ブルース・ポールソン日本公演レポート
2000年春（4.28〜5.9）に来日公演を行ったトロンボ
ーン奏者ブルース・ポールソンのツアーレポート。
ブルース本人による英文手記付。
Bruce Paulson （trombone）
バディ・デフランコ指揮のグレン・ミラー楽団、バディ・
リッチ楽団、ドク．セヴェリンセンのトゥナイト・ショ
ウ・バンドなどで活躍したトロンボーン・プレイヤー。
トシコ・アキヨシ・ビッグバンド、ポンチョ・サンチェ
ス・ラテン・ジャズバンドにも在籍。現在はロサンゼル
ス在住、自身のクインテットによる演奏は、シーズリー
ズ・レーベル「ミネソタ」で聞くことができる。
＜行程＞
4月28日（金） 関西空港着。（大阪泊）
4月29日（土） 徳島「はな・はるフェスタ」へ出演。
社会人ビッグバンド「サニーサイド・
ジャズ・オーケストラ」、地元コンボ
などと共演。
4月30日（日） サテンドール神戸で社会人ビッグバンド
「グローバル・ジャズ・オーケストラ」
と共演。
5月1日（月） 大阪ロイヤルホースでグローバル・ジャ
ズ・オーケストラと共演。
5月2日（火） 石川県金沢市「もっきりや」で地元コン
ボと共演。
5月3日（水） 富山県高岡市「ジャズ・ファクトリー
SCAT」で社会人ビッグバンド「フィール
ド・ハラー・ジャズ・オーケストラ」と
共演。
5月4日（木） 名古屋市芸術創造センターで社会人ビッ
グバンド「レアサウンズ・ジャズ・オー
ケストラ」と共演。
5月5日（金） 静岡メディアホールで社会人ビッグバン
ド「スイングハード・ジャズ・オーケス
トラと共演。
5月6日（土） 横浜の洗足学園ジャズコースでトロンボ
ーン・クリニックおよびビッグバンド・
ワークショップ。
5月7日（日） 渋谷楽器店 ACTUS でトロンボーン・ク
リニック。
5月8日（月） 府中の森芸術劇場で、国際基督教大学
モダン・ミュージック・ソサェティの
バンドワークショップ。
5月9日（火） OFF。
5月10日（水） 成田空港から帰国の途へ。
＜当プロジェクトの歴史＞
この企画は、１９９５年のゴールデン・ウィークに、ト
ランペット奏者ボビー・シューと当社（ワールド・プロ
ジェクト・ジャパン）が始めたものです。
1995年 ボビー・シュー（トランペット）
1997年 ビル・ワトラス（トロンボーン）
1998年 ボビー・シュー（トランペット）
1999年 ウェイン・バージロン（トランペット）
2000年 ブルース・ポールソン（トロンボーン）
これらのゲストアーティストが来日し、各地でおもに社
会人ビッグバンドとの共演を行います。
回数を重ねるごとに、各地の恒例行事となり、大阪、富
山、名古屋、静岡などでは毎年連続で公演を行っていま
す。また、洗足学園、国際基督教大学は２年連続、徳島
でも恒例化していただけそうな感じです。来年以降もこ
のネットワークに加わっていただけるバンドを増やして
いきたいと考えています。
＜ジャズ教育ネットワーク＞
日本でも、ようやく音大のカリキュラムにジャズが組み
込まれつつあり、本格的なジャズ教育が動き始めました。
当企画も、意図したわけではないのですが、日本のジャ
ズ教育への貢献を微力ながら果たしていると思われます。
すぐれたアーティストとの定期的な共演は、有形無形の
音楽的刺激をもたらし、各地のバンドが年々レベルアッ
プするという現象が起きています。
また、毎年この時期にすぐれたゲストアーティストが来
日するということが、地元のジャズファンにも根付き始
め、各楽団のコンサート運営も年間計画の中に位置付け
られるようになってきました。
＜アーティストの選定＞
ふつうのジャズ・フェスティバルでは聞くことのできな
い、隠れた名人芸を経験できるのも、この企画の特徴で
す。ビッグネームの知名度で観客動員をはかるという、
いわゆる興行としてのジャズ・コンサートではないので、
通常は表に出てこないスタジオ系の一流アーティストを
わざわざ選んでいます。
業界では抜群の知名度をほこりながら、日本のジャズファ
ンには知られていない、そんなミュージシャンがアメリ
カ、特に音楽産業の盛んなロサンゼルス地区には数多く
存在します。
彼らの中から、技量が高く、教育に理解があり、聴衆と
のコミュニケーションを大切にするアーティストを選ん
で招聘しているわけです。
＜展望＞
IAJE（国際ジャズ教育者協会）という世界最大のジャズ
教育機関がアメリカにあります。今後は、この組織との
提携を深め、さらには全国各地の自治体とも手を結びな
がら、一歩一歩ネットワークを広げていくつもりです。
このプロジェクトにご賛同いただける方のご協力を頂戴
できれば幸いです。
今後ともよろしくお願いいたします。
ワールド・プロジェクト・ジャパン 黒坂洋介
＜ブルース本人による英文手記＞
JAPAN TOUR REPORT (April-May, 2000)
by Bruce Paulson (trombone player)
I have just returned from my first trip to Japan,
a country I have always wanted to see. I was
supposed to visit as a member of the original
Toshiko Akiyoshi band in 1976. Scheduling problems
caused me to miss that trip and it took 24 years for
me to fulfill my dream.
Yosuke Kurasaka, president of World Projects Japan
arranged for me to appear as the trombone soloist
in a series of big band concerts in a number of
different cities during Golden Week. I sent ten
arrangements that feature me from my own library
and each of the bands prepared a concert program
using these selections and some of there own
material. A number of the concerts featured a small
group setting as well.
Arriving in Osaka in the late afternoon of Friday,
April 28, I was able to get a night's rest and the
next morning Mr. Kurasaka and I boarded a bus for
the city of Tokushima on Shikoku Island. Mr.
Kurasaka or Yosuke, as we Americans call him, proved
to be a superb guide and companion. All of the
arrangements were in order and traveling was a
delight. I was particularly pleased to find that
we were traveling by bus and train. I love to look
out the window at the sights as they go by. The
new bridge to Shikoku island was very impressive.
Upon arriving in Tokushima we made our way to the
rehearsal site. To my pleasant surprise the
Sunnyside Jazz Orchestra had their own rehearsal
room complete with their name on the door. I had
been told that things in Japan would be smaller than
in the U.S. but this room was quite large, perfect
for a big band. Having just put together my own big
band in Los Angeles for a jazz festival in Juneau
Alaska, I realize how precious rehearsal space is.
At our musicians union in Los Angeles we have very
tiny rooms for rehearsing. At one third the size of
the Sunnyside room it gets pretty loud when a big
band gets rolling.
Led by Ikuo Hayashi, The Sunnyside Jazz Orchestra
had played at the 1999 Monterey Jazz Festival, so I
wasn't worried, but I really had no idea what to
expect. However I soon found out that it was going
to be great. I was to play a few numbers each with
a trio and quartet made up of orchestra members and
then play some of the arrangements that I had sent
with the full orchestra. The small groups proved to
be very good and well prepared. Strong Rhythm
sections and a nice tenor sax soloist made
everything easy. I had previously sent a list of
tunes I like to play, and one of the piano players
had taken the standard It's You Or No One and put
together a very fine arrangement. Rhythmically
exciting with interesting reharmonization, it showed
real sophistication. It was so good that I asked
him if I might have a copy of it to play with my own
group in the U.S.
The full band was very well prepared and played
well. When I originally sent the arrangements, Mr.
Kurasaka had asked if I had any recordings of them
to help the bands with interpretation. I did not
have such recordings. In fact one of the pieces was
written especially for the tour and had not been
played before. I had wondered if this might present
a problem for the bands but it was no problem at
all.
Throughout the tour I found that all the bands
interpreted the music very well. I had very little
to add to the way the bands played, so the
rehearsals were quite easy and quick.
The performance was outdoors in the center of the
city, which had come to life for the Hana Hura
Festival. With the performers on a barge in the
river and the audience on shore it was a beautiful
setting. The sound was good and the audience very
warm and attentive. I enjoyed the performance and
felt that the band played very well. We followed a
very good vocal group singing in the style of the
"Back Street Boys" and I thought all of the young
people would leave when they finished. It was nice
to see how many of them stayed to hear us.
After the concert we all went to the Jazz Cabin 88,
a local jazz club and finished the evening in fine
style. Hearing of my special interest in fishing
and seafood, Mr. Hayashi even had some special local
style sushi prepared for me. A real treat. Later a
number of the band members and I played some tunes
in a fun jam session that sent me to bed with a warm
feeling and many new friends.
Sunday, April 30, found us on our way back to Osaka,
where we checked into our hotel and then upon
meeting some of the musicians of the Global Jazz
Orchestra, headed back down the road, to Kobe, about
an hour away.
Here at the Kobe Satin Doll Jazz Club I met all the
members of the band that I would play with for the
next two nights. Having played at the Monterey Jazz
Festival in 1994 and 1998, the Global Jazz Orchestra
was particularly special in that every section
contained many fine soloists, some of them truly
outstanding, and a lead trumpet player who would be
welcome on any band that I have ever played on.
Needless to say we had a good time. At the end of
one of my arrangements the tenor soloist and I play
cadenzas and then joined together in some free
improvisation.
This particular player and I had a real meeting of
the minds which I greatly enjoyed. Many of the
other soloists were equally impressive. Band leader
Akira Nonomura led the band from the trumpet
section.
The audience was nice and very receptive but small.
Once again it showed that even with good promotion
it is often hard to get an audience for jazz. Here
was a very nice club and an excellent band in
concert. Still one never knows if the people will
show. I felt sorry for the club and the band that I
had not drawn more people. We had a wonderful
time anyway and it was a great tuneup for the next
night in Osaka.
The next day, Monday, May 1, after a sound check and
a fine sushi dinner, compliments of Mr. Nonomura,
we were ready for our sets at the Royal Horse Jazz
Club. A beautiful club that has been Osaka's jazz
mecca for many years, the Royal Horse had the
ambiance that is very conducive to good jazz. Some
of my friends pictures were on the walls and I felt
right at home. I like hearing jazz in a club
setting and I like playing in one for the same
reasons. Jazz started in clubs and there is a
certain relaxed feeling that makes you feel like
stretching out and taking chances that make for a
special performance. The Global Jazz Orchestra fits
into this setting well. The players know how to
have a good time and there is a youthful exuberance
in their performance. The audience was very
receptive and it was a musically rewarding evening.
On Tuesday morning we took the train across country
past Kyoto and lake Biwa to the other coast and the
city of Kanazawa. It was again nice to see more of
the countryside and the train ride was a pleasure.
On a walk around town Mr. Kurasaka and I had time
to see the beautiful garden on the hill near the
castle ruins. The city seemed very comfortable and
pleasant.
At the appointed hour we met the musicians at the
Mokkiriya Jazz Club. This was the smallest and one
of the nicest jazz clubs I have ever been in. The
intimate wood interior made for very good acoustics
and the stage felt great; perfect for what we were
about. Among the many pictures of artists who had
appeared at the club, I saw a picture of pianist
Ross Tompkins on the wall. We worked together daily
for twenty years on the Tonight Show Band. This was
to be sextet night and I had sent some arrangements
ahead not knowing what to expect. It turned out
that all the players were real jazz musicians and we
could have played just about anything. Led by the
bassist Katsuyuki Okamoto, the five musicians had
prepared the music very well. In retrospect I
should have sent much harder tunes, the players were
that good. A mystery trombone player (Maky) was
also to play with me. He chose not to rehearse just
wanting to wing it on stage. He turned out to be a
very fine player and we had a lot of fun playing
together. There is a university in Kanazawa and
many young trombone players were in the audience.
It would have been nice to have had more time here
to hear them play and possibly work with them.
After we finished, many people stayed in the club
for food, drinks and trombone talk; a good time. I
got the impression that there are many fine
musicians in the Kanazawa area.
The next morning (Wednesday, May 3) my new trombone
playing friend, Maky, picked us up in his car and we
drove to Takaoka. This was an interesting journey
because the area was more rural and had the houses
spread out in the country, often surrounded by
trees, more like we what see in the farm country of
America. Of course with rice fields instead of
wheat fields. And the traditional Japanese
architecture giving it a look that I had seen in
pictures but now was seeing in person. It was very
pleasing.
Katsyuki Okamoto, the bassist from the night before
was also the leader of the Field Holler Jazz
Orchestra, which I was to play with today. The band
had played at the 1993 and 1995 Monterey Jazz
Festivals and at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1999.
Mr. Okamoto had recently bought a house outside of
the city which has a large building, that was
formerly a factory, attached to it. This is where we
were to put on our concert and It turned out to be
perfect. We had a very nice audience, some of whom
had come quite a distance, evidence of very
effective promotion.
As I expected, after playing with some of the band
members the night before, the band was very good and
also well prepared. A strong ensemble, good rhythm
section, a fine lead trumpet player, and very good
soloists in every section. Mr. Okamoto is a
quiet man but as he is playing behind you on the
bass, and he hears you playing well, he will
acknowledge it and egg you on with encouragement.. I
like that, it makes me dig deeper and play at my
best.
After the concert, which was in the afternoon, the
whole band moved into a hot spring resort hotel for
a banquet and the baths. I have always wanted to
partake in the traditional Japanese bath and it
lived up to my expectations. I slept very well that
night.
After a fine breakfast with some of the band
members, Mr. Kurasaka and I took the train to
Nagoya. Here we were to meet with the members of
the Rare Sounds Jazz Orchestra. This band had
played at the 1997 Monterey Jazz Festival. The
rehearsal took place at the concert site, which was
a state of the art concert hall, the Nagoya City Art
Creation Center. Very beautiful, with excellent
equipment and a very helpful stage crew. Everyone
worked together to make things very comfortable.
Once again the band was well prepared. The lead
trumpet met with me before the rehearsal to ask how
I planned to do each piece and we sailed through the
rehearsal. Throughout this trip I have been so
impressed with the level of preparation of each
band. They have shown a thorough understanding of
the arrangements and any problems have been quickly
solved. Of course at this point I must emphasize
the great help of my host, Yosuke Kurasaka . In
addition to keeping every part of the tour on track,
he stood at my side during the rehearsals and his
interpreting skills kept everything running
smoothly. Of course it is essential that the
interpreter at a rehearsal be familiar with music
and Mr. Kurasaka is a former trumpet player.
Band leader Masao Nishkawa emceed the concert that
evening which went very well, with nice work by all
the sections. A strong drummer kept things rolling.
I was pleased to see the fine trombone section
featured on a nice piece called "Bone Heads." And
on an up tempo version of T.Monk's "Rhythmining"
one of the trombone soloists, who played very well,
brought down the house when he finished his solo by
singing scat.
That night we all met at a restaurant which featured
one of my favorite dishes, chicken wings, a Nagoya
specialty. They were wonderful and I'm embarrassed
to say how many I ate. I would love to know the
recipe.
During the evening different members of the band and
the crew got up to offer a critique of the
performance. I too, was asked to speak and said
that I thought everyone had done very well, that we
had grown with the experience and that next time it
would be even better. That's the thing with jazz.
It never stands still, there are always new notes to
play.
The next day, Friday, May 5, we took the Bullet
Train to Shizuoka. Of course I had been waiting for
a ride on the Bullet Train and it was everything I
expected and more. My hobby is cooking, with a
special interest in seafood, and I have a boat in
Alaska which I use every summer for fishing trips.
Of course no one on earth values fine seafood more
than the people of Japan so I was very pleased to
hear that I would be able to visit a fishing port
and a fish market. Upon our arrival in Shizuoka, we
immediately left for the nearby town of Yaizu, an
important fishing port. We were met there by the
outgoing leader of the Swing Herd Jazz Orchestra,
Kiyotomo Ikumi who took us to a huge fish market and
to the fishing port itself to look at the boats.
This is what I had been waiting for and it was
fascinating. No American could imagine that many
kinds of fish or that many different ways to prepare
fish. The market was a wonderland of seafood, all
beautifully laid out and as fresh as physically
possible. I had a great time trying to identify the
different species but I found myself pretty limited.
We even had some black ice cream made with squid
ink. As a boat owner I am always interested in
looking at boats and harbors, so this was a treat as
well. We finished the tour with Mr. Ikumi taking us
to lunch at a superb restaurant in the area. One of
the finest meals I've ever had. The freshest sashimi
and a number of other fish courses, delightfully
served in our own private tatami room.
Mr. Ikumi is a Buddhist monk and invited us to
visit his temple. Parts of the building are over
100 years old and the site dates back more than 600
years. We also were able to visit his home which
was adjacent to the temple, a beautiful traditional
house and garden. His wife graciously served us
very special tea and we hated to leave.
It was time to get to work. We made our way to
another wonderful concert hall. The Media Hall in
Shizuoka. This hall was the perfect size for a jazz
concert and had very nice natural acoustics. Right
away I was very pleased with the sound I was hearing
and I knew things would be good. The Swing Herd
Jazz Orchestra now led by Ikuo Tsukamoto was well
prepared just as all the previous bands had been.
This was to be my last concert of the tour, so there
was a special sense of importance. We went through
the music getting the balance just right and
checking tempos and the order of solos and that was
it. Way too easy. Once again the level of
preparation impressed me. The Concert Master had
done a fine job. Everything went off without a
hitch. I really enjoyed myself and I felt good
about the playing and I know the band did too. I
think we all played over our heads that night. What
a great way to end a tour.
That night we all got together at a restaurant and
had a great time eating, drinking and talking about
music, fishing and all of the things we had in
common. I also had some very good sake. I wish I
knew what kind it was. My only regret was that we
didn't have more time together.
The concerts were over but there were still some
workshops to do at two universities and one at a
music store in Tokyo. So in the morning we got on
the Bullet Train to Tokyo.
This was Saturday May 6 and we went to Senzoku
Gakuen College. I first met with two trombone
students and found them to be in the hands of a very
fine teacher. There was little that they had been
taught that I didn't agree with so we got right into
playing the music that I had sent. We worked on
some things that are unique to the trombone and then
got the whole band together. There were many
talented students in the group and it was a pleasure
to work with them. I worked on things that I think
are important in a big band such as accents, energy,
dynamics and time. Here again I most acknowledge
the wonderful interpreting by Mr. Kurasaka. As I
rehearse a band I start talking pretty fast , trying
to say things as the band is playing that might help
them interpret the music. As one can imagine, this
is a prodigious job for an interpreter but Mr.
Kurasaka never missed a beat. We also talked about
improvisation and it's paramount importance in jazz.
At this point we all took turns playing jazz solos
and I was very impressed with that aspect of their
playing. They had certainly been led in the right
direction here. All of the players had a concept of
jazz improvisation. In the U.S. although many of
the bands sound very strong, it has not been my
experience to find all of the members of a band
working on improvisation. Needless to say this made
an impression on me.
On Sunday, May 7, I had the pleasure of doing a
trombone workshop for the Bach instrument company at
the Actus Store in Shibuya-ku. Those in attendance
were mostly current students and graduates of the
International Christian University in Tokyo. We
covered trombone technique in general and as it
applies to jazz in particular. As all of the
students spoke English, I was able to work without
an interpreter. As I was still having difficulty
with the most basic greetings in Japanese, I was of
course very impressed with their linguistic prowess.
On Monday, May 8, we were taken by car to the campus
of the International Christian University to do a
workshop with their jazz band called the Modern
Music Society.
Led by a fine lead trumpet player, Makoto Ishii, the
band played a number of pieces for me. Each piece
was impeccably played at a blistering tempo,
demonstrating great virtuosity. The first piece was
one that I knew well and have played many times and
I don't think I've heard played any better. The
same with the next one. I said that there was
little that I could add. I was starting to feel
pretty useless. Only when I asked them to play a
slower piece was I able to find some stylistic
things to work on. Mr. Ishii explained that they
pursued the extreme up tempo pieces because of the
competitions that the band entered where you need to
show your virtuosity and they did this brilliantly.
As I thought about this later, however, I think that
if I were judging such a competition I would insist
that all bands play something slow. The slow piece
is often more difficult than the fast one especially
for younger players, it certainly exposes any
stylistic flaws and it's an important part of the
idiom. To be forced to play fast to win seems to me
to miss an important part of the music. All of this
aside the band sounded excellent and Mr. Ishii
obviously is doing a fine job. They also had an
exciting tenor saxophone soloist who sounded very
good.
After the workshop we were invited to Mr. Ishii's
parents home where his mother presented a banquet
for us and the band members. She is an excellent
baker and cook. We had a great time eating,
talking, and listening to some Mr. Ishii's father's
fine record collection. It was a great treat for me
to be entertained in someone's home.
The next day was off and Mr. Ishii and some of the
students were kind enough to take sightseeing in
Tokyo. We had a fine time and end up at a huge
Tower record store, prowling the jazz section.
Again I wish I had had more time.
In summation I feel that the jazz tradition is very
much alive in Japan. In many ways healthier than in
the U.S. In the U.S. we used to feel that we were
the only ones who could play jazz. If that was true
at one time it is no longer true. I heard many fine
players on this trip and many of the younger ones
are much further along in their development than I
was at there age. Each of these bands has it's own
personality. Some have a wide range of ages in the
band, while others seem to be more the same age,
having come up together. Some members spoke of
this situation wondering if as members get older and
become occupied with other things they can keep the
band vital and active. I know that when I came up
through the ranks, the best experience for me was to
play with older players. It is a good thing to have
people of different ages together in a group. The
young people supply energy and new ideas and the
older players supply maturity and and knowledge of
style. The best way to learn how to play is to play
alongside someone who is more experienced than you
are. It is more natural process than having a
teacher tell you what to do. And the reward a more
mature player gets from helping an enthusiastic
young player develop is hard to match. I would
encourage each band to reach out, as some have
already done to the young people around them. Of
course this is easier said than done, and it is
easier if there is a college nearby that is putting
out students looking for bands to play on.
It would be helpful if groups like the International
Association of Jazz Educators would pursue more of a
presence in Japan. They are in the business of
creating an environment for jazz, but of course they
will have to come half way and make an effort to
deal with the language difference.
I promised myself years ago that I would continue to
play as long as it was fun. This tour reinforced
that vow. I was inspired by the hard work by
everyone and I had a wonderful time meeting and
playing with all the fine players who are doing this
because they love it. We are all in this together
and I look forward to the next time when I can see
all my new friends again.