Series | Tatsuo Sunaga's Record Curation Style, Part 2: The World-Renowned Jazz Master Presents an Unmissable Record
Series | Tatsuo Sunaga's Record Curation Style, Part 2
The World-Renowned Jazz Master Presents an Unmissable Record
Andre Hodeir
Anna Livia Plurabelle From Finnegans Wake
(PHILIPS)
For this second installment of the series, we present a record with a French connection, alongside a report from the recent Worldwide Festival, the largest music festival in the south of France. What is this masterpiece by a legendary composer who even named his own album after one of his works!?
Text by SUNAGA TatsuoPhoto by Pierre Nocca, Emmanuel ComteSpecial Thanks to Sha La La Company & Gilles Peterson
World-Class Skill That Rocked the Venue
After a transit in Paris, I flew to Montpellier in the south of France. Driving for about an hour from the airport brought me to the small town of Sète, a beach resort. It was there that I performed at the "Worldwide Festival 2016," hosted by Gilles Peterson. On "Japan Day," a day dedicated solely to Japanese artists, Mitsu the beat, Toshio Matsuura, Duzzle Drums (all names in no particular order), and myself played DJ sets at the beach venue.
The main venue, called Theatre de la Mer (meaning "Theater of the Sea"), featured Kan Sano on piano, Kazunori Kumagai on tap dance, and Jun Inoue on live painting. Kan Sano's solo piano performance, effectively utilizing live sequences, Kumagai's tap dance solos, and the trio's incredibly Japanese aesthetic created a truly remarkable performance.
Photos by Pierre Nocca
Photos by Pierre Nocca
I was unexpectedly moved to tears by Fumio Itabashi's rendition of "Watarase," and the 2,000-capacity outdoor amphitheater erupted into a standing ovation. I am grateful to have shared that vibe with such wonderful friends, including host Gilles Peterson. I also had the opportunity to interview Gilles Peterson and Dayme Arocena for my FM and internet radio program, "Yoru Jazz.net."
The next-generation star Anderson .Paak is like a black Beastie Boys – raw and energetic, turning the venue into a massive club. Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids offered a pop-infused Sun Ra, showcasing his prowess as a multi-instrumentalist. Kamasi Washington's set was funkier and groovier than when I saw him in Japan previously. Although my stay was limited to three days due to a DJ commitment in Fukui that weekend, the weather was kind, and it was a wonderful musical journey in the pleasant, distinctly southern French atmosphere.
I hope I can perform there again next year.
【This Month's Record Hunt】
This is an exciting and ambitious work by French composer André Hodeir (the title of the 4th album under the name Sunaga t experience, "Jazz et Jazz," was borrowed from this artist's work). He gathered elite French musicians from 1966 to perform free jazz, bebop, and modern jazz, while simultaneously reciting a chapter from James Joyce's novel "Finnegans Wake," sometimes accompanied by a female vocal chorus.
In "Jazz et Jazz," I experimented with tape reversal and pitch control to approach jazz, but this album is also filled with the avant-garde sensibility characteristic of French jazz. While not strictly a DJ-friendly record, its dynamism might resonate with hip-hop. Experiencing the energy of France firsthand made me truly appreciate that dynamism.
Series | Tatsuo Sunaga's Record Curation Style, Part 2
The World-Renowned Jazz Master Presents an Unmissable Record
Andre Hodeir
Anna Livia Plurabelle From Finnegans Wake
(PHILIPS)
A Perfect Pairing of Sake and Jazz
V.A. "Sake Jazz ~Nurukan Sato x Blue Note~"
Tracklist / Artist
01. Mosaic / Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
02. Daybreak / quasimode
03. Mr. Big Stuff / Lou Donaldson
04. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU / Ramsey Lewis
05. I've Had a Little Talk / Horace Silver
06. Psychedelic Sally / Horace Silver
07. Formidable / Jackie McLean
08. The Murphy Man / Lee Morgan
09. Always There / Ronnie Laws & Pressure
10. Judo Mambo / Jimmy Smith
11. Nuovo Cinema Paradiso / Fabrizio Bosso
V.A. "Sake Jazz ~Nurukan Sato x Blue Note~"
Price | ¥2,160 (tax included)
Release Date | July 6, 2016
Label | Universal Music / UCCU-1523