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
