Recently, I've been having fun playing standard tunes with Yuichi Hirakawa jazz band at Arthur's Tavern in West Village, NYC. It was just a coincident that the band was all-Japanese tonight. And I had a pretty good time playing with Yoshiaki Masuo, a guitarist who ever performed and recorded with Sonny Rollins. The bassist of the band, Kenji, said 'Mr. Masuo has a very clear concept of his music and I can hear it through his sound well. That's why we can make pretty good music together spontaneously.' I see his point. It was a long time ago that I sat in a gig with Mr. Masuo. I think his music has aged with him in a positive sense. It was like 'I will speak slowly so that you will get it. And you may like it. Let's see!'

@ Arthur's Tavern   57 Grove St, New York, NY — @ Arthur's Tavern 57 Grove St, New York, NY

By the way, Yuichi Hirakawa jazz band performs every Tuesday, and after that, E. J. Sharpe band plays funky good-and-old-time top 30. You should check it out.