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Little Tokyo

Hiroshima

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Album Review

Little Tokyo is Hiroshima's brilliant musical reference to the importance of maintaining a positive, multicultural world view in the midst of international and intercultural tensions. The group has often used this type of subject matter and symbolism in their songs to convey the feelings and moods which have been inspired by current events, places, and people. The 11 songs span several musical styles including sensibilities inherent in Middle Eastern, Latin American, and Asian music. "Midnight Sun" spotlights the work of Shoji Kameda and Kenny Endo. The taiko drum masters complement each other as they underscore June Kuramoto's lovely koto work and Dan Kuramoto's exotic saxophone lines that exude a mysteriously melodic feeling. Guest keyboardist and labelmate James K. Lloyd of Pieces of a Dream sits in on the catchy tune titled "Lanai." The song includes plenty of spirited accompaniment and passionate lyricism from the Kuramotos. The syncopated closer, "Little Tokyo Underground," is Hiroshima's tip of the hat to the funk-jazz crowd. The funky grooves coupled with the adventurous shades of contemporary jazz adds yet another dimension to this artistic array of musical compositions.

Customer Reviews

superb as usual

not your usual easily digestible soft jazz fare. the fusion of soft jazz and asian musical influences keeps staying fresh. if you like their previous work, your'll enjoy this. if you listen to it and are intrigued, i guarantee it'll grow on you, hook you, and influence you henceforth. very good stuff.

One of their best albums yet

I've followed this group since their very humble beginnings in the mid-1970s and have enjoyed hearing them grow as a very tight, cohesive, and innovative group. Some of the players have changed, but the core (Dan, June, Danny) remain and they sound better than ever. The "newer" members complement the core beautifully and, in fact, many of their more recent recordings take advantage of these new strengths. Dean Cortez is one of the best, most solid groove bassists around, it seems that more of the group's songs are built around the keyboards and stellar playing of Kimo Cornwell (and well they should!), and Shoji Kameda's taiko playing sounds great on all tunes. This is yet another breath of fresh air from Hiroshima. In this day and age of loop music, it is so nice to listen to music that requires a great deal of creative thought, composition and arranging skills, and then putting this all together with incredible musicians' talent to form what is a great musical group. Keep up the great work, y'all.

ABYSSJazz Magazine Review

What a melting pot of cross culture through music from the far East to the West. Hiroshima’s new release Little Tokyo is an exotic adventure waiting to happen in each piece. From one track to the next, Little Tokyo will express pass you into the next dimension of creativity and art for our ears. Label mate keyboardist James Lloyd of Pieces of a Dream joins in on the memorable Lanai adding diversity and that special something to the album. If I can give you a glimpse of the journey one might take during this wonderful exploration or well-tossed salad of American, Japanese and a hint of African and Latin expression sprinkled throughout, is pure tranquility. World music at it’s best.

Biography

Formed: 1974 in Los Angeles, CA

Genre: Jazz

Years Active: '90s

Hiroshima, a group whose music falls between R&B, pop, world music, and jazz, has long had its own niche. The band integrates traditional Japanese instruments into their musical blend and has generally been both commercial and creative within its genre. Hiroshima's founding members are keyboardist Dan Kuramoto (who also played shakuhachi), June Okida Kuramoto on koto (a key part of the group's sound), Johnny Mori on taiko drums, and Danny Yamamoto on drums, percussion, and taiko. Other additions...
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