Nerima Tea Club

Tonight, Nerima Tea Club played at Otoya-kintoki in Nishi-Ogikubo, on our second double-bill with the Iizuka Naoko, Fukushima Hisao, Kosmas Kapitsa Trio. They sounded crystal clear and really dynamic tonight, and I really recommend checking out these wonderful musicians. We really enjoy sharing the bill with them too, they're lovely people and I'm sure we'll do another gig together soon. 

Nerima Tea Club sounded really warm and felt so good tonight, it felt really close like family. I think this is probably because we rehearsed yesterday then afterwards I cooked some dinner for the band and friends. (Pizza frita and sea urchin spaghetti, if you're interested! Send me a message if you'd like the recipe!)

It was so fun for the band to break bread and have some drinks together. Maybe this can become a pre-gig tradition? 

We don't gig often these days, but when we do, I'm reminded that forming a Japanese Renaissance Funk Band really WAS a good idea. 

There are plans afoot for our next gig, and we might make it a Tupperware party beforehand next time!

THE FU-CHING-GIDO ALBUM

I'm delighted to be able to announce that FU-CHING-GIDO will be releasing our debut album on April 26th, with a release party in Tokyo at Gee-ge in Shibuya, with support from the wonderful Baron. 

We'll also be releasing the album in a variety of digital formats internationally via Bandcamp. You can expect to be hearing lots more from us before April, and maybe even the odd snippet of music!

If you're in Tokyo on April 26th, please come, give us your support and join the celebration, it's going to be a great night!

Upcoming gigs

Hello!
Long time no blog! Apologies, I've been completely snowed under, mixing and producing the debut album by FU-CHING-GIDO, my band with the wonderful drummer Fu-ching. The release is imminent, and I'll no doubt be going crazy publicising it, so you'll be hearing plenty about it. We're also planning an album release party, which is looking like it should be a really great night. I'll be letting you know all about that one very soon too.
And I've been a bit useless about updating my latest releases and discography too. I'll soon do a big post and bring it all up to date. There have been some nice things I've been involved with recently, including two releases by Cicala Mvta.

Anyhoo, in the near future I have a couple of gigs I'd like to tell you about.

First up, on February 4th, is a FU-CHING-GIDO gig at Yellow Vision in Asagaya, opening for a great band, Pachikuri Elegance, led by the great bassist Higo Hiroshi. Fu-ching and I will be giving it our all, and fingers crossed, we might even have a new song!

Following that, on February 7th, my ancient funk band, Nerima Tea Club will be playing with the fantastic Iizuka Naoko, Fukushima Hisao + Kosmas Kopitza Trio. We had such a great time sharing the bill last year at Cafe Flying Teapot, that we decided we had to do it again!

Do come along and say hello!

Nerima Tea Club Double-bill!

August 30th

Ekoda café FLYING TEAPOT

NERIMA TEA CLUB 

meets the 

飯塚直 / 福島久雄 / KosmasKapitza TRIO

19:30 open 20:00 start

2000円 + order

Nerima Tea Club

Gideon Juckes - tuba

Yoshigaki Yasuhiro - percussion

Tatsumi Kogoro - trumpet

Komori Keiko - bass clarinet

Ohkuchi Shunsuke - accordion

飯塚直 / 福島久雄 / KosmasKapitza TRIO

飯塚直 Nao Iizuka/recorders (たて笛) 

福島久雄 HisaoFukushima/guitar

 コスマスカピッツァ KosmasKapitza/perc

Nerima Tea Club on YouTube

Hello there,
Nerima Tea Club have uploaded two tracks to YouTube! Check them out here:

FU-CHING-GIDO WEBSITE

FU-CHING-GIDO NEWS!

Announcing our new official website!

fu-ching-gido.com

There'll be regular new content and news, and you can leave us a message, so come and say hello!

ふーちんギドニュース！

ウエブサイトがはじまりました！

ライブ情報など新しいニュース諸々随時更新するのでチェックお願いします。そしてメッセージも是非残してくださいね〜！

Life, Death and Sclavis, Texier and Romano

The Human Condition has been on my mind since a very early age. I've always felt mortality to be a slightly absurd tragedy. The fact that, if we survive the everyday dangers of this life, at some point our bodies begin a slow but inevitable decay, until at some point we leave this planet and everything we know, and are swallowed back up into the universe in another form. Whatever one's personal belief, this seems to be a fact we can't escape.
Sometimes this gets me down. But on the other hand there is the occasional burst of human spirit which reaches me and completely pulls my head out of the mire.
Take these three musicians. Louis Sclavis, Henri Texier and Aldo Romano could already have been reasonably regarded as "seniors" when they recorded their first revelatory trio album "Carnet de Routes" in collaboration the great photographer Guy Le Querrec in 1994-95. That music blew my mind in '97 when it was released and I was lucky enough to see them live in '98 in London in a truly fantastic performance.
Today I found this concert onYouTube which was recorded 17 years after the release of the first album. And to my ears and heart, the music is 200 times more beautiful, deep, soulful, adventurous, dazzling and from the heart than it ever has been. In my opinion, these men are seniors in the true sense. They should be looked up to and learnt from. They are able to let their life experience flow naturally into their music, and it is really a treasure and a vibrant triumph over all the decay and stagnation which can be found in this life. Thank you gentlemen. Viva la musica!