Last August I had the pleasure of performing in an intimate concert in Guelph, Ontario with an old friend and bassist for the renowned Canadian band, The Cowboy Junkies, Jeff Bird.
After spending the morning rehashing memories and rediscovering each other's musical identity, we put together a set of crafted and improvised pieces for shakuhachi, wood bass and octave mandoline.
Here are a couple of sound bites, the first being a rendition of the classic shakuhachi piece Choshi performed on shakuhachi and wood bass. The second being and improvisation with shakuhachi and octave mandoline called Is It To Be. And lastly, another improv based on a cross-over of an Okinawan mode and an Indonesian mode called Indonawa.
We appropriately refer to ourselves as The Wabi Sabi Brothers and have entitled the collection 'Dangerous Beauty.'
I've tried Jeff Bird's pieces. They are very interesting insturmental arrenges and made me feel so good.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't listen to your tuens, so I'll try it later.
Kazz
Is it difficult play the Shakuhachi?
ReplyDeleteI play the piano a little.
I want to listen to live performance of Shakuhachi.
It is interesting that your band name is Japanese.
ReplyDeleteI don't know "wabi sabi" too.
What do you think "wabi sabi"?
Hi Kazz, Sumie and Yumeko,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments.
Sorry that you weren't able hear the music. Please try again. My server was down.
Sumie, I think all instruments can be difficult, but what is important is what how you change when you are learning them. There is never an end to learning. That is a good thing.
Yumeko, I chose the name Wabi Sabi Brothers because it refers to a sense of beauty in coming apart or falling apart. Both Jeff Bird and I are getting older and we feel there is a beauty in this. We hadn't played music together for 35 years and this time was particularly beautiful for both of us.
It's nice that you are a bandsman.
ReplyDeleteI want to listen your song but I couldn't.
And your band's name have class I think.