Bernard Purdie & Chuck Rainey

US bass and drum living legends

Dec 6

Billboard Live, Osaka

Chuck Rainey, born Chuck Walter Rainey III in Ohio is probably best known for his work on three Steely Dan albums in the seventies. Prior to that he had already established himself as a sought after New York studio bassist.

Rainey started playing rhythm guitar while on military service but apparently switched to the bass due to a lack of improvisational skills. But don't let that lead you to believe that he is lacking in straight music skill, as the likes of Quincy Jones and Aretha Franklin will testify.

Whereas many prominent bassists try to emulate the lead guitar with their low tone licks Rainey sees the bass as an instrument that has "sensitivity to music" as a "sideman" instrument providing a solid, rhythmic and melodic bottom line. Chuck Rainey may seem like a musician that under- states his abilities and the role of the bass guitar but when some- one draws the recognition of Jaco Pastorius you know he's good.

Bernard ‘Pretty' Purdie is a drummer of vast experience and credited as one of the inventors of the acid jazz genre. The people that he's worked with over the years say that his style is the funkiest soul beat in the business.

Purdie has worked with Louis Armstrong, James Brown, Joe Cocker, Miles Davis, The Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder to name but a few from a list longer than probably any other musician.

And for a bit of trivia, in the 1970s Purdy claimed that the Beatles manager Brian Epstein enlisted him to overdub drum parts on the first three Beatles albums.

Time: 6:30pm/9:30pm • Tel: 06-6342-7722
Genre: Jazz Fusion

Galactic

New Orleans rock/rap/funk outfit.

Dec 9

Club Quattro, Osaka

This outfit was formed in 1994 in New Orleans as an octet named Galactic Prophylactic (the band is now a sextet) by childhood friends Jeff Raines (guitar) and Robert Mercurio (bass) when the two attended Tulane University.

Now an instrumental group, though the band did have a vocalist in their early days, it's not unusual to see some well known MC or vocal talent step up to the mic for a guest spot (in fact their tour of Japan will include guest vocals from Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, Lyrics Born and Boots Riley of The Coup).

Galactic's musical style has evolved over the last decade from a sound that has been called organic New Orleans to a very contemporary blend of jazz, funk, world, rock, blues and hip-hop.

The band's August 2007 release From The Corner To The Block was their first in four years and seventh to date and has been called "the hottest rock-rap fusion since peak Beastie Boys".

Time: 7pm • Entry: ¥6,000 • Tel: 06-6281-8181
Genre: Jazz Funk

Zazen Boys

Experimental Japanese outfit

Dec 10

Big Cat, Osaka

Formed from the ashes of a previous disbanded Japanese band, Number Girl by guitarist Mukai Shutoku labeled under the genre of math rock (a style of experimental rock music that emerged in the 1980s characterized by rhythmic structure, stop /start dynamics and dissonant riffs) the first line-up toured throughout 2003 making a name for themselves with a growing fan base.

Their experi- mental sound, which included funk, Buddhist chants, punk, hip-hop, and improv jazz, brought them an unexpected level of success.

Five months after the release of their debut album Zazen Boys they released Zazen Boys II, a live five-track EP recorded in 2005, and in 2006 released Zazen Boys III. The Zazen Boys' music is very freeform and constantly evolving as band leader Shutoku continues to experiment with every style of music on the planet. Zazen Boys are a Japanese band that deserves recognition globally as their style, free of all commercialism, continues to draw the crowds.

Time: 7pm • Entry: ¥3,300 • Tel: 06-6341-3525
Genre: Math Rock

The Twang

UK indie rock five piece newcomers

Dec 13

Club Quattro, Osaka

Formed in Birmingham, England in 2004 The Twang first came to the public eye when UK music maga- zine NME (New Musical Express) wrote an article high- lighting up and coming acts in the West Midlands of UK.

Their debut single ‘Wide Awake' was released in March of this year and reached number 15 in the UK singles chart. This was followed three months later by a number 3 slot in the UK album chart for their debut album Love It When I Feel Like This.

Signed to the same record label as The Ordinary Boys and the Kaiser Chiefs, the band were originally named Neon Twang but changed their name to The Twang apparently because their fans were apt to be a little too rowdy in the bars where they started out, which caused them a little trouble finding venues that would book them to play. And if the fans were known for their antics then listen to this: bassist John Watkins was arrested once for chasing someone down a street whilst wielding a samurai sword.

As to the band's sound they are another of the many new groups that seem to be coming through from the UK that are going back to that nineties indie groove, there's a good mix of influences with an ounce of something new thrown in for good measure. They have been described as "ambi- tious, fiercely committed and not short of charisma and talent".

Time: 7pm • Entry: ¥5,000 • Tel: 06-6281-8181
Genre: Indie Rock

Live Listings December

Raul Midon

12/2 @ Zepp, Osaka
5pm • ¥7,800 Tel: 06-6362-7301
• Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist

Sounds of Blackness

12/3 @ Billboard Live, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥6,500/¥8,500 • Gospel

The Twang

12/3 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,000 Tel: 06-6281-8181 • Indie Rock

The Pillows

12/4 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
7pm • ¥3,675/¥4,200 Tel: 06-6341-3525 • Rock

The Enemy

12/4 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,500 Tel: 06-6281-8181 • Rock

The Go! Team

12/5 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,500/¥6,000 Tel: 06-6535-5569 • Dance/Indie

Bernard Purdie & Chuck Rainey

12/6 @ Billboard Live, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥6,400/¥8,400
Tel: 06-6342-7722 • Fusion/Jazz

Triceratops

12/7 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7pm • ¥4,500/¥5,000 Tel: 06-6341-3525 • J-Band

The Birthday

12/7 @ Zepp, Osaka
6:30pm • ¥5,000 Tel: 06-6341-3525 • J-Rock

Galactic

12/9 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,000 Tel: 06-6281-8181 • Jazz Funk

Zazen Boys

12/10 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7pm • ¥3,300 Tel: 06-6341-3525 • J-Band

Bobby Caldwell

12/10-12 @ Billboard Live, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥9,000-¥11,000
Tel: 06-6342-7722 • AOR

Tuomo

12/11 @ Taku Taku, Kyoto
7pm • ¥5,500 Tel: 075-351-1321 • Blues

Corneille

12/12 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,000 Tel: 06-6281-8181 • R&B

Sleeping People

12/13 @ Sunsui, Osaka
7pm • ¥3,300 Tel: 0570-02-9966 • Instrumental Rock

Diren Gray

12/14-15 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
6.45pm • ¥6,000 Tel: 06-6357-4400 • J-Rock

Puffy

12/16 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
6pm • ¥5,000/¥5,500 Tel: 06-6341-3525 • J-Pop

Kimura Atsuki & Fusanosuke Kondo

12/19 @ taku Taku, Kyoto
7pm ¥4,500/¥5,000 Tel: 075-351-1321 • Singer/songwriter duo

Marcus Miller

12/19-20 @ Billboard Live
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥9,000/¥11,000
Tel: 06-6342-7722 • Fusion Bass

Cubismo Grafico Five

12/21 @ Shangri-La, Osaka
6:30pm • ¥3,000 Tel: 06-6882-1224 • Electronic Ska/Funk

A Hundred Birds Orchestra

12/24 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
7pm • ¥3,500 Tel: 06-6535-5569 • Big Band

Arrested Development

12/28-29 @ Billboard Live
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥6,400/¥8,400
Tel: 06-6342-7722 • R&B/Hip Hop

Bon Jovi

1/16 @ Kyocera Dome, Osaka
7pm • ¥9,000/¥10,000 Tel: 06-6341-4506 • Rock

Compiled by Phillip Jackson

The Police

2/10 @ Kyocera Dome, Osaka
6:30pm • ¥8,500-¥30,000 Tel: 0180-993-717 • Rock/Pop

Compiled by Phillip Jackson