Skye Sweetnam
June 2

Avril move over, another teenage Canadian pop-rocker is now making ferocious angst-infected noise in popdom. Having studied dance and voice since she was a mere tyke, sixteen-year-old Skye Sweetnam's combination of luck and market-ability eventually caught the ears of Canada's record label bigwigs, and resulted in her roaring Capitol Records debut, Noise from the Basement, in which she shows she has some major league vocal and songwriting talent to back up the hype.

Often described as the next Pat Benatar (she even covers Heart of Glass on Noise), the Toronto-area native says, “What I do best is make noise … and at this point, I have no plans of stopping my racket!” Her contagious Tangled Up In Me single has landed on the latest installment of Now (That's what I call) Music, but best to head over to Minami's Big Cat and catch her only Osaka stop on the fiery upstart's first Japan tour.

Big Cat
19:00 • ¥5,800 • Pop/Rock
Tel: 06-6258-5008

Gilbert O'Sullivan

June 3 & 4

Alone Again, Naturally is and will forever be etched in stone as the penultimate contribution of Gilbert O'Sullivan to the popular music canon. After some initial success on the UK charts, O'Sullivan and the US charts have had a somewhat dysfunctional relationship, despite a few charted hits through the 80s and some critically appreciated work in the 90s. His cult following and true devotees reside here Asia, where they perhaps better recognize and appreciate the depth and craft of the Ireland-born singer-songwriter once hailed as “one of the most distinct and popular new performers of the 1970s”, and one most of us today didn't know we knew.

Osaka Blue Note
18:30/21:30 • ¥8,000-¥10,000 • Pop
Tel: 06-6342-7722

'Lil Joe' Washington
June 17th

Captivating 66-year-old Texas bluesman Marion 'Lil Joe' Washington has paid more than enough dues over his storied career. Having toiled in obscurity in southern border towns in the U.S. and Mexico, battled and survived substance addiction as well as homelessness, the raw-edged guitarist brings undeniable authenticity as well as amazing techni-cal prowess and musical unpredictability to his live shows. Those who missed last month's Blues carnival, as well as fans of the likes of Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland are highly recommend-ed to catch this overlooked treasure while he's in town.

Taku Taku
19:00 • ¥6,000 • Blues
Tel: 06-6535-5569

Larry Coryell

May 31

Unquestionably fluent in the styles of classical, world music, new age and rock, Larry Coryell has played alongside the biggest musical legends of our time. Although best known for, and too often simplistically categorized as merely a jazz rock fusion avant-garde cat because of his work in the 60s and 70s, his 2004 release Tricycle is a glowing testament to his commitment to music over neatly boxed categories. Stripped to the fundamentals of bass, drums and guitar, with nary a special effects gizmo in sight, the relatively straight-ahead collection highlights the formidability
of Coryell's repertoire and taste, with standout covers of the Beatles and Thelonious Monk. The legendary 'stormmaker' swings through the Blue Note this month.

Osaka Blue Note
18:30/21:30 • ¥6,000/¥8,000 • Jazz Guitar 
Tel: 06-6342-7722

Paul Gilbert

June 24

Former Racer X member, 39-year-old guitarist virtuoso Paul Gilbert is considered by most to be the metal guitar virtuoso. Having established his rep at the Apex of Mr. Big's stateside heyday, his five-plus album-solo career has created an ardent and committed fan base and simultane-ously confounded some non-fans who prefer things be kept simple and nostalgic. (“Play the Old stuff!”) Nevertheless, Gilbert continues his journey as a creative artist, brilliant technician and clever songwriter. Current CD titles (Space Ship One, and the upcoming Space Ship Live (Japan)) indicate the musically serious, personally silly (check his cheeky website), is ambitious as they come, exploration-wise. One date only in Osaka this month.

Club Quattro
19:00 • ¥7,000 • Rock
Tel: 06-6281-8181

Rockapella

June 29 & 30

It's been 15 years since Spike Lee's Do It A Capella American TV special kick-started the a capella vocal phenomenon and opened the world's ears to an array of upcoming talent. Standouts of the feature, Rockapella, have parlayed that exposure to national TV commercial and series work and bona fide stardom. Here in Japan they are the standard to which all other vocal groups (except perhaps Take 6) are measured. The jazz/pop/R&B/rock quintet is now more than 10 albums (most on Japanese labels) into their career, but enlivened by relatively new additions John Brown, George Baldi (on bass, formerly an early member of Boyz II Men), and Jeff Thatcher on mouth percussion (or uber — beatboxing, now an official musical skill, by the way). Astounding lead singer Scott Leonard and Kevin Wright have artfully guided the project since day one. The chances of their two Blue Note dates this month selling out are altissimo indeed, so get your tix ASAP to catch the very-very-big-in-Japan merry men.

Osaka Blue Note
18:30/21:30 • ¥5,500-¥7,500 • A Capella
Tel: 06-6342-7722

Live Listings June

6/1
Harvey Mason Trio @ Osaka Blue Note. 18:30/21:30. ¥6,400-¥8,400 Tel: 06-6342-7722. Jazz
6/2
Bloodthirsty Butchers @ Taku Taku. 19:00. ¥3,000.
Tel: 06-6535-5569. Rock
6/2
100 Gold Fingers @ The Symphony Hall. 19:00. ¥6,000-¥8,000.
Tel: 06-4802-3438. Jazz Piano
6/2
Skye Sweetnam @ Big Cat. 19:00. ¥5,800. Tel: 06-6258-5008. Pop/Rock
6/3 & 4
Gilbert O'Sullivan @ Osaka Blue Note. 18:30/21:30. ¥8,000-¥10,000. Tel: 06-6342-7722. Pop
6/6 & 7
Jody Watley @ Osaka Blue Note 18:30/21:30. ¥6,500-¥8,500.
Tel: 06-6342-7722. Soul/Pop
6/7
High on Fire, Misery Signals @ Club Quattro. 18:45 ¥5000.
Tel: 06-6535-5569. Rock
6/7
Ulfuls @ Kyoto Kaikan Daiichi Hall. 18:30 ¥5,250.
Tel: 0570-02-9999. Rock
6/8 & 9
Rita Coolidge @ Osaka Blue Note. 18:30/21:30. ¥6,400-¥8,400.
Tel: 06-6342-7722. Pop
6/10
Yaida Hitomi @ Namba Hatch. 19:00 ¥6,300.
Tel: 06-6344-3326 Pop
6/10 & 11
European Jazz Trio @ Osaka Blue Note 18:30/21:30. ¥5,000-¥7,000 Tel: 06-6342-7722. Jazz
6/11
The Jango @ Club Quattro. 19:00 ¥3,000.
Tel: 06-6341-4506. Rock
6/11
Stray Pig Vanguard @ Osaka Muse Hall. 18:00. ¥4,200.
Tel: 06-6245-5389. Rock
6/13 & 14
Candy Dulfer @ Osaka Blue Note 18:30/21:30. ¥7,000/¥9,000.
Tel: 06-6342-7722. Jazz Fusion Saxophone
6/13 & 14
Losalios @ Taku Taku. 19:00. ¥4,200.
Tel: 075-351-0208. Rock
6/14
Scudelia Electro @ Club Quattro 19:00. ¥4,000.
Tel: 06-6233-8888. Rock
6/15
Masterplan @ Club Quattro. 19:00 ¥6,500.
Tel: 06-6362-7301. Rock
6/15 & 16
Wei-Wei Wu @ Osaka Blue. Note 18:30/21:30. ¥4,500/¥6,500.
Tel: 06-6342-7722. Chinese Traditional
6/16
Brahman @ Zepp Osaka. 19:00 ¥2,500. Tel: 06-6535-5569. Rock
6/17
Little Joe Washington @ Taku Taku 19:00. ¥6,000
Tel: 06-6535-5569. Blues
6/17
Puffy @ Namba Hatch. 19:00 ¥5,000 Tel: 06-6341-3525. J-Pop
6/17 & 18
Larry Coryell @ Osaka Blue Note. 18:30/21:30. ¥6,000/¥8,000.
Tel: 06-6342-7722. Jazz Guitar
6/19
e.s.t (Esbjon Svensson Trio) @ NHK Osaka Hall. 16:00. ¥6,000. Tel: 0570-02-9999. Jazz
6/22
Shang Shang Typhoon @ Big Cat. 19: 00. ¥5,000.
Tel: 06-6362-7301. Rock
6/24
Paul Gilbert @ Club Quattro. 19:00 ¥7,000.
Tel: 06-6281-8181. Rock
6/26
Tokyo No. 1 Soul Set @ Big Cat. 19: 00. ¥4,500.
Tel: 0570-02-9999. Rock
6/22-25
Roberta Flack @ Osaka Blue Note. 18:30/21:3.0 ¥11,000-¥13000.
Tel: 06-6342-7722. Classic Soul/R&B
6/23
Yura Yura Teikoku @ Chicken George. 19:30. ¥3,150.
Tel: 078-392-0146. Rock
6/25 & 26
Yoshi Lovenson @ Zepp Osaka 19:00/ 18:00 respectively. ¥6,500 Tel: 0570-02-9999. Yoshi Lovenson
6/29
Lana Lane @ Club Quattro. 19:00. ¥6,000.
Tel: 06-6281-8181. Progressive Rock
6/29 & 30
Rockapella @ Osaka Blue Note.18:30 /21:30. ¥5,500-¥7,500.
Tel: 06-6342-7722. A Capella
7/13
The Supremes & The Temptations
@ Kobe Bunka Hall. 18:30. ¥5,000/ ¥5,500.
Tel: 078-303-3131. Classic Soul/Pop
7/13-14 & 19-20
Nakashima Mika @ Festival Hall. 18:30. ¥6,500.
Tel: 06-6233-8888. Pop
7/16
Anthem @ Big Cat. 18:00 ¥6,500
Tel: 0570-02-9999. Metal
7/29-31
Fuji Rock Festival @ Naeba Ski-jo, Niigata. All day. ¥16,000-¥38,000
Tel: 0180-993-998. Rock/Various

LIVE Section compiled by HWJ