Sadao Watanabe

World renowned face of Japanese jazz and bossa nova

Aug 3-8

Blue Note, Osaka

Koko Taylor

Born in Tochigi prefecture in 1933 Sadao Watanabe began playing the clarinet whilst still at school. Known as a ‘cheerful, jowly saxo - phonist with far reaching musical scope’ he at 15 first took up the instrument that he has become synonymous with.

When he turned twenty he left home and began making a name for himself on the Tokyo jazz scene, a scene he would continue to play for eight years before leaving the shores of his homeland and heading to the US to study at the Berkley College of Music.

Whilst in America Watanabe was introduced to many different styles and influences and was particularly drawn to Brazilian beats.

He returned to Japan and his album Jazz & Bossa created the Japanese bossa nova boom. Apart from music, Sadao Watanabe has also worked on radio hosting a show Sadao Watanabe — My Dear Life that ran for 19 years. He is a keen photographer and has released six photographic books.

Aside from the many accolades laid upon his musical talents, Sadao Watanabe has received a list of awards longer than his arm for his work as a ‘human’; 1st Honours of Ustunomya City (84), Ministry of Education Arts Award (86), City of Los Angeles Citizen Citation (88), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Commendation (94), Cultural Honours Award (95), Montblanc International Culture Prize (03) and two years ago he was honoured to receive the The Order of The Rising Sun.

With a musical career spanning over five decades, no one else but Sadao Watanabe, the face of Japanese jazz, could be chosen for the Blue Note’s Grand Finale Show.

Time: 6:30pm-9:30pm
Entry: ¥7,500-¥9,500 • 06-6342-7722 Jazz

Method of Defiance

Drum and bass trio featuring bassist/producer Bill Laswell

Aug 5

Sunsui, Osaka

Method of Defiance is the latest project from renow- ned electric bassist/producer Bill Laswell.

Not one to restrict himself to one particular musical style or genre, throughout his long career, Laswell has previously worked with Mick Jagger, Yoko Ono, Herbie Hancock and African Musicians to name just a few. So it is no surprise to find that he is now venturing in to yet more new territory with drum and bass. But as one would expect with Laswell, it is no ordinary drum and bass gig, as he is joined by drummer Guy Licato and together with ‘Submerged’ on the decks this is much more than the usual repetitive beats that many associate with the genre.

In fact it’s new, and that is something almost impossible to achieve in today’s world of music as most young bands raid and rehash the licks, rhythms and tunes of days gone by.

If you need more arm twisting to get you along to this live show then let drummer Licato explain what they are all about, ‘Bill’s bass is like one big oscillator running through a web of modulation matrices.

And we’re all reacting to whatever we throw at one another. It’s like we’re turning our brains into sequencers. And the fact that we’re humans means that our responses will differ at each performance.’ Enough said!

Time: 6pm Entry: ¥5,000
0570-02-9966 Drum & Bass Trio

Dinosaur Jr

Influential US rock trio

Aug 9

Club Quattro, Osaka

US alternative rock trio formed in Massachusetts in 1983 just as Dinosaur after guitarist/vocalist J Mascis and bassist Lou Barlow’s punk band broke-up. They were quickly joined in their new project by drummer Emmett Murphy and by 1985 their debut album was in the shops. A distinctive mix of feedback-spewing amplifiers, distortion and melodic solos defined their sound and would even- tually lead them being recognized as a major influence on the ‘grunge revolution’ of the 90’s.

The band were forced to change their name early on to Dinosaur Jr after being threatened with legal action from another band named Dinosaur made up of ex-members of Country Joe & The Fish and Jefferson Airplane.

During the 90’s the trio became a solo as Barlow left, Murphy became more of a touring session man and Mascis recorded virtually everything alone. This year saw the original trio back together to release Beyond, their first album of new material together since 1988.

Time: 7pm Entry: ¥6,000
03-3462-6969 Rock

Bullet For My Valentine

Four-piece hardcore metal

Aug 31

Big Cat, Osaka

Meet this four-piece metallers from Wales, UK who started out in 2003 playing Metallica and Nirvana covers. In a very short space of time they have found a sound of their own and released their debut album in October 2005, Poison. As with the band’s name their songs seem to take either gruesome or dark directions such as ‘4 Words (To Choke Upon)’, ‘Hand of Blood’ and ‘All These Things I Hate’.

The past two years must have seemed like a whirlwind for the band as they found themselves supporting Metallica, Guns n Roses, Iron Maiden and Rob Zombie (though they were thrown off of the tour after front man Matthew Tucks complained online about the lack of dressing rooms and distribution of t-shirt sale profits).

This Japan tour (Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka) will make up the first live dates for the band since Tuck underwent a tonsillectomy in June after a string of dates had to be cancelled due to the vocalist losing his voice.

Time: 7pm • Entry: ¥6,000
06-6233-8888 • Metal

Live Listings August

Akiko

8/1, 8/2@ Blue Note, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm ¥5,000-¥7,000 06-6342-7722
Jazz Vocal

Naozumi Takahashi

8/2 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
7pm ¥5,000-¥5,500 06-6344-3326
J-pop

Hirakawachi

8/2 @ Taku Taku, Kyoto
7pm ¥3,000 075-351-1321
Folk/Pop

Hirakawachi

8/3 @ Shangri La, Osaka
7pm ¥3,000 06-6233-8888
Folk/Pop

Sadao Watanabe

8/3-8 @ Blue Note, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm ¥7,500-¥9,500 06-6342-7722
Jazz

Medby

8/3 @ Sunsui, Osaka
9:30pm ¥2,500-¥3,000 06-6243-3641
Female vocal

Rock Festival, Sake Rock +

8/5 @ Shangri La, Osaka
7pm ¥2,800-¥3,300 06-6343-8601
Rock

Method of Defiance

8/5 @ Sunsui, Osaka
6pm ¥5,000-¥6,000 0570-02-9966
Drum & Base

Dinosaur Jr.

8/9 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm ¥6,000 03-3462-6969
Rock

Raganite

8/10 @ Sunsui, Osaka
9pm ¥2,500-¥3,000 0570-02-9966
Raga

Oscar D’Leon

8/11 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
6pm ¥5,500-¥6,000 06-6375-9892
Latin

Yoriyuki Harada’s Kaibutsu Orchestra

8/12 @ Taku Taku,Kyoto
6pm ¥3,000 075-351-1321
Saxophone

Olivia

8/12 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
5pm ¥3,500 03-5436-9600
R&B

Rolly

8/16 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7:30pm ¥5,250-¥5,725 03-3477-8750
Rock

Cecilio & Kapono

8/16 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7pm ¥6,500-¥7,000
06-6233-8888 Hawaiian

Tomobe Masato & Endo Michiro

8/17 @ Taku Taku, Kyoto
7pm ¥3,500-¥3,800 075-351-1321
Guitar, vocal

ALO

8/24 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm ¥6,000 06-6535-5569
Rock

Powergate

8/25 @ Zepp, Osaka
5pm ¥8,500 072-937-5689
Rock

The Collectors

8/26 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
5.30pm ¥4,500-¥4,800 03-3470-9999
Rock

Bullet For My Valentine

8/31 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7pm ¥6,000 06-6233-8888
Metal

Crystal Kay

8/30-31 @ Zepp, Osaka
7:30pm ¥5,500 06-6344-3326
R&B

Eastern Youth

9/3 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm ¥3,500 03-3444-6751
J-Rock

Funeral For a Friend

9/3 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm ¥6,000 06-6535-5569
Rock

Compiled by Phillip Jackson