Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

I wanted to pass onto the forum a review of James’ concert which was the week before last on Friday May 9th at the Tenri Center in NYC.

The performers were James Nyoraki on shakuhachi, Yoko Reikano Kimura  on shamisen, koto and voice and Cathleen Ayakano Read on koto and voice.

The program included a very wide offering of music ranging from traditional Japanese chamber music to a modern instrumental piece for shamisen by Lou Harrison and even one of Nyoraku’s compositions for shakuhachi and koto, Duo No.1. 

The performance was highly enjoyable and noteworthy for a number of reasons. 

Firstly the evening was a first time collaboration between Ayakano, one of the true pioneers of Japanese music in America who is also a graduate of the Yamada lineage of koto playing with Reikano, who is an accomplished Japanese player also from the Yamada school.   My understanding is that the true Yamada style of playing is rarely heard outside of Japan at all, let alone performed by two accomplished masters in partnership together.   

Secondly I must confess that I am a huge Reikano fan.  I have now had the pleasure of hearing her on four occasions and each time I have left her performances deeply impressed and just simply grateful to have heard her perform.   She has a truly distinctive charm and energy.   From her gentle appearance one would never ever guess that she has such a full and robust voice.   My single disappointment from the evening was that I wished there had been more opportunities to hear her voice.

James brought his usual glowing shigemi sound to the evening and I thought he played particularly well in his Duo No.1  To those of you who have never heard James in concert:  hearing him perform is a good education of just how beautiful the sound of a good jiari shakuhachi can be in the right hands.     

I strongly recommend that you attend any future performance by any of these three musicians.  Overall: Great music performed by three accomplished and highly talented musicians.