2024-05-03 08:53:43
Japan’s new jazz sign… Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony performance
Revisited as music director for jazz animation ‘Blue Giant’
Evolve with funky music with Sonic Wonder
Visited Korea for the ‘16th Seoul Jazz Festival 2024’
The paper makes a sound. This is a premise that readers who have read Japanese cartoonist Shinichi Ishizuka’s jazz comic ‘Blue Giant’ can agree with.
The person who brought ‘real sound’ to the animation ‘Blue Giant’ (2023) directed by Japanese director Yuzuru Tachikawa is Japan’s world-renowned jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara (45, 上原ひろみ). As the music director for this animation, she was in charge of composing the original soundtrack and playing the piano, creating a jazz phenomenon in Korea as well.
The main character of ‘Blue Giant’ is Dai Miyamoto, who is obsessed with the saxophone and dreams of becoming the best jazz musician in the world. It depicts the story that unfolds when he comes to Tokyo.
Dai forms a jazz band ‘JASS’ with genius Yukinori Sawabe and novice drummer Shunji Tamada. They shed blood, sweat, and tears and move forward one step at a time with the goal of performing at Japan’s best jazz bar, ‘So Blue’.
This animation, which was a box office hit in Korea with a cumulative audience of 120,000, gives off a pleasant sweat. Of course, the life of Hiromi, a genius pianist who was a ‘star of jazz’, was also accompanied by blood, sweat, and tears.
The ‘Blue Giant’ is a star that goes beyond burning red and glows blue. In the jazz world, musicians who are extremely immersed in their performance and exude a blue star-like energy are praised with the same words. Hiromi is the ‘Blue Giant’.
Just as Dai did not stop playing even though his lip was bursting and bleeding, Hiromi, a ‘genius’ with a reputation for speed playing, also continued to move up and down the keyboard without stopping even though her fingers were swelling and bursting. “In the words of Dai Miyamoto, I gave 120%, everything I had,” Hiromi said in her recent written interview with Newsis.
Hiromi, winner of the Best Contemporary Jazz Album category at the US ‘Grammy Awards’, is a symbol of the Japanese jazz scene. At the age of 14, he was recognized for his skills by performing with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, and at the age of 17, he performed with Chick Corea. At the age of 20, he entered Berklee College of Music and was mentored by legendary jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal.
He debuted in 2003 with ‘Another Mind’ and began to make his name known by showing off his brilliant techniques and tricks. She solidified her stardom by participating in the Montreux Jazz Festival and the Newport Jazz Festival. She also performed at the opening ceremony of the ‘Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games’ (2021).
Hiromi, who has continued to evolve, attempted another change with her heavy yet funky album ‘Sonicwonderland’. Her new quartet, Hiromi’s Sonicwonder, includes bassist Hedrian Farrow, drummer Gene Coye and trumpeter Adam O’Farrill.
With this composition, the group will perform on the stage (first day’s performance) of the ’16th Seoul Jazz Festival 2024′ (Seo Jae-pe 2024), which will be held at Seoul Olympic Park from the 31st to June 2nd. This is Hiromi’s first official performance in Korea since 2013. The following is a Q&A written with Hiromi through Universal Music.
-The animation ‘Blue Giant’ is still talked about in Korea. Have you ever heard that this animation was a hit in Korea? How are you feeling? What do you think about the popularity of this animation in Korea?
“A friend in Korea told me that it received really good reviews. “I’m happy if I can open new doors (for jazz) to new audiences.”
-I’m curious what you thought of the original cartoon. When did you first encounter this comic and what attracted you to it? I’m also curious about the process and reasons why you received the offer to direct music and became involved.
“I have been meeting with the original cartoonist since 2014. He came to my show and gave me a comic book. As soon as I read it, I started hearing music, and I told the cartoonist about it. He said he needed a score for a comic book. I wrote it down as I heard it. The actual music that appears in the animation already existed as a score in the cartoon. “I’ve been writing music for a long time, so writing music for animation was very natural.”
-The title of the animation is said to mean ‘Giant Star of Jazz.’ I’m curious about what ‘Blue Giant’ means to jazz musicians.
“Jazz greats exist all time, present and past.”
-The jazz team in the animation is made up of a trio. Piano, saxophone, drums. What did you pay most attention to when creating original music such as ‘FIRST NOTE’ and ‘WE WILL’ with this arrangement? How did you try to translate the music you imagined in the cartoon into reality?
“While creating various versions of the song, I talked a lot with Yuzuru Tachikawa, the screenwriter, and the cartoonist.”
-You were in charge of the piano part in the animation. Of course, Yukinori Sawabe in the play is an excellent performer, but as he is young and male, his playing style is bound to be different from Hiromi’s, so it seems that a lot of different interpretations were applied to his piano playing this time. What method did you take and what did you worry about the most?
“The most difficult part was having to ‘act’. I had to be a teenager. “I tried to remember who I was when I was 18 and did my best to act as close to that image as possible.”
-I think Hiromi was also greatly influenced by the passion of the main characters in the play, as she was a young adult. How did you view their passion, and what passion did Hiromi have when she was young?
“The part that felt most similar was when Dai said that it was cool to perform now even if there were only a few audiences. The number of audiences didn’t matter to me at all. Performing has always made me happy and excited. Of course, I would be happy if there were a large audience with whom I could share my music, but I was always happy and excited to perform.”
-I understand that the original author preferred the theatrical version among the animation release formats considering the sound and other factors. Hiromi, in your opinion, is there a best environment for listening to jazz?
“The better the speakers and sound system, the more you will feel like the band is performing right next to you, but the best way is to actually see the performance.”
-What is a place like ‘So Blue’ to you, Hiromi? Did you achieve that goal? He has had an impressive career, including winning a Grammy and performing at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. What are your other goals?
“There was no ‘place’ or ‘stage’ that I particularly dreamed of. Of course, I was thrilled to play at many famous clubs and festivals such as Blue Note, Umbria Jazz, Newport Jazz, and Montreux Jazz, but I never considered it more important than any other stage. Every stage is equally important because at every performance there are people you can only meet there. I never took anything for granted and always gave 100%, or 120%, to quote Dai Miyamoto, with everything I had.”
-If we start with ‘Another Mind’ in 2003, last year was the 20th anniversary of your debut. What does it mean to you to be able to make music for 20 years?
“I am very grateful, but it is just a passing point. It’s just a matter of training day by day and continuing to work hard. “It’s about taking one step forward every day.”
-I understand it’s been quite a while since you performed in Korea. I understand that they are officially returning to Korea for the first time in 11 years through the ‘16th Seoul Jazz Festival 2024’. There are so many Korean fans who have been waiting for you. What expectations do you have about this performance?
“I’m very excited. “I love performing, visiting Korea, the people, and the food.”
-In particular, you have continued to evolve, but this time you are coming to Korea with Sonic Wonder (Hiromi’s Sonicwonder). What is funky about it? Why did you create this team? What kind of music do you want to deliver through this team?
“I met bassist Hedrian Farrow in 2016, and I felt a special musical chemistry with him. From there, I started writing music for bands including him, and the more I did, the clearer the sound image of the band became. We were looking for someone who could make a warm and pleasant drum sound, so we asked Gene Coye to be a part of the band. The last one was the trumpet. I started hearing trumpet sounds in my music, and when I was looking for someone who could play a trumpet that could give off a warm and dark sound at the same time, I met Adam O’Ferrill. That’s how we formed the band.”
-I saw your appearance on NPR’s ‘Tiny Desk’ and although it was short, it was impressive. I understand that you appeared in the middle of the production of the album ‘Sonic Wonderland’. Did this appearance have any influence on the album work?
“I appeared right after I finished working on the album.”
-In ‘Sonic Wonderland,’ it seemed like you were playing a total of three keyboards, including the piano. It was a really cool performance and performance, but why did it have to come out this way?
“I’ve always loved playing and playing with different keyboard sounds. I haven’t had a chance to play in recent years, and I thought now was the time to finally play and enjoy it. I started hearing sounds for the song in my head, and I’m working on it now.”
-It seems insufficient to simply describe ‘Sonic Wonderland’ as a jazz album. I go back and forth between electronic music and classical music. How has this album helped your musical world?
“I grew up listening to a variety of music. “It’s natural to hear a lot of different inputs in my music.”
-Jazz is still a minor genre in Korea. That’s why there are many domestic jazz enthusiasts who envy Japan’s jazz environment. Could you please give some advice for revitalizing jazz?
“The media can help a lot. TV may introduce instrumental bands, and newspapers may focus on jazz musicians, etc. It certainly helps because the festival attracts a lot of younger audiences. Of course, now we live in an era where families don’t watch the same TV show or listen to the same music together, but each person watches or listens individually on their own cell phone or device. At least live music can be enjoyed ‘together’. Isn’t it a joyful experience to eat stew with family, friends, no matter how personal it is? This is an opportunity for people in their 50s to go to a concert with their children in their teens and 20s and enjoy music together. “Let’s enjoy music together.”
-Last question. You are a wonderful artist who broke the prejudice against women and Asians. Are there any biases you think you may have left behind?
“I’ve been asked this question a lot. I’ve never thought about it. “I just play quietly.”
[서울=뉴시스]
2024-05-03 08:53:43