Before we close the third chapter of 2011,
I have one more date at NB Lounge.
How can I skip this and go on?
The very last Monday of March, on the 28th, NB Lounge will have
Art Hirahara on piano and yours truly, Mamiko on vocal.
My famous “Pray for Japan Tip Jar” continues throughout the month of March,
and the 28th isn’t the exception. All your tip jar proceeds will be donated to
Japan Disaster Relief Fund (The first 2 weeks’ donation was sent to
GlobalGiving – FYI).
Monday, March 28
at NB Lounge
from 7:30 PM to 11:00 PM
Also, in the same event, our good friends,
Mari Koga and Chiemi Nakai will perform as well
(They will be billed as “Afronaughtica.”)
On one fine day, at one fine event in the park,
we gather together for a great cause.
Please join us at Central Park Naumburg Bandshell on
Saturday, the 2nd.
Monday, April 11
@ NB Lounge from 7:30 PM to 11PM
with Art Hirahara (piano)
Monday, April 18
@ NB Lounge from 7:30 PM to 11PM
with Toru Dodo (piano)
Monday, April 25
@ NB Lounge from 7:30 PM to 11PM
with Toru Dodo (piano)
NB Lounge is located on
111 E56th Street
(between Park and Lexington Avenues)
New York, NY 10022 No Cover, No Minimum
Almost Spring,
almost April,
and almost weekend.
A vague line of “is” and “almost,”
its distance looks closer than we see
and farther than we feel.
This morning’s snow might be your sigh, Winter.
The sigh makes us feel guilty, and
remind us how much we tried to love you, but we couldn’t.
Don’t be sad, Winter.
You surely will come back and stay with us…
This Monday, the 27th, I will be at NB Lounge from 7:30 to 11. 2 weeks in a row, I will have Nobuki on guitar. If you haven’t heard of his playing or haven’t play together yet (for my fellow singer friends), I urge you to check his playing. That’s all I want to say, and that’s all I need to say. Swing with us :)
Monday, February 27
from 7:30 PM to 11PM
@ NB Lounge
No Cover, No Minimum
(yes! Monday is still enforcing No Cover/Minimum policy!)
NB Lounge at the Lombardy Hotel
111 E56th St
between Park and Lexington Avenues
New York, NY 10022
Love and hate relationship of seeing myself on any sort of media including videos and photos and all those “mirror-ish” act is always right “THERE” in my face as long as I engage in performing arts. It is totally unavoidable. Sometimes, I accept them OK. Sometimes, I can’t stand what I do in these things how stupid I sound or look and regretted for the fact I was in it – then, I hear the echoing, haunting melody of Carol King… “baby, it’s too…”
This sound clip is ripped from the video recorded on one of the gig in Japan. The video isn’t too bad, but I wasn’t sure if it’s worth showing (haha!). However, what I sang wasn’t superb or spectacular, but… what can I say… wasn’t too bad. I admit I enjoyed listening to it even today (this was from 2009? Yes? Maybe). I particularly surprised by the attitude I was able to present or capture (the attitude – the secret ingredient to make things happen if you can use it right. AND that is probably the biggest thing I have learned in the college from D.J.)
Will you share the moment with me? Here’s black coffee:
This is just a friendly reminder to my supporters: I won’t be at NB Lounge tonight, 2/14.
I kept apologizing in the past few days (lol), but let me repeat…
I am so sorry! AND I truly appreciate your thoughtful messages
and the kindest remarks regarding this schedule change.
I cannot thank enough, and your support means so much to me.
I will be back in the lounge on Monday, February 21 with Nobuki on guitar.
Please come back and show your lovely face to us. I will sing my heart out!
My March schedule is now up. The March will rotate two different duos:
Art/Mamiko and Senri/Mamiko duo. It’ll be a good month :)
Lastly…
What I do is what I love.
I do it because I love it.
I want to be honest musically as well as personally.
MUSIC = LOVE = HONESTY
These are key ingredients of who I am.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
[SCHEDULE]
Monday, February 21
from 7:30 PM to 11PM
@ NB Lounge
Although the schedule has been published on
jazz freepapers like Hot House, web, ML, facebook and such, I regret to inform you that my gig on February 14 is cancelled.
I was looking forward to sing for you, but the hotel booked the private function on that day.
There is nothing I can do here, but to apologize to whom have planned the night :(
I particularly feel bad to those who were expecting to see Senri.
What I can do is to make up to you in March.
Please come back and check the schedule here on my HP or
you can add your email to my list here: http://mamiko.fanbridge.com
See you on the following Monday, February 21. Nobuki will return to the lounge 2 weeks in a row.
It will be a fun evening – I guarantee you.
How was your weekend?
Mine became a very relaxing one. (I think that I needed it to be relaxed.)
I went to see a movie in Sat night with SH (The King’s Speech was excellent),
and before the movie, she and I had a quick bite at a Chinese restaurant across the street.
Meal was alright (comforting enough to cheer my stomach up.)
Like any other Chinese restaurant, the wait staff brought us little refreshments.
Mint chocolates marbles and fortune cookies.
Fresh slices of orange would’ve been nicer,
but I needn’t to complain it because I like choco marbles and fortune cookies anyway!
It’s a US made ritual (or precisely originated in San Francisco by Japanese).
Even if you are not hungry and have no intention to eat,
you will open the cookie.
Yes, you do!
You can’t resist to crack that little given fortune of yours open
as you hope to see something good in it.
I have opened a little dainty bag that holds a precious cookie shell in
(or the one that hides a message from… somerewhere we have no idea!),
then, have taken out the cookie of my own.
I can smell the sugar and it tickles my nose.
I wanted to eat the cookie first, and then read the fortune while I eat,
but in some reason, I always feel that isn’t the right order.
It has to be “read” first, then, “eat” the shell.
For this time, again, I couldn’t reverse the order.
“If we are all worms, try to be a glow worm.”
WHAT?
I… uuuuuuuu…’nderstand each vocabulary
and probably understand what that means,
I guess? probably? (maybe not?)
BTW, do you have any friend who writes this fortune as his/her occupation?
If so, I beg you to take me to his/her work.
I am too curious who writes and how s/he writes.
ANYHOW.
I shall sing My Shining Hour tonight to show my
“glow-worm sprit” promised in my fortune.
Monday, February 7
from 7:30 PM to 11PM
Mamiko Taira (vocal) Toru Dodo (piano)
at NB Lounge
111 E56th Street
(bet Park and Lexington Avenues)
New York, NY 10022
Thank you so much for the last Monday.
It became a wonderful birthday.
I was so, so touched by (YOU!) your presence.
I also received many messages through facebook, mixi, text, phone, etc.
Thank you very, very much.
You guys are the best of the best!
So. How are you all doing in these days,
particularly those who live in NYC dealing with
slashy snow-flooded streets?
I am doing terrible walking around block to block
(picture my
“wonder-how-can-I-cross-the-street- without-wetting-my-feet” look.)
I think at least I pretty much ruined 2 pairs of boots.
(now that can be a good excuse to buy a new pair in next winter!)
Besides that…
I was given some homework from my brother the other day
(lemme call that way for now),
and I am learning a couple of new tunes.
I don’t think I haven’t learn new material for a while.
(When I say “learn”, I really mean “learning” with a serious effort
- can’t forget to add the JOY onto it. Yep, I am enjoying it.)
Anyhow, I was checking out several recordings of the tune
on iTune, YouTube, you name it – whatever I can put my hands on.
I think I have downloaded about…
6 tracks out of 3 dozen of available tracks.
I like some of them, but some are OK (just as the reference, I say.)
Then, I started to check YouTube, and found
Ray Anderson’s recording from 1991.
It sounded really good, and saw the credit of performers.
THEN, I was stunned when I saw the pianist’s name.
It said Fumio Itabashi. Gosh, that’s my teacher!
Very Natsukashii feeling ne…
I liked the recording, so I started to search on the net
if I can still get the CD copy.
Luckily I found it on Amazon in used,
and the price was less than $1 and about $4 in total with the shipping.
WOW
in many ways.
SIGH
in many ways.
I don’t know if Itabashi-sensei remembers me or not, but
he is the one who consciously or perhaps sub-consciously
directed me to pursuit in field of singing (odd? perhaps).
I was taking his jazz piano classes without any previous knowledge
nor experience. I didn’t even now who he was in jazz field.
(needless to say… people in the class was all grown ups who know who he is, and who is pursuing the music career seeeeeeeeriously.)
He basically gave me the first taste of jazz like…
a bad (or can be cool) parent gives a kid the first taste of
coffee or beer or something kids won’t drink.
(is this PG13 expression? or worse? lol)
Anyhow…
The year 1991 was when I was in college in Philly.
It is about 20 years ago.
So… this recording might be when he was in his late 30′s or early 40′s?
I don’t know his age, but it shouldn’t be so off.
I can’t wait to hear entire album.
Being here in New York, I can’t have a chance to experience him playing as a sideman… doing sort of straight ahead stuff with his usual gracious, decisive, fearless and dynamic play :)
This is the year 1984…
so, this is the year I just started to study with him.
(… that tells a lot in terms of my age. hahaha.)
Kakko iine, Itabashi-san.
Now, before I go offline…
Here is my schedule for the next week.
Monday, January 31
NB Lounge
7:30 PM to 11PM
111 E56th St (at the Lombardy Hotel)
New York, NY 10022
If you have missed us the last Monday,
I urge you to come and join us for this one on 1/31
and/or one on 2/7.
There are 2 more gigs left before Toru goes off to his Japan tour.
Let me repeat: 2 more gigs! 2 more gigs!!
I have one more gig in this coming week.
This is one of the nurturing projects that I’ve been involved with,
and it’s getting interesting.
Of course, I really enjoy working on/with/for.
(FYI, I said “one of.” Which hopefully gives you the sense of
“more” to come. Lemme give you a super *cheeky smile,* my friend!)
Quoting the words Senri from here…
it will be in “minimal” setting with the “thrill.”
Indeed.
That’s what “duo” is for.
Don’t you agree?
I hope you can join our musical journey…
Wednesday, February 2
Tomi Jazz
9:30 PM to 11:30 PM-ish
239 East 53rd Street, Lower Level
New York, NY 10022
が入ったので借りて読んでみてる。去年の夏に出たものだから、中身の鮮度という意味ではどうなのか分からないが、とりあえずスイスイ読める。英語版も後からサックリ流し読み、後ほどしたいな、と思った（のは、出てくる単語できちんと訳されてないか、誤植なのか確かめたくなるものが出てきたので・笑）。