Saturday, December 31, 2005
Happy New Year
2 0 0 6!
Till next time...'Mela
10:00 AM
Friday, December 30, 2005
I went out and bought a new 2006 calendar.
After looking over my past dates in 2005,
I realize I had a busy year:
2 art exhibitions;
the month of February,
Meladramas: On Stage At Last!
at Cafe CoCoLo, Shinjuku.
Thanks to all who came to see my work.
The month of October
DIGITAL DIARY
at Jazz Spot “J”
Thanks to all who came to see my work.
My son Michio started his first semester
at Temple University Japan, in September
My big band show celebrating the “American Songbook”, in June.
So, today, the last day of 2005,
this is my “blog” .
I'm listing events and giving thanks for all
who helped me succeed in the year 2005.
For my live house and gallery appearances;
thanks to the club/ gallery/ cafe owners:
Kei Ishida & Stan Gilbert at Club Kei, AKASAKA
Koda-san at Jazz Spot/Gallery “J” Shinjuku
Kuriyama san, at Cafe CoCoLo, Shinjuku
Inada-san at Half-Tone, Tachikawa
Sugiya san, (R.I.P.) at B Flat, AKASAKA,
10 Digital art pieces created in 2005.
1 painting, a commission,"The Sunflowers" also in 2005.
My trip to Guam in August...
Thanks to all my dear family and friends around the world who keep me posted on things,
and keep my spirits up.
I’m also thankful for the great friends I have here in Tokyo:
Hiroshi Yamamoto, for his friendship, patronage, help & support of me & my art .
Michael Robben, for his friendship, patronage, moral support, art gallery treks together, and telephone chats!
Kenji Tsuboi, for his long time friendship, patronage & support in my art & music.
Kamitori-san, for always being there when I look out in the audience, and for supporting my efforts, be they art or music.
Thanks to all the press, who list my events...
Thanks to my fans who come to my events...
To my son Michio, for doing his best this year, in his studies, and as a helper to me.
And Akio,for his support, and writing music charts for me...
Also, all the musicians whom I play regularly with, whom make my job
a pleasure!
For the new musicians I met this year; Hiro Morozumi; piano, Hiroshi Eguchi; electric bass, “Moto” Makino; guitar, JJ Vicars; bass, guitar, Moreno Bussoletti, piano, & Alessio D'Alessandro, drums...
And for the musicians/ old friends I re-met after a long time passed...
Thanks for all the great people I worked with
on the Benefit Concerts for Katrina,
at the FCCJ and at B-FLAT Akasaka.
Thanks to The J-Belles; Julianne & Joni Davidson,
for doing some great work with me at the Katrina Benefit at FCCJ.
Also the fun rehearsals...
Thanks for my last gig this year at the Imperial Hotel in Ginza.
Thanks to you, my readers, for tuning in!
I thank God,
and hope He will bless us all,
and keep the souls we lost in 2005.
And I pray that 2006,
will be a great year; bringing us peaceful days,
& fun nights, filled with health, happiness, prosperity and lotsa gigs!
Thank you 2005, and Adio!
Till next time... 
7:37 PM
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
My son Michio & me
Imperial Hotel , Ginza, Tokyo
Christmas Eve, 2005
photo: Takako Vogel
Special thanks to all the musicians who made my gig at The Imperial
a warm, and fun experience:
Keisaku Takahashi; Tom Pierson, on piano
Tomoya Hara, Greg Chako, Toshiki Nunokawa, Yutaka Kubota on guitar
Rick Vogel on trumpet / flugelhorn.
Also, a thank-you to all my friends who came to see me!
Thank you to my son Michio, it was so great that he came to my show!
He also gave me a beautiful purple & black plaid with velvet collar
padded hanten jacket or, chan-chan-ko, for Xmas...
Perfect for keeping winter drafts away!
Truckin’, like the do-dah man- once told me you’ve got to play your hand
Sometimes your cards ain’t worth a dime,
if you don’t lay’em down...
Truckin’ (1971)
-Grateful Dead ;
Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter, Bob Weir, and Phil Lesh
Till next time...
11:09 PM
Saturday, December 24, 2005
MERRY CHRISTMAS !
Till next time...
8:00 PM
Friday, December 23, 2005
The Road, Winter 1853
Otto Kirsch
Currier & Ives
After singing the song "Sleighride"
a few times,
I was caught by the lyrics:
It'll nearly be like a picture print by Currier & Ives...
I love antiques, and also prints,
and this particular print company is one in
American History.
It's Christmas Eve morning here now.
Tonight my son Michio will come along with me to my gig at The Imperial Hotel.
He has watched me since he was a toddler every Christmas
getting ready to do that thing I do.
This year, he'll actually check out my show!
The fabulous Tom Pierson will join me on piano,
Yutaka Kubota on guitar, and Rick Vogel on trumpet / flugelhorn.
O Holy Night!
The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining-
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees!
Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O Holy Night (1847)
-Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure , lyrics
Adolphe Charles Adams, music
translated from the French to English by
John Sullivan Dwight
Till next time...
7:42 PM
Monday, December 19, 2005
It just occurred to me that it was exactly 15 years ago today,
that me, Akio, and Michio arrived to stay here in Japan.
Akio was in the U.S.A. for 15 years, before returning home.
Wow.
I remember it was frosty cold, and the fragrance of mikans was in the air.
I think that's why when I smell mikans, I think of Christmas.
Michio was four and a half years old , ready to start kindergarten.
He's now 19, and in University.
What a long, strange trip it's been...!
YOWSAH!
9:04 PM
My mood has been improving.
Maybe it's because this Christmas spirit
has finally hit me,
or maybe because my friends and family have been so great
in helping me over the rough spots.
Maybe a little of both.
I took some time for just me & my son yesterday.
We rarely do things together, at this time of the year, with his school and my work,
but since neither of us had any other obligations,
we went out in our nearby town, to get some sushi
and dig on the Christmas scene...
Christmas is very popular here.
Not for the same reasons,
but the facade is real enough.
We had a nice time walking around, and taking snapshots.
My next gigs are 4 consecutive nights,
starting Thursday;
The 22nd, 23rd, Christmas Eve, & Christmas Night
at The Imperial.
I'm working with some great musicians, in a beautiful setting.
It's definitely looking like Christmas around here.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Ev'rywhere you go;
There's a tree in the Grand Hotel, one in the park as well,
The sturdy kind that doesn't mind the snow.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas;
Soon the bells will start,
And the thing that will make them ring is the carol that you sing
Right within your heart.
It's Beginning To Look Like Christmas
-Meredith Willson, Words and Music
Till next time...
7:32 PM
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Till next time...
7:39 PM
Friday, December 16, 2005
I've been alerted by a few friends that I've been negligent
with my storytelling, lately...
I apologize.
I've been in a BAH HUM BUG, kind of mood...
My gig last night went.
Keisaku & Greg were in good form...
When I first got in, on the lobby floor of the hotel,
I heard piano music coming from a little alcove.
I went in to investigate, and there was Bruce Stark
playing his beautiful theatrical style of piano.
We gave each other the "hi" sign...
We worked together awhile back at a truly surreal gig,
a church chapel / wine & jazz weekly concert.
Only in Japan.
I loved singing in that cavernous chapel,
but the wine intermission was a bit surreal...
Or, maybe, church is surreal without it.
Anyhoo, I digress.
Up the elevator to the 17th floor...
It was one of those nights that brought me back to
my old piano bar times.
The only difference was then, when someone requested a song,
they put something in your hand for it.
Here's a hint for anyone who feels the need to make requests
of a lady who's on the bandstand singing:
If you have the cohones to disrupt her line-up,
back it up with some Christmas green!
Tonight I'll be performing with Tom Pierson, on piano,
which is always a thrill.
The guitarist I don't know yet.
It should be interesting...
Hey Santa, if you're listening,
how 'bout a big bucket of Krugerrands for me this year?
I've been an awful good girl...
Signing off from Surreal Central...
10:35 AM
Saturday, December 10, 2005
As I sit here mumbling to myself in my après - gig baritone,
a bucket (a very large mug) of Starbuck's Komoro Dragon decaf in hand,
I am saddened to learn of the passing of Richard Pryor.
I don't know anybody who put as much oomph in the word "motherfucker"
as he did.
I met Richard when I lived in West Hollywood,
He was performing his "Live on the Sunset Strip" show.
After he finished, I went up and gave him a big hug and kiss,
and he said: "Amen, Baby".
I will always remember his fabulous stand-up shows,
and his film performances.
My personal favorite was his role as "Piano Man"
in Lady Sings the Blues.
He put a lot of sweetness in that role...
My son loved his performance in The Toy.
He reached a lot of people.
The world has lost a truly great man.
"Amen, Baby"
Till next time...
8:30 PM
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Happy Birthday, Debbie!
Till next time...
10:05 AM
Saturday, December 03, 2005
© 2005 Pamela MacCarthy
All rights reserved
“Tatiana”
Digital
This is my new digital work, Tatiana.
Last night's show at The Imperial was great!
Tom Pierson is a fantastic pianist,
and he brings out my cooler vocal side.
Paired with Tomoya Hara on a classical acoustic guitar,
it was a nice contrast to the previous night's show...
I look forward to my next show December 9th, Friday...
Till next time...
8:22 PM
Friday, December 02, 2005
Christmastime is always an interesting time for me,
with my holiday shows...
Traveling to different places throughout Japan -
always something different.
One year I'm on a shinkansen to Niigata,
or Osaka, or Fukuoka,
or on a plane to Nagasaki, or Hokkaido...
One Christmas, I performed on a cruise ship in Tokyo Bay.
The waters were so rough, that the ship rocked.
"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"
took on a whole new meaning-
In one hand I held a microphone,
and with the other I hugged a center beam,
to keep my balance.
Last night, I appeared with two of my favorite players,
Keisaku Takahashi- piano, & Greg Chako- guitar...
We were on our third set, about 10:10pm, up on the 17th floor of the Imperial Hotel,
when this wave of sea-sickness came over me.
I thought it weird as we were not at sea.
I looked at Keisaku who, being Japanese
and used to such events, was smiling.
I looked at Greg,
he was not smiling.
I was in the middle of a song and realized we were having an earthquake.
A spectacular view from the 17th floor,
and we were definitely swingin'...
Tonite's show is with Tom Pierson - piano,
& Tomoya Hara - guitar.
What good is melody, what good is music
If it ain't possessin' something sweet?
It ain't the melody, it ain't the music
There's something else that makes the tune complete...
It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing
doo wah doo wah doo wah doo wah doo wah doo wah doo wah doo wow
It don't mean a thing, all you got to do is sing
doo wah doo wah doo wah doo wah doo wah doo wah doo wah doo wow
It makes no diff'rence if it's sweet or hot
Just give that rhythm ev'rything you got!
It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing
- Duke Ellington
Till next time...
11:58 PM
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Photo: Michio Yves Ueda
