渋さ知らず - Shibusa Shirazu

As I was writing and reading my last post, I felt oddly uninspired. I'm sure it reads that way too. I mean, I've had a nice couple of weeks, but I was retelling the story because I felt like I had to, not because I really wanted to. Not that there were any secrets or so ... I just wasn't excited to share it.

But then I suddenly remembered something I did this fall and would really like to share, cause it was crazy cool.

I really wanted to go to a jazz club, get in the groove, listen and have a beer or two. I had looked at the concert lists for a couple places, and found one band playing that night that seemed interesting - they were called "Shibusa Shirazu" (渋さ知らず) (means something like "never know bitterness") and seemed kinda interesting. I couldn't convince anyone to go with me (well - at least not anyone that I wanted with me), so I went on my own.

It was outstanding. Rocking. Funking. Dancing. Crazy. They're a band of 20-30 people (depending on occasion and venue) who improvise most of the time. There were, in this small jazz club, three drummers, three guitars, two bases, a violin, trumpet and trombone and saxophone, a three person choir, a conductor and several others that I've forgotten for the moment.

When they started playing, they had this obviously rehearsed but really cool groove going within seconds. It was hard to stand still. Two unusually cool-looking girls come on stage and starts to dance. After a while, the conductor picks a couple guys, and have them improvise. Oh my, how it rocked. I really HAVE to see them again before I leave Japan... After a while actors came on stage too, and sort of acted with the music ... it's real hard to describe, but it was a jazz-funk concert and art happening at the same time.

The finale was the best part. The band is playing louder than they did before, the horns are blowing their lungs out, everyone is going for broke and everyone in the audience is dancing or clapping to the music, when the dancer girls, both at the same time, very slowly and deliberately steps up on the first row of seats, and then over the shoulders of the people sitting there, stepping onto the tables in the next row, while using their hands to support themselves on the heads of the audience. While the band is rocking and playing, the dancers slowly walks and dances over the audience to the back of the place ... the horns pick up their instruments and walk the aisles... oh boy. Damn.

I gotta figure out where they play next time. I considered buying the CD, but it so wouldn't be the same thing. I'm worried it'll ruin the experience.

I got this feeling there that I can pretty much only get from extremely good live music. I've had it no more than a couple times in my life. It's when the music just hits a string inside me, and my emotions and the music just reinforce each other, some sort of harmonious loop, until I feel so good I might burst. High as a house! Seriously ... it's a crazy feeling.

When I left, I had this ridiculous big smile on my lips that I couldn't wipe away... I walked down the street grinning like a fool. :-)

It was so worth it.