Beating a Beat Storm--George Kawaguchi, Tokyo Jazz at a Gallop (1960s-70s)

Beating a Beat Storm--George Kawaguchi, Tokyo Jazz at a Gallop (1960s-70s)

George Kawaguchi's drumming rumbled like a thunderclap. George Kawaguchi - the man who was called the "Japanese Buddy Rich" of the Japanese jazz world. In an anecdote recorded in "Special Story," Charlie Ishiguro recounts the shock of hearing him play for the first time, saying, "There is an unbelievable drummer. Kawaguchi played a few notes offstage to try out the drummer, and it is said that he knocked the socks off the musicians who were present.

The period was from the late 1960s to the early 1970s, in the midst of rapid economic growth. The city was lined with jazz cafes, and students and cultural figures were confronting the world with a cup of coffee while listening to Bill Evans and Coltrane. George Kawaguchi was at the center of this feverish atmosphere.

His career began at an American military camp shortly after the war. There, he was exposed to authentic American jazz music, and he pounded the phrases he learned by ear into his body. He learned the beats not from musical scores, but from the rhythms of his body. That is why his playing has strength, not skill.

In the 1960s, jazz in Japan was evolving in its own unique way. Sadao Watanabe, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Yuji Ohno, Yosuke Yamashita, and others continued to experiment in their respective genres, and fusion of modern jazz with free jazz, Latin, and soul was in progress. In the midst of all this, George Kawaguchi gave jazz a "sweat" and "vibrancy" with his extremely physical playing.

His drumming was more vigorous than precise, more explosive than refined. His drumming was sometimes brash, yet had a magnetic force that dominated the audience. In the "Story Special," it is told how Ishiguro felt that he could trust him with the rhythm and welcomed Kawaguchi into the band, and his confidence in him was immense.

Around 1970, Japan's underground culture and television culture were at war with each other, each seeking their own expression. However, in the music scene, especially in live houses, cabarets, and jazz cafes, "live performances" were taking place every night. It was a time when the moment when the heat of the stage and the breath of the audience intersected was the "art," not recorded music. George Kawaguchi's drums were the very symbol of that "live" sound.

He did not lean toward the past or the future. He simply tapped the present in his bass drum and snare. And that rhythm still reverberates in the ears of many drummers today.

George Kawaguchi's representative performances and recordings

George Kawaguchi's Big Four" (1953)
- A legendary session in the Japanese jazz world, recorded as a pioneer of modern jazz. Performed with Hachidai Nakamura, Hidehiko Matsumoto, and others. One of the most representative recordings of the early days of bebop in Japan.

We Get Requests" (live recording circa 1956)
- Contains dynamic playing in big band format, demonstrating his overwhelming skill and energy as a jazz drummer.

■"Drum Crazy" (1961)
- As the name suggests, this is a work that fully emphasizes his drum solos. As the name implies, this album is entirely devoted to his drum solos.

George Kawaguchi and the Big Four Reunion Session" (1971)
- Historical sound source of reunion with former friends. The past and present intersect, and the mature performance can be enjoyed.