Wayne Gabel - The Japan Times

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Wayne Gabel

For Wayne Gabel's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Sep 19, 2008

Heroes ska'ed for life

Making musical history was the last thing on Doreen Shaffer's mind when she joined The Skatalites. Still a schoolgirl, she was just happy to be singing in a band.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Feb 15, 2008

Chuck Brown is good to go-go

Chuck Brown doesn't know when to quit. That's not a character flaw — it's a trait that gave the world the musical equivalent of a marathon.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jan 17, 2008

Burt Bacharach: Been there, wrote that

Let other musicians measure their success with applause and awards. Burt Bacharach's been there and done that.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jan 11, 2008

Vega steals into the spotlight

A city of extremes, New York represents different things to different people. For singer- songwriter Suzanne Vega, its infinite variety is a constant source of inspiration.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Dec 27, 2007

Always thinking big

There's no shortage of pop musicians who reached their creative peak in their 20s, then struggled to remain productive and relevant after the flush of youth failed them. Think of Brian Wilson, Syd Barrett and even John Lennon.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Dec 7, 2007

Galactic keep it in their own backyard

In a business where some people will do anything to thrust themselves into the spotlight, for their latest release the New Orleans-based funk quintet Galactic did all they could to step out of it. Not even Hurricane Katrina could stop them.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Nov 16, 2007

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Oct 25, 2007

'Afro Samurai': anime international

On paper, the making of "Afro Samurai" reads like a recipe for an identity crisis. An animation about an African-American swordsman in a futuristic feudal Japan, it sprang from the mind of a Tokyo illustrator and was brought to fruition in English by a Japanese-U.S. production team, A-list Hollywood voice actors and a hip-hop star.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Oct 19, 2007

For much of its decade-long existence, Tiempo Ibero- americano has been spicing up the summer with the Isla de Salsa festival, an annual celebration of the Caribbean beat. To mark its 10th anniversary, the Fukuoka- based nonprofit organization is expanding its musical horizons to span the entire Iberoamerican world.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Oct 12, 2007

Keller Williams

If you believe sampling is a fraud perpetrated by people who lack musical chops, Keller Williams might just prove you wrong.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Oct 5, 2007

Poster boys for Soulsville USA

Call it coincidence, or call it destiny. Either way, Soulive are breathing new life into soul music — and a long-dormant soul label.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Sep 14, 2007

The guitar skeptic

For a guy who's routinely credited with revolutionizing the sound of jazz, Pat Metheny sounds surprisingly detached from his mode of musical expression.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Aug 10, 2007

In their 1970s heyday, when Steely Dan didn't play live, there's no telling how much fans would have paid to see their favorite studio recluses on stage.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jul 26, 2007

And the beat goes on

Weatherbeaten and remote, the fishing port of Ogi hardly seems like a cultural magnet. Yet the unassuming little community on the southern peninsula of Niigata Prefecture's Sado Island has achieved worldwide renown as the site of Earth Celebration, a music festival with a twist.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jul 20, 2007

Serving up some piping-hot salsa

Calling Oscar D'Leon a salsa superstar doesn't do justice to his stature in the world of Latin music. Over the course of his 36-year-career, the bassist and singer has acquired more nicknames than the late James Brown.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jul 13, 2007

First Lady of blues

She recently came close to death; now, about to headline the Japan Blues & Soul Carnival, Koko Taylor talks about her 50-year career — and the future of blues

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jun 21, 2007

Soundtrack of the summer: Koko Taylor

When the "Queen of the Blues," Koko Taylor, takes the stage at the Japan Blues & Soul Carnival, you're going to get an education. Her latest disc, "Old School," released here June 2 by P-Vine, brims with life lessons learned over a 50-year career that's taken her from a sharecropper's farm in Tennessee to the gritty streets of Chicago's South Side. It's also a reminder of why the world's longest-reigning musical monarch is second to none in the male-dominated world of the blues. Before class is dismissed, you can bet that this true soul survivor will hold court with everyone else on the bill in the jam that brings the carnival to a close.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jun 21, 2007

Soundtrack of the summer: Mio Matsuda

Key players marking Earth Celebration's 20th anniversary this year know what to expect — all except for singer Mio Matsuda. Matsuda is making her debut at the annual celebration of rhythm staged by Kodo, Japan's best-known taiko drummers. The widely traveled Akita Prefecture native specializes in the fado vocal tradition of Portugal and will be called upon to invoke the spirit of a Rio Carnival and blend it with traditional Japanese percussion. She shouldn't worry. Those who take the Earth Celebration stage know to expect the unexpected, and we're the richer for it.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jun 8, 2007

Nile Rodgers & Chic: 1970s disco freak out!

Looking back over a long and varied career, Nile Rodgers could pick any number of occasions as his finest hour. But instead of focusing on his chart-topping records with the band Chic or landmark albums he produced for Madonna and David Bowie, he highlights what would seem like a low point.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

May 18, 2007

Motherhood prompted genre-busting Brazilian singer-songwriter Marisa Monte to take a break from touring a few years ago. Now, maternity has her back on the road with a 10-piece band and headed to Japan for her first concerts in 15 years.

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.

The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

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