A special band led by Shun Ishiwaka will perform with a number of great artists at “JAZZ NOT ONLY JAZZ” report has arrived

On Friday, June 21st, the live event “JAZZ NOT ONLY JAZZ” was held at NHK Hall, where a talented band led by drummer Shun Ishiwaka performed a one-night-only special session with a number of impressive artists. Just like the diverse line-up of guests, the venue was packed with music fans of all ages, who were enthralled by the performance, which was based on jazz but also freely crossed genres, and the wonderful singing and performance. Below is the official report of the performance.

Shun Ishiwaka

After a DJ set by Mitsutaka Yanagihara, a well-known music critic and DJ, The Shun Ishiwaka Septet, led by Ishiwaka, appeared on stage after the start of the show. In addition to playing with each guest, jazz standards were also played in between, and the first song chosen was John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme.” The members, Shudai Nishida (Gt.), Tokutaro Hosoi (Gt.), Marty Holoubek (Ba.), Kei Matsumaru (Sax.), Jozo Yamada (Tp.), and Shota Watanabe (Pf.), are all active in various fields, but are also players who often have the opportunity to play with Ishiwaka on a regular basis. The average age is in the early 30s, including Ishiwaka, who is currently 31 years old. “A Love Supreme” was performed with a fresh and energetic interpretation unique to the 2020s.

The first guest, Yasuyuki Horikomi, was called in and performed Kirinji’s “Aliens”. Amidst the loud cheers of the crowd as the classic song was suddenly performed at the beginning of the live, Horikomi sang with the same clear voice as when it was released, and then he livened up the venue with the Donald Fagen-style AOR number “New Day”. Ishiwaka said, “Today is off to a good start, as we can play “Aliens”, which I have a lot of feelings for, first”, and introduced the band members, and then they performed “Sunday in the park”. Horikomi has been actively collaborating with the younger generation for a long time, and this song is a collaboration with STUTS, an MPC player who is also known for his work with Gen Hoshino. STUTS has also been devoted to jazz in recent years, and the spread of jazz can be felt from this song, and Hosoi added color to it with a long guitar solo on stage.

Yasuyuki Horigome

Next up was Takao Tajima of Original Love. Ishiwaka said, “This is my long-awaited first performance together,” and Tajima said about Ishiwaka, “I saw him at Nakamura Kaho’s live performance and thought he was amazing.” The first song they performed was the jazz standard “Body and Soul.” Tajima’s presence was outstanding, as he made the standard his own with his vibrant singing voice and sang it, and also played a light guitar solo. Marty played a dynamic walking bass in “bless You!”, and Nishida, Hosoi, and Marty took turns playing solos. At the end, Ishiwaka played a powerful solo, and Tajima called out to the audience, “Clap your hands!”, and the circle of applause spread. Tajima’s performance as a star actor, shouting with great enthusiasm in the center, was truly impressive. They continued with the boogie “Goody Girl,” and rapper PUNPEE appeared halfway through the song, and he also involved the audience with his skillful staging, creating a party atmosphere.

After this song ended and Tajima left the stage, PUNPEE said, “I like the unplugged album that Jay-Z and The Roots did together, and I’m happy to be able to do it in that style today,” and further excited the venue with the funky “Renaissance.” The fusion of jazz and hip-hop has been an indispensable topic since the 2010s, and considering that Questlove, the drummer of The Roots, is very important in that context, it can be said that PUNPEE was an indispensable piece of this event.

Takao Tajima (Original Love)

PUNPEE

Here, the spiritual atmosphere of John Coltrane’s “Naima” was played again, and the next guest to be called in was Aina the End. Aina sang the standard pop song “Watermelon,” which she wrote when she was 20 years old, with her unique voice that made her throat tighten, and her iconic status was no less than that of the other guests who had appeared so far. Nishida, who participated in Aina’s songs, joined in and shared memories, and then they performed the ballad “Watashi no Shingokoro,” produced by Yasuyuki Okamura and recorded by Ishiwaka. This song began with Watanabe’s piano solo, and Aina first sat down in front of the piano to sing, and when the whole band joined in, she stepped lightly, danced vigorously, and sometimes lay down on the stage, captivating the audience with her unrestrained performance that was like watching a musical. Matsumaru’s saxophone solo inserted in the middle was also lustrous, and it was a particularly noteworthy performance among the entire event.

Aina the End

The event will be streamed on Friday, August 16th, and it was announced that the day is the birthday of Ishiwaka and Bill Evans, and that it will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW in September. After talking about stories between each member and Ishiwaka, the next guest to appear was the Ohashi Trio. They started singing “Like a Bird,” which has an impressive intro using a melodica, and their refreshing singing voice blew a comfortable breeze into the venue. The next song they performed was “Matilda,” which has a strong rock flavor among Ohashi Trio’s repertoire, and the members took turns playing solos and asked the audience to clap, making their aggressive performance attractive. In the MC, they said about Ishiwaka, “I don’t think you’ll understand this unless you’ve performed on the same stage as Ishiwaka Shun, but he’s very easy to work with. If there are people here who are aiming to become musicians, I hope they will work hard and aim to do so.” In “EMERALD,” they sang as they surrendered their bodies to Ishiwaka’s rhythm, and Yamada’s trumpet solo was also wonderful.

Ohashi Trio

At this point, all the members left the stage, and while the audience was buzzing about the grand piano that was brought in, Ishiwaka, Marty, and the last guest of the day, Hiromi Uehara, appeared. The piano trio performed “XYZ,” the opening track of Uehara’s first album, “Another Mind,” released in 2003. In a progressive composition, Uehara led the ensemble with skillful and dynamic playing, and the session, in which Marty and Ishiwaka also played solos, was truly thrilling. It was once again clear that in the 2000s, Hiromi Uehara was the one who connected Japan and America, making a major contribution to the renewal and expansion of jazz, and that Ishiwaka’s generation continued after her. Nishida joined the three and the final song they performed was “Return of Kung-Fu World Champion.” The four performed a thrilling session with this song featuring synths, and in the second half, Nishida approached the piano and performed a passionate improvisation with Uehara, which was one of the best scenes of the day. The audience gave a standing ovation for the impressive performance, and the main part of the show came to a close.

Hiromi Uehara

For the encore, The Shun Ishiwaka Septet played an original song they had made for the day, and when they called all the guests back in, all the members performed the famous Original Love song “Kiss”. Aina, Horigome, PUNPEE, Tajima, and Ohashi performed a spectacular microphone relay, and finally Uehara played a piano solo once more, and the event ended with a big uproar. The dense content that lasted for two and a half hours truly demonstrated “JAZZ NOT ONLY JAZZ”, and it was a night where you could strongly feel the further possibilities of jazz and the great joy of music.

Text by Atsutake Kaneko
Photo by Maho Korogi

【event information】

“JAZZ NOT ONLY JAZZ”
Date and time: Friday, June 21, 2024 OPEN 18:00 / START 19:00
Venue: NHK Hall, Shibuya, Tokyo
Cast:
The Shun Ishiwaka Septet

Aina the End
Hiromi Uehara
Ohashi Trio
Takao Tajima (Original Love)
PUNPEE
Yasuyuki Horigome
(A to Z)

(The Shun Ishiwaka Septet Member)
Shun Ishiwaka (Dr.)
Shudai Nishida (Gt.)
Tokutaro Hosoi (Gt.)
Marty Holobec (Ba.)
Matsumaru Kei (Sax.)
Jozo Yamada (Tp.)
Shota Watanabe (Pf.)

Distribution period: Friday, August 16th, 19:00 to Friday, August 23rd, 23:59

・Distribution ticket
Streaming+(Stereo distribution): ¥3,500
Live Extreme(AURO-3D distribution) ¥4,500

*Compatible devices are required separately.

Organized by: WOWOW/Y’s Connection/Kyodo Tokyo
Planning and production: WOWOW/Wise Connection
Sponsor: J-WAVE
For inquiries, please contact Kyodo Tokyo at 0570-550-799 (weekdays 11:00-18:00 / weekends and holidays 10:00-18:00)

*Transfer of tickets for a fee without the organizer’s consent is prohibited.
*Preschool children not allowed
*The event may be video-recorded.
*Performers may change without notice, but we cannot provide ticket refunds due to such changes.

[Program information]

“JAZZ NOT ONLY JAZZ Special Edition”
Scheduled for broadcast and distribution in September

*After the broadcast and distribution ends, the archive will be available for one month on WOWOW On Demand

■Program details

■“JAZZ NOT ONLY JAZZ Official Site