Francisca

Autumn in New York

Some Day My Prince Will Come

Cantaloupe Island

Sing (Sesame Street)

Agua de Beber

Autumn Leaves

 

And if you love Latin Jazz (like me) and can't understand why on earth groups cannot maintain and sustain the marvellously happy Latin/Bossa beat, go to the group that operates out of a coffee shop in the Philippines (yes, I'm not kidding!). There are a few terrific tracks. Great fun, with a lovely and very talented lady singer.  She's also a state registered nurse and a real estate manager. Wouldn't the world be a better place with more people like her? I think you'll love her (I do!)

The group is called Fab Jazz. Live at Glasshouse Coffee. You'll see another title 'Black Davao' at the start when they make you a lovely cappuccino. The tracks I recommend are: 'Brigas Nunca Mais', 'Baubles, Bangles and Beads,' 'O Barquinho', 'So Danca Samba', and 'So Tinha de Ser'.

 

Enjoy a great 2024 and thanks again!

 

 

 

Hiromi is the greatest Japanese pianist

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY5dTBhRxOA

Very nice, thanks for the recommendation.

Siftasam, please fast track me to your best suggested links to two songs on your list because as you say:- Osaka Jazz Channel on You Tube. It's a large channel,

#1. the photographers song:- "Some day my prints will come".

#2. that Thai astronaut song:- "Fry me to the moon"

I'd only heard of two kinds of music before:- Country, and Western and because you say  "Now you has Jazz",   so please open our ears to the stuff you like.

 

Quote

 

Don't Miss This Great Piano Trio Jazz - from Osaka!

19 hours ago in Chiang Mai

 

 

Okay.

 

When and where are they playing in Chiang Mai?

Wow nice. Thanks for the recommendation. 

 

Will listen to it in full when I get some time.

Hiromi is the greatest Japanese pianist

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY5dTBhRxOA

 

Thanks, Mr. proton.

 

Interesting and full discussion of the merits and limitations of her playing on reddit/jazz/hiromi.

 

I don't warm to her. The sound is too often like a mechanical player piano. Quite frankly, her improvisations tend to get on my box. I certainly wouldn't pay to watch her. It would drive me bonkers.