Boston Public Library

　ボストン図書館です。映画かなんかの撮影があるらしく、中庭が所々ライトアップされていたり、海兵隊の制服を着た役者さんがウロウロしてたりしてました。

I came to Boston Public Library. It looks like some filming was going on in there. The court yard was lighted up in several places and the actors in Marine uniform were wondering around.

Berklee College of Music

　我が母校、バークリー音楽院です。面白くないほど、なーんも変わりませんな。

My old college, Berklee College of Music. It has not changed a slight bit.

Where do you think you are going???

　ニューヨークからボストンへ向かうバスの中でございます。確かに１１月も中旬に差しかかり、空気に秋冷が加わる候ではございますが、この写真をご覧下さい。逆光でしかもiPhoneで撮ったので分かりにくいかもしれませんが、前に座ってる青年がエスキモーのように分厚いコートを着込んでいます。確かにボストンは北国だけど、どんだけボストンの寒さビビっとんねん！

　ちなみに私はデブなのでＴシャツで全っ然オーケーです。

This is inside of the coach heading to Boston. It was mid-November and the I could feel Autumn was arriving, but look at the guy on the pic. I am sorry for the low-quarity photo --- I took it against the light with iPhone ---, the guy is wearing a think down jacket with fluffy hood. Jeez, an Eskimo guy on the Discovery Channel was wearing the same thing. He is too worried about the cold weather in Boston.

By the way, a fat man as I am, I was just fine with a T-shirt.

WaFoo Chamber Unit @ Tuttoriso in Staten Island, NY

当たり前なんですけど、夏時間が終わってから日が沈むのが驚くほど早くなりましたね。夕方５時近くになると、西の空はすでにあかね色に染まっています。 It is only natural that, after the summer time ended, the sun is setting surprisingly earlier than a week ago. Around 5pm, the sky on the west is already in madder red.

　この日はベースの一雄さんとフルートのゆうきちゃんがオペラのコンサートの方に演奏しに行ってしまったので、私が珍しくベースで入りました。おそらく、WaFooのギグで私がベースを弾いたのは、バンド結成以来これで３回目です。

Kazuo the bassist and Yuuki the flautist had to play for an opera on that evening so I sat in as a bassist which is very rare. I have played the bass with WaFoo only twice before so this one makes the third time.

　キーボードの岳史さんとギターのエイジさんとの３人で、ビル・エヴァンスの曲をはじめ、いわゆるポピュラーなジャズ・スタンダードとは一線を画した、比較的難しいジャズの曲を集中的に演奏しました。難しい曲を簡単なように、そしてゆったりと美しく聴かせ、しかも常に自然に川が流れるように演奏するというのもミュージシャンの芸のうちなのですよ。ミュージシャンもね、デタラメを弾いてる分けではなく、これまたどうして、けっこう影で苦労してるものなのでございますよ。特にWaFooは小難しい曲を書きたがる人が多いので（例えばあの人とか、この人とか）、こういう難しい曲を普段から練習しておくのは必要不可欠なのでございます。

　あ、でも私、このバンドではパーカッショニストだから、ハーモニーがいくら難しくても、あんまり関係ないんでしたー！他のバンドメンバーのみんな、頑張ってね。はーっはっはっは！

With Takeshi the keyboardist and Eiji the guitarist, we played relatively tough jazz tunes which are not really the most popular Jazz Standards, like Bill Evans' "Very Early." We, jazz musicians, have got to have the ability to make the difficult tunes sound easy and also beautifully plus naturally like a current of river. If you think jazz musicians play whatever they want - well well well - we have our share of trials and tribulations behind the scene. WaFoo especially has the people who are fond of putting extra unusual notes and chords here and there, like that guy and that guy, habitual training of playing those tough tunes is therefore absolutely necessary.

Oops, I was forgetting I am a percussionist in this band and it does not matter how tough the harmonies would be. My bandmates, break a leg. Ha-ha-ha.

Eiji Obata (Guitar) Takeshi Asai (Keyboard) Ippei Ichimaru (Bass)

Oops

　ああ、電車いってもうた‥‥‥‥

Shoot, the train is gone.....

Taiko Drum Class (Week 1)

　念願のカオル・ワタナベ先生の和太鼓クラスを取ってきました。私、本当にまだ音大生だった頃から太鼓グループ『鼓童』の大大大ファンでございまして、鼓童の元メンバーであるカオルさんから和太鼓を習いたいとずっと思っておりました。実に２年越しの実現になります。

I took a taiko drum class with sensei Kaoru Watanabe. I have been the biggest fan of Japanese taiko group Kodo ever since when I was a music college student, and I always wanted to learn how to play the taiko drums from Kaoru-san who is an ex-member of Kodo. My dream has been realized at last after two long years.

　このクラスは初心者のための５週間のコースなのですが、それでは１週目の感想をば。

　音がちゃんと鳴らんやないかーい！

　『こ、この太鼓、壊れてるざんす』と、思わずいつものように現実逃避してしまうほど、ちゃんとした音が鳴りません。力任せに叩けば、一発二発は鳴る時もあるのですが、連続で一定になんか絶対に鳴りません。でもカオルさんが叩くとちゃんと鳴ってるんだよなぁ。ムムム、ちょっとヤバいかも。早くちゃんとした打ち方を覚えて、ヒットポイントを安定させないと、先に進まんぞ。

This is the 5-week course for beginners and I have just finished the first one. I have something to say about this.

I CAN'T MAKE A GOOD SOUND!

"M-maybe the taiko is broken?" That was a natural consequence for the simplistic thinking of Ippei the professional escapist. Of course taiko was fine, but when I played it, the sound was missing the bass, in other words, it was just the sound of its skin but the sound did not fully resonate with its wooden body. If I really force it, I get one or two good ones but I have got to get continuously and evenly without forcing it. At the same time, Kaoru-san get good ones all the time. Mmm, am I in trouble? I cannot get too much further with this poor sound. Got to learn the right form and the right hit point quickly.

Kaoru Watanabe Taiko Center

AM New York

　今日付けのニューヨークのフリー・ペーパー『AM New York』紙にWaFooの写真が（ちょこっと）載りました。

　下記のリンクからPDF版が見られます。WaFooの写真は１８ページ目の上の方です。

AM New York (2009年11月5日)

　ま、小さいですけど、切り抜いて冷蔵庫に貼っておくことにしましょう。それにしても、これは先週のチュットリーソの写真なんですけど、私がゆうきちゃんの隣りでパーカッションを叩いているはずなのですが、綺麗にバッサリとカットされてます。紙面の都合なのでしょうけど、クゥ、無念。

A small picture of WaFoo appeared on today's AM New York, the free paper in New York.

You can check out the PDF version on the link below. We are on the top part of the Page 18.

AM New York (Nov. 5, 2009)

It is rather small, but I will cut out the pic and put it on the fridge. By the way, the picture was taken at the gig last week and I was there also. I should be sitting right next to Yuuki playing my tambourine with my happy face on for the camera, but I am edited out. Oh well.

Wrapped in Uniqlo Banner

　ラッピング車両自体、ニューヨークではあまり見かけないのですが、近寄ってみてドビックリ。なんとユニクロのラッピングがされています。おお、ユニクロ頑張ってますねぇ。いつぞや行ったニューヨークの無印良品のように、値段も日本みたいに安くはしてないんだろうなぁ、と思うと行く気も失せるんですよね。

I do not see the trains with wrap advertising too often in New York and I was really surprised on this one. It was the advertising for the Japanese casual clothing company, Uniqlo. Wow, it looks like they really want a piece of New York. Uniqlo is famous as an affordable retail store of clothing in Japan, but since I had a bad experience at Muji, which is another famous affordable bland in Japan but not so affordable in New York, I do not have a drive to go to Uniqlo because I am afraid that I might have the same experience.

Police cart

　グランド・セントラル駅構内のパトカーです。おそらく世界で一番可愛いパトカーでしょう。

This is the police cart inside of Grand Central Station. I think this is the cutest police cruiser in the world.

New York Public Library

　この日はいつも来ているニューヨーク公立図書館の本館が映画の撮影のために臨時休館。あきらめて帰ろうとしたのですが、ドアに張り紙が貼ってあり、『はす向かいの図書館は開いてるから、そっちに行ってちょ』と書いてあります。はす向かいの図書館？その住所の場所に行くと、本当に別の図書館がありました。しかもけっこうな大きさの図書館です。なんで図書館を２つもほぼ隣接するように建てたのでしょうか。うーむ、不可解。

The Main Library of the New York Public Library where I often come was closed because of some filming inside. I read the note on the entrance and it said that there was another library diagonally in front so go to that place instead. Another library diagonally in front? I have never seen it but went there anyway. It was really there and was not a small library. I really cannot understand why the City of New York built two libraries almost next to each other. Cannot compute.