Nobuo Hara, 80, is the leader of Nobuo Hara and His Sharps and Flats, a 17-member big band formed in 1951 that helped to make jazz popular in Japan after World War II. Their sweet rhythms, which took the country by storm, have not lost any of their swing, and even today they keep audiences mesmerized with their hot live shows. Besides taking his band abroad regularly since their first overseas gig at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1967, Hara has also played with so many stars that he could easily form his own galaxy (one that would not only shine the brightest but sound the best). His playing partners have included Quincy Jones, Count Basie, Miles Davis, Sammy Davis Jr., Perry Como, Henry Mancini, Silvie Vartan, Nat King Cole, Yves Montand, Sarah Vaughan, Diana Ross, the list goes on and on...
Jazz is uplifting. We all felt so down after the war, and our only happiness was jazz.
No matter the circumstances, parents are always parents first. One day the Imperial Japanese Navy band came to play in my hometown in Toyama Prefecture. This was during World War II, so their music was mostly energetic marching songs. I immediately wanted to join them. We boys all felt the same: wanting to protect our families. I auditioned and was among 90 boys picked from around the country. I was so happy, but my parents weren't because they were scared of losing me. I was 16 years old.