Idle hands...

...don't get blistered. I'm just back from a week in Nagano, studying taiko with the phenomenal Art Lee. To be honest, I'd never heard of the guy, and had never seen him really play until Saturday night in a performance where he had us 13 stow-aways. If I'd known how simply incredible the guy was, I would've shown much more respect during the week.

Beginning on June 26th , new friend Marcin of the Kyo has been posting incrimentally on the course. So as to save my tired, blistered fingers, I'm gonna poach. Sorry Marcin! (He also posted a good report on Kodo's Amaterasu, which I caught a few weeks back. See the June 17th entry.)http://lost--in-translation.blogspot.com/.

For me, the beat keeps on. During my yoga class yesterday, I did a series of sideways lunges based on the yokomen uchi style of playing. For abs, it was all suwari uchi. (If you've seen Miyake or Yatai-bayashi played live, you know what I'm talking about.) My students had so much sweaty fun I'm going to do it in all this week's classes.

My own impressions on last week are to come soon. In the meantime check out:
http://www.wadaikoworld.net/ArtLee/index.html


On the turntable: Ondekoza, "Colezo"
On the nightable: Preston Whaley Jr., "Blows Like a Horn"