#1385 Soulbleed – East Meets West
by Hiro Honshuku

1st Set:
1. Without You
2. Eye of Typhoon
3. Don’s Melodies

2nd Set:
1. Maria
2. Underground Train
3. Tempest
4. Blue Snow

Last year, I went to a gig in NYC by Yuki-san, aka KiyoyoshiYukimoto, whom I met on Facebook. Apparently, he holds a concert with the same lineup every year around this time, and after watching a video from last year, I decided to go this year. I originally became friends with this band on Facebook after watching a video and commenting on it. Their groove is simply amazing. I absolutely love everything Yukimoto does with this band. First of all, it’s close to Miles Davis’ sound, but it’s definitely not his. I don’t usually like Miles Davis cover bands, but this band feels completely natural to me. I wonder why. Perhaps it’s because each band member is so great, and their jamming is far more intense than Miles Davis’s band. I contacted them to say I’d be there, and they asked me to play two songs, so I was ecstatic and headed out. Friday traffic from Boston to NYC was as bad as expected, making it a six-hour drive. My jaw still hasn’t allowed me to eat out, so I’d only had some candy for the day, but once the groove started, everything else just disappeared.

The drummer is Craig Holiday Haynes, son of Roy Haynes, who sadly passed away last November at the age of 99. Even though he’s his son, he’s only 70 years old. His style is completely different from Roy’s; he’s dedicated to an incredible groove, but also quite adventurous. Even with allthis adventurousness, he never misses the beat-that’s simply amazing. Bassist Stanley Banks, many of you may know him as George Benson’s bassist, grounds Craig’s adventurous drumming, making for a masterful rhythm section duo. What’s more, Stanley plays the tambourine with his left foot. He doesn’t even need a specialstand. He creates a powerfulgroove by shaking his heels while stillwearing his shoes. I regret not being able to capture this on video.

Guitarist Spaceman Patterson and keyboardist Terry Burrus both provided superb comping (accompaniment), not only providing the groove but also stylishly inserting subtle chords into singie notes. Terry is active in R&B and other genres, but his jazzvocabulary is also impeccable. José Luis Abreu, originally from the Dominican Republic, is a prominent first-call musician in Afro-Cuban and other genres. I was amazed by his ability to alternate between Latin on-top-of-the-beat and funk behind-the-beat styles. As expected of a first-call musician. Washboard player Newman Taylor Baker was a huge hit. Wearing tube-like devices on his five fingers and holding a washboard on his lap, he performed a pertormance unlike anything I’d ever seen before. With a drummer, two percussionists, and two guitar and keyboard players playing chords, it was amazing to see that no one in this jam band was clashing with each other. Everyone had a perfect understanding of the overall sound of the band. Playing with such a band was an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life.

The man who brings this incredible band together is Mr. Yukimoto. First of all, I respect the fact that he can so effortlessly play such a complex instrument. He also plays the quena, which was also amazing. I’ve always believed that the flute shouldn’t just be a cover for the saxophone, but a cover for the trumpet, and he has done just that. He was active in NYC in the early ’80s, before I moved to the US, so he’s able to assemble such an incredible band. He lived with Don Cherry and was apparently a major influence on him. However, the opening track, “Without You,” was so reminiscent of Miles Davis that it brought me to tears. I’ll definitely come see him again next year.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Top Image on JazzTokyo.org (from top left to bottom right): Spaceman Patterson (g),Seiki Yukimoto (tpt, quena), Terry Burrus (keys), Stanley Banks (b), Craig Holiday Haynes (ds), José Luis Abreu (congas), Newman Taylor Baker (washboard) – Photos by Hiroaki Honshuku