Just back from an exhilarating recording trip to Santa Cruz, Calif., for the second installment of the project by Okinawa's Takashi Hirayasu and American guitarist Bob Brozman. This time the duo was joined by other musicians on percussion, drums and bass, and also David Hidalgo from Los Lobos and the Latin Playboys on guitars.
Playing mostly Hirayasu's original songs, they have certainly added a new dimension to their sound with funk, ska, Mexican and Cuban rhythms. Their first album, "Jin Jin/Firefly," will be released overseas this spring and has already been receiving rave prerelease reviews. They will be undertaking a European tour in April and May.
In the meantime, Brozman will be visiting Japan, with fellow American guitarist Woody Mann. Both have their roots in the blues. Brozman is the world's leading player of National Steel Guitar, while Mann learned to play under the legendary Reverend Gary Davis. It's their disparate interests that make this show such a tantalizing prospect. Brozman's Hawaiian and world music styles are the perfect compliment to the jazz improvisations of Mann.