Recent Inspirations

Recent Inspirations:

*Tatsuya Nakatani- A remarkable solo percussionist that performs on a unique drum set----no hi hats, no standing cymbles. He has a small piccalo snare drum that he put a wood block on and a cloth he uses for muting. He also has a pile of broken cymbles, and regular cymbles that he uses on the pieces for a rich emotional texture. He also uses a very tiny tom maybe 6 inches and very thin as well, 13 x 13 floor tom, and what looks to be a field drum for his bass drum, a very compact kit----he is one of the only drummer i have see that actually make me feel the same emotions i would as if i heard four piece band------he creates a amazing depth of emotion ranging from Anger, aggitation, love, meloncholy, yearning etc.-------check him out.
---Tatsuya Nakatani: Primal Communication



*Haruki Murakami-Amazing surreal author, that includes elements of the Jazz world in his writings---writing about jazz musicians and jazz cafes, jazz bars-etc. He has a descriptive style of writing, he writes about vivid blue skies, and he also appeals to the human psychology----hes truly remarkable- a book that i recently finished by him is 'Norwegian Wood'-talks about the college dorm room days of a student in Japan that reminisces over moment he shared with lost friends and his love for a girl named Naoko----its written in first person---the book contains many nostalgic moments---but its much more than a romance---its a moving beautiful story-i don't give it just with these words.
-----Haruki Murakami: Norwegian Wood


*Ike Quebec-To me, Ike Quebec sounds like an astronaut floating in space. He has an intense and insane reverb tone. And one thing that really entices me on this recent record I've been listening to is the sound recording of the drums-drummer Philly Jo Jones--the drums are recorded with a massive reverb sound. The drums sound to me like confident booming statements in each hit---the recording quality catches every detail of the jazz drums.
-----Ike Quebec: Blue & Sentimental

*Daido Moriyama-One of the most emotional photographers I have seen. His style is BW photography-to me the photography of Daido Moriyama captures the same feeling of emotional music in his photography. His work is very influential to me, and his sense of improvisation as well-----he has a book called 'Hunting'-inspired by Kerouac's 'On The Road' we he drives around Japan's country side in his car and takes random photos of japans landscape out his car window.
-----Daido Moriyama: Hunting

*Billy Strayhorn-Billy Strayhorn is well known for his works and collaboration/partnership with the great Duke Ellington. He is more of a composer than a performer. He has an amazing gift for writing music, that comes from his inspiration of the French Romantics, and uses of dissonance and horn chords/color.I just took a class at UCSD on the study of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorns music and it was very interesting the fact that many of Billy Strayhorns pieces have been uncredited, but Billy Strayhorn has a definable composition style as well as a beautiful piano performance style. Because of Billy Strayhorns works not always being credited to him---i say that Billy Strayhorns songs are mysteries that one has to uncover to find. I also think that his style for writing for the Duke Ellington Orchestra was far stronger than Dukes style. He wrote with more harmony involved h=and with the idea of featuring a solo voice more that a group of instruments playing the melody. Also his background chord voicings are amazing.
------Billy Strayhorn: songs: A Drum is a Woman, Day Dream (from 1967), Northern Lights, Agra, Love, Strange Feeling, Up and Down Up and Down, Pretty Girl, and the amazing: Bloodcount.............