Episode five of Ken Burns’s JAZZ touches on many of the themes of the previous episode, with reminders that are particularly resonant right now: music brings people together and uplifts the spirit. Whether it was dancing to a swinging big band, or dreaming to a blues melody, Americans during the Great Depression found comfort in jazz. Also around that time, well-known jazz acts started playing on stages beyond just nightclubs and bars. Teenage fans who cherished their records flocked to these all-ages venues to see their idols live for the first time. (By the way, both Les Zygomates and Ryles Jazz Club are all ages, as well as many of the other venues the Yoko Miwa Trio plays).

This episode focuses on the 1930′s, the era of swing. One of the criticisms commonly leveled at Burns’s JAZZ series is that it focuses too much on the heydays of swing and bebop, skimming over more recent decades. This episode does spend a lot of time on a short span of years, It also provides good examples of one of my own concerns with the series. While the narration and readings of primary sources give a nuanced overview of the race politics associated with jazz, many of the interviews grossly oversimplify the same issues.

Despite these concerns, I recommend episode five, because it’s one of the best yet for visuals, having advanced into an era when there is plenty of film footage available from the time. The footage of the record production process near the beginning is especially worth a view. The episode is also great for interviews with musicians still alive at the time (who have since passed), including Artie Shaw, Harry “Sweets” Edison, and Dave Brubeck.

Clarinetist and band leader Artie Shaw spoke to what he felt jazz means when he said of Glen Miller, “The biggest problem: his band never made a mistake. And that’s one of the things wrong, because if you don’t ever make a mistake, you’re not trying. You’re not playing at the edge of your ability. You’re playing safely, within limits, and you know what you can do, and it sounds after a while extremely boring.”

We sincerely hope that you are all doing well after last week’s troubling events. We also want to thank everyone who came to Regattabar last week for being an amazing audience. We love you, Boston.

“Hey! Hey!”

I was walking down State Street on Tuesday when I heard a local, standing on a stoop taking a cigarette break, shouting at a man in a Boston Marathon jacket. The runner paused, confused – locals don’t usually call out at tourists unless something’s wrong.

“Did you run, man?” said the local.

“Yep.”

“God bless you, man,” said the local, with emotion in his voice.

This could have happened any year. The Marathon is a big deal in Boston, and many people have a lot of respect for the athletes who run it. But this conversation happened this year, and it was clear from the tone the local was thinking of the explosions, and showing support.

Boston feels like a family right now.

We will be going on with the concert at Regattabar tonight as planned. We hope to see you there, but more importantly, we hope that you and yours are safe and well.

Two weeks ago, we posted about Berklee College of Music’s admissions season, and by now, students are celebrating their acceptances. You know that we are celebrating the fact that a number of new videos are up on the Yoko Miwa Trio’s Youtube page.

A night out listening to live music is a great way to celebrate a special occasion or just the little things in life, and next week, you can see the Yoko Miwa Trio at The Regattabar in Cambridge – 7:30 pm, Thursday, April 18. If you don’t have your tickets yet, you can get them here.

If you don’t have a college acceptance, birthday, anniversary, promotion, or marathon success to toast to at the moment… here are some ideas for what to celebrate:

• Someone else’s birthday! Haley Mills of Parent Trap fame, for example, was born on April 18. Or, you could treat a friend to the show.
• If you’re a student or member of the Japanese Association of Greater Boston or the Japan Society of Boston, there are discounts available for your show tickets.
• In Japan, April 18 is “Invention Day,” honoring the country’s first patent law.
• On April 18 in 1775, Paul Revere and William Dawes began the famous “midnight ride,” warning Patriots that British Regulars were on their way to capture Patriot leaders. The third “midnight” rider, Dr. Samuel Prescott, joined them at one or two in the morning, after visiting his fiancee. The next day, the American Revolution began.
• The weather forecast for Boston is in the 50s and 60s all this coming week. Hello Spring!

Are you subscribed to the Yoko Miwa Trio’s Youtube channel? Half a dozen new videos from the November 2012 performance at Scullers Jazz Club went up this week. The videos include covers of artists from Jimi Hendrix and Neil Young to Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner as well as one of Yoko’s original compositions, Flood of Tears.

A limited number of copies of the Trio’s album Act Naturally, released last summer on the Japanese label JVC Victor Entertainment, will be available for purchase at the April 18 show at Regattabar. That show is only two weeks away, so get your tickets now!

Not sure you’re coming to the show? Below are some videos that might change your mind.

Only Love Can Break Your Heart — this song is on Act Naturally

Bossa Beguine

No, it’s not the Head of the Charles rowing regatta. Regattabar is the musical heart of the Charles Hotel, and the jazz soul of Harvard Square.

The Yoko Miwa Trio will be performing at Regattabar in Cambridge, MA, Thursday, April 18, at 7:30pm. Regattabar has been named one of the “Best of Boston” by Boston Magazine thirteen times, and they are also home to a stunning annual jazz festival.

Considered by many to be one of Boston’s premier jazz venues, largely because of their ability to attract big-name musicians from around the world, Regattabar can also be a hot spot to catch up-and-coming jazz acts. Regattabar is on the third floor of the Charles Hotel, transforming what could have been a conference room into a special place for amazing music. Regular customers say that while there isn’t a bad seat in the house, there are good seats and then great seats, and you’ll want to buy tickets with your friends to sit together – a good incentive to get your tickets early!

Regattabar is closer than you might think to Harvard Square, just a few blocks away. If you want to take the T, take Brattle Street to Elliot Street and you’ll find the Charles Hotel on the corner of Elliot and Bennett. Because it’s so close to Harvard Square, you have all kinds of options for dining or a drink before the show. Both of the restaurants in the Charles Hotel, cozy Henrietta’s Table and swanky Rialto, offer discounts to Regattabar ticket holders, and there are also drinks and light fare at the venue.

Two weeks ago, this blog featured a video montage of past Yoko Miwa Trio performances at Regattabar. Check it out, then buy your tickets for April 18 on the website or by calling (617)395-7757.

Earlier this month, you read a review of the second episode of the Ken Burns film JAZZ. On to part three!

The third episode delves into the Harlem Renaissance, in which culture blossomed in the New York City neighborhood. Mostly Black musicians entertained Blacks and Whites alike in separate venues in Harlem’s heavily segregated speakeasies. One of the most famous music venues was The Cotton Club, and it was a jazz musician’s dream to play there. Duke Ellington and his band secured a job playing there on a regular basis, after a four-year gig at the Kentucky Club. Playing the Cotton Club was widely regarded as the point Ellington went from being a rising star to the brightest star on the scene at the time. The Cotton Club is also the namesake of a venue the Yoko Miwa Trio has played in Tokyo! Just like the Yoko Miwa Trio’s residencies with Les Zygomates and Ryles Jazz Club, Ellington’s relationship with the original Cotton Club was fruitful for the musician, the venue, and the loyal fans.

The Yoko Miwa Trio on stage at the Cotton Club in Tokyo.

Another feature of 1920′s jazz was that music recording was continuing to expand. As one of the featured speakers in the series explained, the Jazz Age and the advent of recording coincided in a way that meant that improvisation was documented and respected like it never had been. “Improvisation, of course, exists before jazz. Beethoven was a celebrated improviser… but there was no way to document it.” Jazz records showed that “An improvisation can be just as coherent, imaginative, emotionally satisfying, and durable as a written piece of music.” Records also helped spread the jazz craze to Europe, and soon, jazz became a staple of European nightlife, although many of the most famous performers were American. Some, like the singer Josephine Baker, moved overseas permanently. Many White Europeans treated jazz as exotic, finding its rhythms sexy but also primitive and savage. One thing was for sure, though, and that was that people loved the music.

If you love good music, too, be sure to get your tickets for the Yoko Miwa Trio’s April 18 show at The Regattabar.

On Thursday, April 18, the Yoko Miwa Trio will be performing at Regattabar in Cambridge, MA.

If you want to know more about the venue, stay tuned for an upcoming blog post, but to really get the feel of the place, this video shows moments from the trio’s past performances at Regattabar.

If the video got you excited for the real thing, don’t worry, April’s right around the corner. The April 18 show will be at 7:30 pm at Regattabar at the Charles Hotel, One Bennett Street, Cambridge MA. Tickets are $20, buy yours online or call 617-395-7757.

There are only 11 days left in 2012.  The year has absolutely flown by!  But it’s been a year full of so many wonderful experiences and opportunities.  Here’s a snapshot of just a few.

We Won

The award: a gold record.

This year, we won the Phoenix’s Best Jazz Act poll.  It was such an honor to be voted to top act by fans and friends.  We could not have won without your support (and votes!).

New Album

This summer, we recorded and released a new album, Act Naturally, in Japan.  With that CD release, we had not one but two tours in Japan.  On top of that, we had the honor of performing in Tokyo’s famed Cotton Club.

Local Performances

Playing during sunset.

We returned to both Regattabar and Scullers, which by the way was filmed and being edited right now, in 2012.  In the summer, we participated in Downtown Crossing’s summer series and made our debut at the Shalin Liu in Rockport.  We also played at the Mount Auburn Club this fall.  All on top of our residencies at Les Zygomates and Ryles.

Interviews and Press

We had a lot of press this year.  We were live on WICN last month, and we interviewed in several Japanese publications for our new album.  Plus our Scullers performance was highlighted in the Boston Globe’s Fall Arts Preview.  Jazziz featured us twice this year, too.

In addition to our residencies at Ryles and Les Zygomates we have some exciting concerts coming up in 2013 including the Sahara Club in January and a new project of the Yoko Miwa Trio with Special Guest Rebecca Parris. This group is already booked at the Shalin Liu on February 15 but we plan to do a mini tour in the greater New England area so stay posted.

Happy holidays and see you all in 2013!

Cherry blossoms or sakura. Photo by Erin Halvey

Tuesday’s performance at the Regattabar was a huge success!  We’ve received great feedback from audience members on our Facebook page, and our take on the traditional Japanese piece, Sakura, seemed to be very popular.

With that said, we’d like to thank the following for their support not only of this performance but of our work overall:

Regattabar, Brenda Prescott, Fred Taylor, Eric Jackson, Ann Braithwaite, Bob Blumenthal, Jon Garelick, Joe Zupan, Erin Halvey, Lauren Muscarella, Helen Feng, Anri Toda, Martin Hanley, Greg Loughman, Scott Goulding, Arthur Dahl, George Beale, Japanese Association of Greater Boston, The Japan Society of Boston, Scullers Jazz Club, Berklee College of Music, Ryles Jazz Club, Les Zygomates, Stellina, Mount Auburn Club

You have all been so instrumental, if you’ll pardon the pun, in leading us to where we are today.  A deep, heartfelt thank you to you all!

As you read in yesterday’s post, Yoko Miwa is part of a select few women in instrumental jazz. Last year, Yoko and her trio debuted at the Regattabar in celebration of Women’s History Month. This performance was dedicated to jazz great, Sheila Jordan. Sheila was unable to make it to the performance, but Yoko was able to perform a duet with her which we featured as part of last year’s Women’s History Month posts.

Sheila did record an introduction for last year’s performance that we’d like to share as part of our gearing up for next week’s Regattabar performance.

We look forward to seeing you next Tuesday, March 27th, at the Regattabar! Please be sure to support women in the arts this Women’s History Month and all year round.