[FUJIROCK 2026]
Artist Name：
2026/08/15 (Sat)
0
1186
4
2026/08/14 (Fri)
0
2026/08/13 (Thu)
0
2026/08/12 (Wed)
1
2026/8/11 (火/祝) 夜
「NO WAR」Echo United 6, NRQ @国立Reborn
・Echo United 6
森俊也(ds), 大和田BAKU誠(g), 秋廣シンイチロウ(g),
コウチ(b), 西内徹(sax, fl), 吉澤はじめ(pf, tp)
・NRQ
服部将典(contrabass), 吉田悠樹(二胡), 中尾勘二(ds/sax/tb/kl), 牧野琢磨(g)
FATな音響で聴くNRQは初めてで、以前観た時とは違う印象。
Rebornの雰囲気と客層もあり、座って聴いている場合じゃなく、皆踊る。
二胡の浮遊感。
Echo United 6はDollar Brandを一曲演ったのと、吉澤はじめさんのオリジナルの
「希望」という曲が良かった。強い意志のようなコウチさんのベースと、ギター秋廣さんとの
言葉を使わない饒舌な会話。一人一人の力は小さくて、時に挫けそうになったとしても、
負けずに希望を持ち続けるために私たちには音楽が必要。NO WAR。
---
2026/8/11 (Tue./holiday) — Night
“NO WAR” — Echo United 6, NRQ @ Kunitachi Reborn, Tokyo
・Echo United 6
Shunya Mori (ds), Makoto 'BAKU' Owada (g), Shinichiro Akihiro (g),
Kouchi (b), Tetsu Nishiuchi (sax, fl), Hajime Yoshizawa (pf, tp)
・NRQ
Masanori Hattori (contrabass), Yuuki Yoshida (erhu),
Kanji Nakao (ds/sax/tb/kl), Takuma Makino (g)
This was my first time hearing NRQ through such a FAT sound system,
and it gave me a very different impression from the last time I saw them.
With the atmosphere and crowd at Reborn, there was no way to just sit
and listen—everyone was dancing. I loved the floating, almost weightless
quality of the erhu.
Echo United 6 played one tune by Dollar Brand, and I especially liked
Hajime Yoshizawa’s original “Kibo” (“Hope”). Kouchi’s bass had the force
of a strong conviction, while he and guitarist Shinichiro Akihiro carried
on an eloquent conversation without saying a word.
Each of us may have only a small amount of power, and sometimes we may
feel like giving up. But we need music to keep us from losing heart and
to help us hold on to hope.
NO WAR.
「NO WAR」Echo United 6, NRQ @国立Reborn
・Echo United 6
森俊也(ds), 大和田BAKU誠(g), 秋廣シンイチロウ(g),
コウチ(b), 西内徹(sax, fl), 吉澤はじめ(pf, tp)
・NRQ
服部将典(contrabass), 吉田悠樹(二胡), 中尾勘二(ds/sax/tb/kl), 牧野琢磨(g)
FATな音響で聴くNRQは初めてで、以前観た時とは違う印象。
Rebornの雰囲気と客層もあり、座って聴いている場合じゃなく、皆踊る。
二胡の浮遊感。
Echo United 6はDollar Brandを一曲演ったのと、吉澤はじめさんのオリジナルの
「希望」という曲が良かった。強い意志のようなコウチさんのベースと、ギター秋廣さんとの
言葉を使わない饒舌な会話。一人一人の力は小さくて、時に挫けそうになったとしても、
負けずに希望を持ち続けるために私たちには音楽が必要。NO WAR。
---
2026/8/11 (Tue./holiday) — Night
“NO WAR” — Echo United 6, NRQ @ Kunitachi Reborn, Tokyo
・Echo United 6
Shunya Mori (ds), Makoto 'BAKU' Owada (g), Shinichiro Akihiro (g),
Kouchi (b), Tetsu Nishiuchi (sax, fl), Hajime Yoshizawa (pf, tp)
・NRQ
Masanori Hattori (contrabass), Yuuki Yoshida (erhu),
Kanji Nakao (ds/sax/tb/kl), Takuma Makino (g)
This was my first time hearing NRQ through such a FAT sound system,
and it gave me a very different impression from the last time I saw them.
With the atmosphere and crowd at Reborn, there was no way to just sit
and listen—everyone was dancing. I loved the floating, almost weightless
quality of the erhu.
Echo United 6 played one tune by Dollar Brand, and I especially liked
Hajime Yoshizawa’s original “Kibo” (“Hope”). Kouchi’s bass had the force
of a strong conviction, while he and guitarist Shinichiro Akihiro carried
on an eloquent conversation without saying a word.
Each of us may have only a small amount of power, and sometimes we may
feel like giving up. But we need music to keep us from losing heart and
to help us hold on to hope.
NO WAR.
2026/08/11 (Tue)
2
2026/8/11 (火/祝) 昼
山口冨士夫「プライベート・カセット」40周年記念スペシャル
当時、冨士夫さんのライブの録音係をされていたというサミー前田さんの
秘蔵音源を聴きながら、マネージャだった粕谷さんとのトークライブ。
山口冨士夫バンド名義で新宿ロフトで演った "Little Red Rooster" を、
Rolling Stones の「Love You Live」のストーンズの演奏に匹敵する名演と仰っていて、
確かに、と思った。
僕はその日のライブは観ていないけれど(僕が冨士夫さんを知ったのはTEARDROPSから)、
別の日どこかで冨士夫さんの "Little Red Rooster" を観たような、うっすらとした記憶がある。
当時はその凄さがわからなかったな。
冨士夫さんのカバー曲で僕が好きなのは TEARDROPS でよく演った James Brown の
"I Feel Good" で、あれで初めてJ.Bを知った、まだ20代の生意気盛りだったオレ。
TEARDROPS の "瞬間移動できたら" という曲に、ライブが終わった後に「またガキどもが
外で俺たちを待ってるぜ」という歌詞があるんだけど、まさにその「ガキども」の一人だったオレ。
TEARDROPS を追っかけていて、毎回前売りなど買わずにライブに行くんだけど、
天風会館で演った時に、対バンが当時超人気バンドだった BO GUMBOS でソールドアウトに
なって入れなかった。仕方なく楽屋入り口付近で友達と二人でたむろしていたら冨士夫さんが
来られて、チケット買えなかったですと行ったら裏口から入れてくれて、ステージ脇から
ライブを観たことがあった。どんとも横で観ていた。THE FOOLSの川田良さんもいたと思う。
僕と友人が持ち込んだマイヤーズの瓶をどんとに勧めたけど、ひとくちしか飲まなかったな。
あの頃オレは、ライブを観に行くとだいたいベロベロに酔っ払っていた。だから覚えていない
ことも多くて、勿体ないことをしたと思う。
もう一つ覚えているのが、 TEARDROPS が活動休止になった後、冨士夫さんが薬物で
逮捕/服役となって何年？かの間、出てくるのをいちファンとしてオレは待っていた。
ようやく出てきた後の復帰ソロライブを、福生かどこかで演った時のライブは勿論良くて
感無量だったんだけど、オレがイキがって「冨士夫覚醒剤やめろよ」と野次ったら
「うっせーなやってねーよ、尿検査すっかよ」とキレられた。無鉄砲で怖いもの知らずだったオレ。
それでなんだか吹っ切れてしまって、その後の冨士夫さんのライブには数えるくらいしか行っていない。
2008年？かな。川崎でやった京浜ロックフェスティバルに冨士夫さんが出た時に、
冨士夫さんは大病をされた後で、出てきた開口一番のMCが「死にかけたぜ」だったな。
それで大声で「おかえり！」と言った。冨士夫さんのライブを観たのはあの日が最後だった
かもしれない。その後の3.11の後の、経産省前で演った時も現場では観ていない。
... 余談だけど、京浜ロックの時に鮎川誠さんが、ほぼ最前列にいたオレの THE FOOLS の
真っ赤なTシャツを見て、すげーいい笑顔で微笑んでいた。あれは絶対オレのTシャツを見て
笑ったんだと思う。
... さらに余談だけど、1990年の暮れに天風会館の「いのちの祭り」にTEARDROPS が
出た時に鮎川誠さんがゲストで来られて、The Beatles の「ヤーブルース」を演ったのは
キレまくった火花が出るような演奏だった。「ヤーブルース」ともう一曲何か演って、
鮎川さんは嵐のように去っていった。冨士夫さんが一時シナロケに参加して抜けて、
色々あった後の久々の再会だったんじゃないかと思う。鮎川さんも色々な思いがあったんじゃ
ないかと想像する。でもあの演奏はすごかったな。
... もうひとつ覚えているのが天風会館の「いのちの祭り」の時に、どういう話の流れだった
のか覚えていないんだけど知らないヒッピー風のアニキに、お前は大丈夫だ、お前ならこの先
ずっとやっていけるから（何を？）と予言された。あの人が粕谷さんだったのかなと思って
いたんだけど、今日のトークイベントでお顔を拝見して、どうやら違う人だったらしいと気づいた。
どなたかは存じ上げませんがありがとうございました、あの時のアニキ。
そして私はなんとかこの歳までやっていけました。
思い出話をし始めるとキリが無いのでこの辺でやめるけど、「プライベート・カセット」は
今でも大好きなアルバム。その録音の裏話などを色々聞けるはずのイベントだったのだけど、
話し手の方々も同じく話が尽きず、２時間くらい聞いた後に別件があったので泣く泣く離脱した。
---
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 — Afternoon
Fujio Yamaguchi “Private Cassette” — 40th Anniversary Special
A talk event with Kasuya, who was Yamaguchi-san’s manager, while listening to some
rare recordings from Sammy Maeda, who apparently handled the recording of
Fujio-san’s live shows back in the day.
They played “Little Red Rooster,” performed by the Yamaguchi Fujio Band at Shinjuku
LOFT, and Sammy described it as a performance on a par with the Rolling Stones’
version on Love You Live. I thought, yeah, he may well be right.
I wasn’t at that particular show myself—I first discovered Yamaguchi-san through
TEARDROPS—but I have a vague memory of seeing him play “Little Red Rooster”
somewhere else. I had no idea how great it was at the time.
Of all the songs Fujio-san covered, my favorite is James Brown’s “I Feel Good,”
which TEARDROPS used to play a lot. That was actually how I first discovered J.B.
I was still in my twenties, cocky and full of myself back then.
There’s a song by TEARDROPS called “Shunkan Ido Dekitara,” with a line about how,
after the show, “the brats are waiting for us outside again.” Well, I was exactly
one of those “brats.”
I used to follow TEARDROPS around and go to their shows without bothering to buy
advance tickets. One time, when they played at Tenpu Kaikan, they were on a bill
with BO GUMBOS, who were hugely popular at the time, and the show sold out, so I
couldn’t get in.
So my friend and I were hanging around near the backstage entrance when
Fujio-san showed up. I told him we hadn’t been able to get tickets, and he
let us in through the back door. We watched the show from the side of the stage.
Donto was standing there watching it with us. I think Ryo Kawada from THE FOOLS
was there too.
My friend and I had brought a bottle of Myers rum and offered some to Donto, but
he only took one sip.
Back then, whenever I went to a show, I was usually completely wasted. So there
are a lot of things I don’t remember. What a waste.
Another thing I remember is that after TEARDROPS went on hiatus, Fujio-san was
arrested and served time for drug-related charges. For several years—I don't even
remember how many—I waited for him to get out, simply as a fan.
When he finally got out and played a comeback solo show, somewhere around Fussa,
the show was, of course, fantastic, and I was overwhelmed with emotion. But being
the hotshot idiot I was, I yelled from the audience, “Fujio, quit the speed!”
He snapped back, “Shut up! I’m not doing it! Want me to take a piss test?”
I was reckless and fearless back then, with absolutely no sense of self-preservation.
Somehow, that exchange made me let go of something, and after that I only went to
a handful of Fujio-san’s shows.
Maybe it was 2008. When Fujiio-san played the Keihin Rock Festival in Kawasaki,
he had recently been through a serious illness. The very first thing he said from
the stage was, “I almost died.”
So I shouted at the top of my lungs, “Welcome back!”
That may have been the last time I saw Fujio-san play live. I didn’t see him
in person when he later performed in front of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and
Industry after 3/11, either.
...As a side note, at the Keihin Rock Festival, Makoto Ayukawa noticed my bright
red THE FOOLS T-shirt while I was standing almost at the front of the crowd, and
gave me this huge, beautiful smile. I’m absolutely convinced he was smiling
because he saw my T-shirt.
...Another side note: when TEARDROPS played the “Inochi no Matsuri” at Tenpu
Kaikan at the end of 1990, Makoto Ayukawa came on as a guest and played “Yer Blues”
by The Beatles with them. It was an explosive performance, crackling with sparks.
They played “Yer Blues” and one other song, and then Ayukawa-san disappeared into
the storm as quickly as he had arrived.
I imagine it must have been a reunion after Fujio-san had briefly joined
Sheena & the Rockets and then left, and after everything that had happened
between them. I imagine Ayukawa-san must have had all sorts of feelings about it
too.
But man, that performance was something else.
...One more thing I remember from the “Inochi no Matsuri” at Tenpu Kaikan. I don't
remember what the conversation was about, but some hippie-looking older guy I
didn't know suddenly told me, “You’ll be all right. You’ll be able to keep going
like this for the rest of your life.”
Keep going with what? I had no idea.
For some reason, I always wondered if that guy might have been Kasuya. But after
seeing Kasuya’s face at today's talk event, I realized it must have been someone
else.
I have no idea who you were, but thank you, brother, whoever you were. Somehow,
I did manage to keep going all the way to this age.
Once I start reminiscing, there’s no end to it, so I’ll stop here.
“Private Cassette” is still one of my favorite albums. This event was supposed
to be a chance to hear all sorts of stories about what went on behind the scenes
of those recordings. But the speakers had just as many stories to tell, and the
conversation could have gone on forever.
After listening for about two hours, I unfortunately had to leave because I had
somewhere else to be.
山口冨士夫「プライベート・カセット」40周年記念スペシャル
当時、冨士夫さんのライブの録音係をされていたというサミー前田さんの
秘蔵音源を聴きながら、マネージャだった粕谷さんとのトークライブ。
山口冨士夫バンド名義で新宿ロフトで演った "Little Red Rooster" を、
Rolling Stones の「Love You Live」のストーンズの演奏に匹敵する名演と仰っていて、
確かに、と思った。
僕はその日のライブは観ていないけれど(僕が冨士夫さんを知ったのはTEARDROPSから)、
別の日どこかで冨士夫さんの "Little Red Rooster" を観たような、うっすらとした記憶がある。
当時はその凄さがわからなかったな。
冨士夫さんのカバー曲で僕が好きなのは TEARDROPS でよく演った James Brown の
"I Feel Good" で、あれで初めてJ.Bを知った、まだ20代の生意気盛りだったオレ。
TEARDROPS の "瞬間移動できたら" という曲に、ライブが終わった後に「またガキどもが
外で俺たちを待ってるぜ」という歌詞があるんだけど、まさにその「ガキども」の一人だったオレ。
TEARDROPS を追っかけていて、毎回前売りなど買わずにライブに行くんだけど、
天風会館で演った時に、対バンが当時超人気バンドだった BO GUMBOS でソールドアウトに
なって入れなかった。仕方なく楽屋入り口付近で友達と二人でたむろしていたら冨士夫さんが
来られて、チケット買えなかったですと行ったら裏口から入れてくれて、ステージ脇から
ライブを観たことがあった。どんとも横で観ていた。THE FOOLSの川田良さんもいたと思う。
僕と友人が持ち込んだマイヤーズの瓶をどんとに勧めたけど、ひとくちしか飲まなかったな。
あの頃オレは、ライブを観に行くとだいたいベロベロに酔っ払っていた。だから覚えていない
ことも多くて、勿体ないことをしたと思う。
もう一つ覚えているのが、 TEARDROPS が活動休止になった後、冨士夫さんが薬物で
逮捕/服役となって何年？かの間、出てくるのをいちファンとしてオレは待っていた。
ようやく出てきた後の復帰ソロライブを、福生かどこかで演った時のライブは勿論良くて
感無量だったんだけど、オレがイキがって「冨士夫覚醒剤やめろよ」と野次ったら
「うっせーなやってねーよ、尿検査すっかよ」とキレられた。無鉄砲で怖いもの知らずだったオレ。
それでなんだか吹っ切れてしまって、その後の冨士夫さんのライブには数えるくらいしか行っていない。
2008年？かな。川崎でやった京浜ロックフェスティバルに冨士夫さんが出た時に、
冨士夫さんは大病をされた後で、出てきた開口一番のMCが「死にかけたぜ」だったな。
それで大声で「おかえり！」と言った。冨士夫さんのライブを観たのはあの日が最後だった
かもしれない。その後の3.11の後の、経産省前で演った時も現場では観ていない。
... 余談だけど、京浜ロックの時に鮎川誠さんが、ほぼ最前列にいたオレの THE FOOLS の
真っ赤なTシャツを見て、すげーいい笑顔で微笑んでいた。あれは絶対オレのTシャツを見て
笑ったんだと思う。
... さらに余談だけど、1990年の暮れに天風会館の「いのちの祭り」にTEARDROPS が
出た時に鮎川誠さんがゲストで来られて、The Beatles の「ヤーブルース」を演ったのは
キレまくった火花が出るような演奏だった。「ヤーブルース」ともう一曲何か演って、
鮎川さんは嵐のように去っていった。冨士夫さんが一時シナロケに参加して抜けて、
色々あった後の久々の再会だったんじゃないかと思う。鮎川さんも色々な思いがあったんじゃ
ないかと想像する。でもあの演奏はすごかったな。
... もうひとつ覚えているのが天風会館の「いのちの祭り」の時に、どういう話の流れだった
のか覚えていないんだけど知らないヒッピー風のアニキに、お前は大丈夫だ、お前ならこの先
ずっとやっていけるから（何を？）と予言された。あの人が粕谷さんだったのかなと思って
いたんだけど、今日のトークイベントでお顔を拝見して、どうやら違う人だったらしいと気づいた。
どなたかは存じ上げませんがありがとうございました、あの時のアニキ。
そして私はなんとかこの歳までやっていけました。
思い出話をし始めるとキリが無いのでこの辺でやめるけど、「プライベート・カセット」は
今でも大好きなアルバム。その録音の裏話などを色々聞けるはずのイベントだったのだけど、
話し手の方々も同じく話が尽きず、２時間くらい聞いた後に別件があったので泣く泣く離脱した。
---
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 — Afternoon
Fujio Yamaguchi “Private Cassette” — 40th Anniversary Special
A talk event with Kasuya, who was Yamaguchi-san’s manager, while listening to some
rare recordings from Sammy Maeda, who apparently handled the recording of
Fujio-san’s live shows back in the day.
They played “Little Red Rooster,” performed by the Yamaguchi Fujio Band at Shinjuku
LOFT, and Sammy described it as a performance on a par with the Rolling Stones’
version on Love You Live. I thought, yeah, he may well be right.
I wasn’t at that particular show myself—I first discovered Yamaguchi-san through
TEARDROPS—but I have a vague memory of seeing him play “Little Red Rooster”
somewhere else. I had no idea how great it was at the time.
Of all the songs Fujio-san covered, my favorite is James Brown’s “I Feel Good,”
which TEARDROPS used to play a lot. That was actually how I first discovered J.B.
I was still in my twenties, cocky and full of myself back then.
There’s a song by TEARDROPS called “Shunkan Ido Dekitara,” with a line about how,
after the show, “the brats are waiting for us outside again.” Well, I was exactly
one of those “brats.”
I used to follow TEARDROPS around and go to their shows without bothering to buy
advance tickets. One time, when they played at Tenpu Kaikan, they were on a bill
with BO GUMBOS, who were hugely popular at the time, and the show sold out, so I
couldn’t get in.
So my friend and I were hanging around near the backstage entrance when
Fujio-san showed up. I told him we hadn’t been able to get tickets, and he
let us in through the back door. We watched the show from the side of the stage.
Donto was standing there watching it with us. I think Ryo Kawada from THE FOOLS
was there too.
My friend and I had brought a bottle of Myers rum and offered some to Donto, but
he only took one sip.
Back then, whenever I went to a show, I was usually completely wasted. So there
are a lot of things I don’t remember. What a waste.
Another thing I remember is that after TEARDROPS went on hiatus, Fujio-san was
arrested and served time for drug-related charges. For several years—I don't even
remember how many—I waited for him to get out, simply as a fan.
When he finally got out and played a comeback solo show, somewhere around Fussa,
the show was, of course, fantastic, and I was overwhelmed with emotion. But being
the hotshot idiot I was, I yelled from the audience, “Fujio, quit the speed!”
He snapped back, “Shut up! I’m not doing it! Want me to take a piss test?”
I was reckless and fearless back then, with absolutely no sense of self-preservation.
Somehow, that exchange made me let go of something, and after that I only went to
a handful of Fujio-san’s shows.
Maybe it was 2008. When Fujiio-san played the Keihin Rock Festival in Kawasaki,
he had recently been through a serious illness. The very first thing he said from
the stage was, “I almost died.”
So I shouted at the top of my lungs, “Welcome back!”
That may have been the last time I saw Fujio-san play live. I didn’t see him
in person when he later performed in front of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and
Industry after 3/11, either.
...As a side note, at the Keihin Rock Festival, Makoto Ayukawa noticed my bright
red THE FOOLS T-shirt while I was standing almost at the front of the crowd, and
gave me this huge, beautiful smile. I’m absolutely convinced he was smiling
because he saw my T-shirt.
...Another side note: when TEARDROPS played the “Inochi no Matsuri” at Tenpu
Kaikan at the end of 1990, Makoto Ayukawa came on as a guest and played “Yer Blues”
by The Beatles with them. It was an explosive performance, crackling with sparks.
They played “Yer Blues” and one other song, and then Ayukawa-san disappeared into
the storm as quickly as he had arrived.
I imagine it must have been a reunion after Fujio-san had briefly joined
Sheena & the Rockets and then left, and after everything that had happened
between them. I imagine Ayukawa-san must have had all sorts of feelings about it
too.
But man, that performance was something else.
...One more thing I remember from the “Inochi no Matsuri” at Tenpu Kaikan. I don't
remember what the conversation was about, but some hippie-looking older guy I
didn't know suddenly told me, “You’ll be all right. You’ll be able to keep going
like this for the rest of your life.”
Keep going with what? I had no idea.
For some reason, I always wondered if that guy might have been Kasuya. But after
seeing Kasuya’s face at today's talk event, I realized it must have been someone
else.
I have no idea who you were, but thank you, brother, whoever you were. Somehow,
I did manage to keep going all the way to this age.
Once I start reminiscing, there’s no end to it, so I’ll stop here.
“Private Cassette” is still one of my favorite albums. This event was supposed
to be a chance to hear all sorts of stories about what went on behind the scenes
of those recordings. But the speakers had just as many stories to tell, and the
conversation could have gone on forever.
After listening for about two hours, I unfortunately had to leave because I had
somewhere else to be.
2026/08/10 (Mon)
1
2026/08/09 (Sun)
1
昨日出会った良盤。フリージャズ寄りのギタリスト John Abercrombie は、
ECMレーベルなので間違いないという確信の元に確保。バックメンバーの Dave Holland(b) と
Jack DeJohnette (ds) もそこそこ聞き覚えのある名前なので、「注目リスト」に加えておこう。
クロスオーバー寄りのギタリスト Phil Upchurch は、以前にジャケ買いで出会った
アルバム (Darkness, Darkness) が気に入っていたので、次のを掘り下げた。
他にも山下洋輔のソロピアノのアルバムに出会った。いやーどれも最高、珠玉やね。
---
A couple of great records I came across yesterday. Free-jazz-leaning guitarist
John Abercrombie was an easy pick, confident that you can’t go wrong with an ECM release.
The backing musicians, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Jack DeJohnette, are
also names I’ve heard often enough, so I’ll add them to my “watch list.”
As for crossover-leaning guitarist Phil Upchurch, I had really liked his album Darkness, Darkness,
which I’d discovered through a blind jacket buy, so I decided to dig deeper into his work.
I also came across a solo piano album by Yosuke Yamashita.
Man, they were all fantastic—real gems.
ECMレーベルなので間違いないという確信の元に確保。バックメンバーの Dave Holland(b) と
Jack DeJohnette (ds) もそこそこ聞き覚えのある名前なので、「注目リスト」に加えておこう。
クロスオーバー寄りのギタリスト Phil Upchurch は、以前にジャケ買いで出会った
アルバム (Darkness, Darkness) が気に入っていたので、次のを掘り下げた。
他にも山下洋輔のソロピアノのアルバムに出会った。いやーどれも最高、珠玉やね。
---
A couple of great records I came across yesterday. Free-jazz-leaning guitarist
John Abercrombie was an easy pick, confident that you can’t go wrong with an ECM release.
The backing musicians, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Jack DeJohnette, are
also names I’ve heard often enough, so I’ll add them to my “watch list.”
As for crossover-leaning guitarist Phil Upchurch, I had really liked his album Darkness, Darkness,
which I’d discovered through a blind jacket buy, so I decided to dig deeper into his work.
I also came across a solo piano album by Yosuke Yamashita.
Man, they were all fantastic—real gems.
2026/08/08 (Sat)
3
清瀬のリハブ訪問、西荻窪でミーティング。新しい仲間/友人との出会い。
サチコとチーコと2026年フジロック振り返り会。年季の入ったフジロッカーたちとの
過去のよもやま話で盛り上がり、楽しい時間を過ごした。
---
Visited a rehab in Kiyose, then went to a meeting in Nishi-Ogikubo. Met some new
fellow travelers and friends.
Had a 2026 Fuji Rock recap with Sachiko and Chiko. We had a great time reminiscing
about all kinds of old Fuji Rock stories with some veteran Fuji Rockers and talking
about the good old days.
サチコとチーコと2026年フジロック振り返り会。年季の入ったフジロッカーたちとの
過去のよもやま話で盛り上がり、楽しい時間を過ごした。
---
Visited a rehab in Kiyose, then went to a meeting in Nishi-Ogikubo. Met some new
fellow travelers and friends.
Had a 2026 Fuji Rock recap with Sachiko and Chiko. We had a great time reminiscing
about all kinds of old Fuji Rock stories with some veteran Fuji Rockers and talking
about the good old days.
2026/08/07 (Fri)
2
Joe Turner の Pablo レーベルからのLP・2タイトルに出会ったのでリスン。
Jump Blues の人だと思っていたのだけれど、70年代のアルバムを聴くとドロっとした
スローブルースを演っている。
若い頃に高円寺のJIROKICHIや吉祥寺の曼荼羅あたりにフラッっとライブを聴きに行く
ようになり、そこで出会って私がグッときたのはこういうタイプのブルーズでした。
タメてタメて焦らして焦らしてからの「イカせてくれっ！」と叫んでギターソロに突入する
ような ... それはあの頃見たライブの中の一コマで、「イカせてくれっ！」と叫んだのは
一体どなただったかしら？ブギーボーイ・イクト？「あの感じ」のレコードを探して色々聴いて
みたけれど、コテコテの典型的なスローブルースにその時はなかなか出会えなかった。
憂歌団の Slow Boat To China の小粋なスウィングを聴いて、なんだこれ全然ブルーズじゃ
ないじゃんと思ったり。
そんな当時の私が探し求めていたのは Joe Turner みたいなタイプのブルーズで、Joe Turner が
私にとってのスローブルースの理想系です。... ってな事を迂闊に言うと、並いる諸先輩の方々に
おこられそうですが。その道の先達の一人である妻には、フツーに B.B. King とか Albert Collins を
聴けばよかったのにと言われました。
当時出会えなかったと言いつつも、ライブ会場ではこういうタイプのブルーズの演奏に時々
出会っていたけどね。THE FOOLS のゲストで妹尾隆一郎さん（ウィーピングハープ妹尾）が
入って "いい時も悪い時も" を演った時とか、TEARDROPS の "風がびゅうびゅう" のホーン
セクションの感じは、Joe Turner のアルバムの空気に似ているなーと近頃思ったり。
TEARDROPSのホーンは高木親さんのギャンブル・ホーンズだったよね。
山口冨士夫さんの "だけどこの深いデルタの街じゃ..." という歌詞からデルタ・ブルースという
ジャンルを知ったり。
音楽スタイルは全然違うけれど "ルシアル" での割礼/宍戸幸司さんの永遠に終わらないんじゃ
ないかと思う長尺のギターソロにも、反復性の快楽という意味で僕はブルーズを感じている。
そして多少は音楽が聴けるようになると、憂歌団の小粋なスウィングも、あるいは渋谷毅さんの
ピアノだって、実は核心をついたブルーズだったのだと最近ようやく理解するようになりました。
あまり大声では言えない状況になってしまったけれど、GEZANの直近のアルバム
『I KNOW HOW NOW』の一曲目 "beat" のマヒトのナレーション/ポエトリーからメロディーが
混ざり移り変わるところに、僕はブルーズを感じる。あれはすごくブルーズだな。
ブルーズって生活を背負った者の音楽でもあるから、"イーグルに子供が生まれた" というマヒトの
セリフから、生活を背負わざるを得なくなったプレッシャーが彼にはあったのかななんて想像したり。
JAGATARAの江戸アケミが、結婚して雀荘でバイトをし始めたというエピソードを思い出したり。
---
I came across two LPs by Joe Turner on the Pablo label, so I gave them a listen.
I had always thought of him as a Jump Blues guy, but when I listened to his albums
from the ’70s, I found him playing this thick, slow, swampy kind of blues.
When I was young, I started dropping by places like JIROKICHI in Koenji and Mandala
in Kichijoji to catch live shows, and the kind of blues that really grabbed me was this
sort of thing.
The kind where they stretch it out, hold it back, tease and tease, and then suddenly
scream, “Take me there!” and launch into a guitar solo... That was one of the moments
I remember from a show I saw back then. But who was it that shouted “Take me
there!”? Boogie Boy Ikuto? I wonder.
I listened to all kinds of records looking for “that feeling,” but back then I just couldn’t
seem to find the kind of straight-up, full-on slow blues I was looking for. I remember
hearing Yuka-dan’s stylish swing on “Slow Boat to China” and thinking, “What the hell
is this? This isn’t blues at all.”
Looking back, the kind of blues I had been searching for was actually the kind Joe Turner
played. For me, Joe Turner is the ideal form of slow blues.
...Though if I say that too carelessly, I’m sure all the veterans who came before me will
come after me. My wife, who is one of the people who knows far more about this
stuff than I do, simply told me, “You could’ve just listened to B.B. King or Albert Collins.”
Even though I say I couldn’t find that kind of music back then, I did sometimes come
across this kind of blues being played at live shows. For example, when Ryūichirō Senō,
“Weeping Harp” Senō, joined THE FOOLS as a guest and they played “Ii Toki mo
Warui Toki mo,” or the feel of the horn section on TEARDROPS’ “Kaze ga Byūbyū.”
Lately I’ve been thinking that the atmosphere of those performances was actually
pretty close to the atmosphere of Joe Turner’s albums.
The horns in TEARDROPS were Chikashi Takagi’s Gamble Horns, right?
And it was through Fujio Yamaguchi’s lyric, “But in this deep Delta town...” that I first
learned about Delta Blues as a genre.
The musical style is completely different, but I also feel something bluesy in the long,
seemingly never-ending guitar solos by Katsurei/Kouji Shishido in “Lucial”—a kind of
blues in the pleasure of repetition.
And as I gradually became able to listen to music with a little more understanding,
I finally came to realize that the stylish swing of Yuka-dan, and even the piano of
Takeshi Shibuya, were actually blues that got right to the heart of the matter.
I probably shouldn’t be saying this too loudly these days, but I feel blues in the
transition from Mahito’s narration/poetry into melody at the beginning of “beat,”
the opening track on GEZAN’s most recent album, I KNOW HOW NOW.
That is deeply bluesy to me.
Blues is also music made by people carrying the weight of their lives. So when I hear
the line, “Eagle had a baby,” I sometimes wonder if Mahito was feeling the pressure of
suddenly having to carry the weight of everyday life.
It also reminds me of that story about JAGATARA’s Edo Akemi getting married and
then starting a part-time job at a mahjong parlor.
Jump Blues の人だと思っていたのだけれど、70年代のアルバムを聴くとドロっとした
スローブルースを演っている。
若い頃に高円寺のJIROKICHIや吉祥寺の曼荼羅あたりにフラッっとライブを聴きに行く
ようになり、そこで出会って私がグッときたのはこういうタイプのブルーズでした。
タメてタメて焦らして焦らしてからの「イカせてくれっ！」と叫んでギターソロに突入する
ような ... それはあの頃見たライブの中の一コマで、「イカせてくれっ！」と叫んだのは
一体どなただったかしら？ブギーボーイ・イクト？「あの感じ」のレコードを探して色々聴いて
みたけれど、コテコテの典型的なスローブルースにその時はなかなか出会えなかった。
憂歌団の Slow Boat To China の小粋なスウィングを聴いて、なんだこれ全然ブルーズじゃ
ないじゃんと思ったり。
そんな当時の私が探し求めていたのは Joe Turner みたいなタイプのブルーズで、Joe Turner が
私にとってのスローブルースの理想系です。... ってな事を迂闊に言うと、並いる諸先輩の方々に
おこられそうですが。その道の先達の一人である妻には、フツーに B.B. King とか Albert Collins を
聴けばよかったのにと言われました。
当時出会えなかったと言いつつも、ライブ会場ではこういうタイプのブルーズの演奏に時々
出会っていたけどね。THE FOOLS のゲストで妹尾隆一郎さん（ウィーピングハープ妹尾）が
入って "いい時も悪い時も" を演った時とか、TEARDROPS の "風がびゅうびゅう" のホーン
セクションの感じは、Joe Turner のアルバムの空気に似ているなーと近頃思ったり。
TEARDROPSのホーンは高木親さんのギャンブル・ホーンズだったよね。
山口冨士夫さんの "だけどこの深いデルタの街じゃ..." という歌詞からデルタ・ブルースという
ジャンルを知ったり。
音楽スタイルは全然違うけれど "ルシアル" での割礼/宍戸幸司さんの永遠に終わらないんじゃ
ないかと思う長尺のギターソロにも、反復性の快楽という意味で僕はブルーズを感じている。
そして多少は音楽が聴けるようになると、憂歌団の小粋なスウィングも、あるいは渋谷毅さんの
ピアノだって、実は核心をついたブルーズだったのだと最近ようやく理解するようになりました。
あまり大声では言えない状況になってしまったけれど、GEZANの直近のアルバム
『I KNOW HOW NOW』の一曲目 "beat" のマヒトのナレーション/ポエトリーからメロディーが
混ざり移り変わるところに、僕はブルーズを感じる。あれはすごくブルーズだな。
ブルーズって生活を背負った者の音楽でもあるから、"イーグルに子供が生まれた" というマヒトの
セリフから、生活を背負わざるを得なくなったプレッシャーが彼にはあったのかななんて想像したり。
JAGATARAの江戸アケミが、結婚して雀荘でバイトをし始めたというエピソードを思い出したり。
---
I came across two LPs by Joe Turner on the Pablo label, so I gave them a listen.
I had always thought of him as a Jump Blues guy, but when I listened to his albums
from the ’70s, I found him playing this thick, slow, swampy kind of blues.
When I was young, I started dropping by places like JIROKICHI in Koenji and Mandala
in Kichijoji to catch live shows, and the kind of blues that really grabbed me was this
sort of thing.
The kind where they stretch it out, hold it back, tease and tease, and then suddenly
scream, “Take me there!” and launch into a guitar solo... That was one of the moments
I remember from a show I saw back then. But who was it that shouted “Take me
there!”? Boogie Boy Ikuto? I wonder.
I listened to all kinds of records looking for “that feeling,” but back then I just couldn’t
seem to find the kind of straight-up, full-on slow blues I was looking for. I remember
hearing Yuka-dan’s stylish swing on “Slow Boat to China” and thinking, “What the hell
is this? This isn’t blues at all.”
Looking back, the kind of blues I had been searching for was actually the kind Joe Turner
played. For me, Joe Turner is the ideal form of slow blues.
...Though if I say that too carelessly, I’m sure all the veterans who came before me will
come after me. My wife, who is one of the people who knows far more about this
stuff than I do, simply told me, “You could’ve just listened to B.B. King or Albert Collins.”
Even though I say I couldn’t find that kind of music back then, I did sometimes come
across this kind of blues being played at live shows. For example, when Ryūichirō Senō,
“Weeping Harp” Senō, joined THE FOOLS as a guest and they played “Ii Toki mo
Warui Toki mo,” or the feel of the horn section on TEARDROPS’ “Kaze ga Byūbyū.”
Lately I’ve been thinking that the atmosphere of those performances was actually
pretty close to the atmosphere of Joe Turner’s albums.
The horns in TEARDROPS were Chikashi Takagi’s Gamble Horns, right?
And it was through Fujio Yamaguchi’s lyric, “But in this deep Delta town...” that I first
learned about Delta Blues as a genre.
The musical style is completely different, but I also feel something bluesy in the long,
seemingly never-ending guitar solos by Katsurei/Kouji Shishido in “Lucial”—a kind of
blues in the pleasure of repetition.
And as I gradually became able to listen to music with a little more understanding,
I finally came to realize that the stylish swing of Yuka-dan, and even the piano of
Takeshi Shibuya, were actually blues that got right to the heart of the matter.
I probably shouldn’t be saying this too loudly these days, but I feel blues in the
transition from Mahito’s narration/poetry into melody at the beginning of “beat,”
the opening track on GEZAN’s most recent album, I KNOW HOW NOW.
That is deeply bluesy to me.
Blues is also music made by people carrying the weight of their lives. So when I hear
the line, “Eagle had a baby,” I sometimes wonder if Mahito was feeling the pressure of
suddenly having to carry the weight of everyday life.
It also reminds me of that story about JAGATARA’s Edo Akemi getting married and
then starting a part-time job at a mahjong parlor.
2026/08/06 (Thu)
1
2026/08/05 (Wed)
2
ムーンライダーズの鈴木慶一さんが鬱のまっ最中に作ったという「なんだ？このユーウツは！！」。
あれはもう歌えないと以前インタビューで言っていた、おそらくフラッシュバックするからだろう。
自分が鬱のまっ最中だった30代の頃に、あれを聴いて大泣きをしていた。
現在仕事を休んでいる妻も、あれを聴いて大泣きした。家では滅多にかけられない。
つい先日(7月7日)に国際フォーラムで、その曲が収録されているアルバム
『DON'T TRUST OVER THIRTY』の全曲再現ライブをやったという。
そして「なんだ？このユーウツは！！」も歌ったようだ。
歌えたんだ。聴きたかったな。
ライブは観られなかったけれど、あれをまた歌えるようになったと聞くだけで、
僕はすごく嬉しい。
ひとりで立てるかい？ドアのキーをあけて
君の心にたたずむ友達ピーター、ケイト、アンド、ガープ
---
Keiichi Suzuki of the Moonriders wrote the song “Nanda? Kono Yūutsu wa!!”
(“What Is This Depression?!!”) while he was in the deepest part of his own depression.
In an interview some time ago, he said that he probably couldn’t sing that song
anymore. I imagine it was because it brought back too many painful memories and flashbacks.
When I was in my 30s and going through my own depression, I listened to that song
and cried my eyes out.
My wife, who is currently taking time off from work, also listened to it and cried. It’s a
song we rarely play at home.
Just the other day, on July 7, the Moonriders performed a complete live recreation
of their album DON’T TRUST OVER THIRTY at the Tokyo International Forum. I heard
that they played every song from the album, including “Nanda? Kono Yūutsu wa!!”
He was able to sing it again.
I wish I could have been there to hear it.
I didn’t get to see the concert, but just hearing that he has reached a place where he
can sing that song again moves me deeply.
“Can you stand on your own?
Unlock the door.
Friends standing quietly in your heart:
Peter, Kate, and Garp.”
あれはもう歌えないと以前インタビューで言っていた、おそらくフラッシュバックするからだろう。
自分が鬱のまっ最中だった30代の頃に、あれを聴いて大泣きをしていた。
現在仕事を休んでいる妻も、あれを聴いて大泣きした。家では滅多にかけられない。
つい先日(7月7日)に国際フォーラムで、その曲が収録されているアルバム
『DON'T TRUST OVER THIRTY』の全曲再現ライブをやったという。
そして「なんだ？このユーウツは！！」も歌ったようだ。
歌えたんだ。聴きたかったな。
ライブは観られなかったけれど、あれをまた歌えるようになったと聞くだけで、
僕はすごく嬉しい。
ひとりで立てるかい？ドアのキーをあけて
君の心にたたずむ友達ピーター、ケイト、アンド、ガープ
---
Keiichi Suzuki of the Moonriders wrote the song “Nanda? Kono Yūutsu wa!!”
(“What Is This Depression?!!”) while he was in the deepest part of his own depression.
In an interview some time ago, he said that he probably couldn’t sing that song
anymore. I imagine it was because it brought back too many painful memories and flashbacks.
When I was in my 30s and going through my own depression, I listened to that song
and cried my eyes out.
My wife, who is currently taking time off from work, also listened to it and cried. It’s a
song we rarely play at home.
Just the other day, on July 7, the Moonriders performed a complete live recreation
of their album DON’T TRUST OVER THIRTY at the Tokyo International Forum. I heard
that they played every song from the album, including “Nanda? Kono Yūutsu wa!!”
He was able to sing it again.
I wish I could have been there to hear it.
I didn’t get to see the concert, but just hearing that he has reached a place where he
can sing that song again moves me deeply.
“Can you stand on your own?
Unlock the door.
Friends standing quietly in your heart:
Peter, Kate, and Garp.”
2026/08/04 (Tue)
2
昨年末に開腹手術をした傷跡を、ふと気まぐれにサイズを測ってみたら12センチあった。
12ってなんだか、マジックナンバーのような感じがある。
そういえば数年前に肺がんで亡くなった友人は背中から切って、送ってくれた写真の傷跡は
30センチ近くあったなと思い出した。
腹から切ることのメリットは、その傷跡が毎日目に入ることである。
妻もほぼ毎日目にするし、その傷を私たちは毎日共有している。
---
On a whim today, I measured the scar from the abdominal surgery I had at the
end of last year. It turned out to be 12 centimeters long.
For some reason, the number 12 feels like a kind of magic number.
It also reminded me of a friend who passed away from lung cancer a few years
ago. His surgery was done through his back, and I remember the photo he sent
me. The scar was nearly 30 centimeters long.
One unexpected advantage of having my abdomen opened is that I see the scar
every single day.
My wife sees it almost every day too, and in a way, it's a scar we share together.
12ってなんだか、マジックナンバーのような感じがある。
そういえば数年前に肺がんで亡くなった友人は背中から切って、送ってくれた写真の傷跡は
30センチ近くあったなと思い出した。
腹から切ることのメリットは、その傷跡が毎日目に入ることである。
妻もほぼ毎日目にするし、その傷を私たちは毎日共有している。
---
On a whim today, I measured the scar from the abdominal surgery I had at the
end of last year. It turned out to be 12 centimeters long.
For some reason, the number 12 feels like a kind of magic number.
It also reminded me of a friend who passed away from lung cancer a few years
ago. His surgery was done through his back, and I remember the photo he sent
me. The scar was nearly 30 centimeters long.
One unexpected advantage of having my abdomen opened is that I see the scar
every single day.
My wife sees it almost every day too, and in a way, it's a scar we share together.
2026/08/03 (Mon)
2
オッサンみたいな子供っていたよねと話していて、相方の同級生のあだ名が
「オッサン」という子と、卒業してうん十年後に日比谷野音のブルースカーニバルで再会して、
やっぱりオッサンだからブルースが好きなんだ！と思ったという話で爆笑した。
僕の同級生の「オヤジ」というあだ名の子はフケ顔で、応援団長だったなぁ。
彼は踊れる音楽が好きで、放送室（僕は放送部でした）に来ては、当時流行っていた
スティックス (Styx) の「ミスター・ロボット (Mr. Robot)」を大音量でかけては、
よく踊っていた。
卒業してだいぶ経ってから、札幌の産業共進会場（グリーンドーム）で演った James Brown の
ライブでバッタリ再会したことがあったな。
----
We were talking about how there always seemed to be kids who looked and acted
like middle-aged men.
My partner told me about a classmate whose nickname was "Old Man." Decades after
graduation, they unexpectedly ran into each other again at the Hibiya Open-Air
Concert Hall Blues Carnival....and he had completely grown into his nickname!
Of course he'd be at a blues festival. We both burst out laughing.
It reminded me of one of my own classmates. His nickname was "Oyaji" ("Old Man").
He had a mature-looking face even back then and was the captain of the school's
cheering squad.
He loved music you could dance to. He would often stop by the broadcasting room
(I was in the broadcasting club), crank up Styx's "Mr. Roboto" at full volume, and start
dancing.
Many years after graduation, I unexpectedly ran into him again at a James Brown
concert at the Sapporo Green Dome. It made me smile, because it seemed like the
perfect place to run into someone who had always loved to dance.
「オッサン」という子と、卒業してうん十年後に日比谷野音のブルースカーニバルで再会して、
やっぱりオッサンだからブルースが好きなんだ！と思ったという話で爆笑した。
僕の同級生の「オヤジ」というあだ名の子はフケ顔で、応援団長だったなぁ。
彼は踊れる音楽が好きで、放送室（僕は放送部でした）に来ては、当時流行っていた
スティックス (Styx) の「ミスター・ロボット (Mr. Robot)」を大音量でかけては、
よく踊っていた。
卒業してだいぶ経ってから、札幌の産業共進会場（グリーンドーム）で演った James Brown の
ライブでバッタリ再会したことがあったな。
----
We were talking about how there always seemed to be kids who looked and acted
like middle-aged men.
My partner told me about a classmate whose nickname was "Old Man." Decades after
graduation, they unexpectedly ran into each other again at the Hibiya Open-Air
Concert Hall Blues Carnival....and he had completely grown into his nickname!
Of course he'd be at a blues festival. We both burst out laughing.
It reminded me of one of my own classmates. His nickname was "Oyaji" ("Old Man").
He had a mature-looking face even back then and was the captain of the school's
cheering squad.
He loved music you could dance to. He would often stop by the broadcasting room
(I was in the broadcasting club), crank up Styx's "Mr. Roboto" at full volume, and start
dancing.
Many years after graduation, I unexpectedly ran into him again at a James Brown
concert at the Sapporo Green Dome. It made me smile, because it seemed like the
perfect place to run into someone who had always loved to dance.
2026/08/02 (Sun)
2
ミュージックマガジンの今月号（８月号）の矢野顕子特集が、すごく読み応えがあるので
みなさんぜひ読んでください。矢野さんのインタビューもだけど、僕は上原ひろみさんが
矢野さんについて語ったインタビューがとても良かったです。実は上原さんと矢野さんの
共演を聴いたことが無いので、CDを取り寄せてみようと思いました。
高校生の時、登校した初日に前の席に座っていたKくんが、下敷きにゲルニカの切り抜きを
挟んでいて話しかけて仲良くなった。彼も僕もYMOが好きで、僕以上にマニアで探究心が強い
Kは矢野顕子さんのこともよく知っていて、大ファンだった。北海道のどこかで開催された
矢野さんの「出前コンサート」を遠征して観に行ったり、矢野さんに年賀状を出したらお返事を
もらったりしていた。彼にレコードを貸してもらって僕は初めて矢野顕子さんを聴いた。
アルバムでいうと「ごはんができたよ」や「愛がなくちゃね」あたり。「愛がなくちゃね」は
今でも好きで時々聴くアルバム。その次くらいの「オーエスオーエス」も良いよね。名曲
"ラーメン食べたい" の良さを実感を伴って理解できるようになったのは、もう少し大人になって
からだったなぁ。
僕もKもYMOが好きで、一緒にコピーバンドを組んだ。僕はキョージュ(坂本龍一)に憧れて
いたのでキョージュ役で、Kは細野晴臣役。ユキヒロ(高橋ユキヒロ)役は誰だったかなぁ。
２年連続で学園祭でYMOのコピーバンドをやって、２年目の時にギターを入れたいねという
話になって、同級生のパンクスで印刷屋の息子のMくんにギターを頼んだんだけれど、
Mくんの条件が「一曲歌わせろ」で、YMOのコピーの他にMのギターボーカルで、チープトリックの
"Surrender" をやって、本番ではそれが一番ウケていた。それを観て YMOじゃだめかぁ ... と
敗北感を感じた。オレはオレでさりげなくP-MODELを一曲混ぜて自分の色を出そうとしたけれど、
P-MODELもウケなかった。負けた。当時16,7歳の暗い性格の、耽美的な、キョージュになりたかった
オレ笑。
ある時印刷屋の息子のMくんが Talking Heads の "Remain in Light" のLPを買ったの
だけど、イマイチだからと僕に1000円で譲ってくれた。僕はそのLPがとても好きになったの
だけれど、なんだかんだでMに1000円は結局払わずに踏み倒した。「借りパク」の形に
現在もなっているので、もしまた会えることがあったらきちんと謝罪をして1000円を払いたい。
矢野顕子が好きなKは卒業後上京して、デザイン・美術の道を目指す傍ら、持ち前の明るい
性格を発揮して二丁目界隈でいっとき人気のDJになった。けれど身体を壊して故郷に戻り、
再会をするつもりで待ち合わせをしたのだけれど、僕の仕事が割り込んでしまって会いに行けず、
結局それが最後となって彼は若くして亡くなってしまった。今だったら仕事なんか投げ捨てて
会いに行くと思うけれど、後悔しても仕方がないね。
当時お付き合いをしていたガールフレンドのNちゃんに矢野顕子を聴かせたら、彼女も気に入って
僕も彼女も「愛がなくちゃね」のLPがとても好きになった。
中でも僕は "どんなときもどんなときもどんなときも" が好きだなと話していたら、その年の
バレンタインデーに彼女がハート型のチョコレートの上に白いチョコレートで、その歌詞を
（下手くそな字で）書いてくれたのを覚えている。卒業をしてからも少しの間、お付き合いを
していたのだけれど、僕がフラフラっと他の女の子にうつつを抜かして、誠実でない形で
お別れをしてしまった。彼女が元気で幸せに暮らしてくれていることを願うけれど、なんて
身勝手な願いだろうと思う。
なんだか暗い話になってしまってごめんなさい。
歳をとると会いたくてももう会えない人の数が増えていきますよね。悔いが残らないように
今目の前にいる人に対して誠実でありたいものです。今日一日、いまこの瞬間を大切にね。
---
The August issue of Music Magazine has a wonderful feature on Akiko Yano.
It's such a rewarding read that I highly recommend it to anyone who's
interested in her music. Akiko Yano's own interview is fascinating, but I
especially enjoyed reading Hiromi Uehara's interview about her. Strangely
enough, I've never actually heard the two of them perform together, so I
think I'll order one of their CDs.
On my very first day of high school, I noticed that the boy sitting in front
of me had a magazine clipping of Guernica tucked inside his notebook. I
struck up a conversation, and we quickly became friends.
We were both huge YMO fans, but K was even more of a music geek than I was.
He was endlessly curious and knew a great deal about Akiko Yano. He was a
devoted fan. He even traveled somewhere in Hokkaido to see one of her
intimate "Demae (delivery)" concerts, and once he sent her a New Year's card
and actually received a reply.
It was K who first introduced me to Akiko Yano by lending me some of her
records. I especially remember "Gohan ga Dekita yo" and "Ai ga Nakucha ne".
I still love "Ai ga Nakucha ne" and listen to it from time to time. The next
album, "O.S.O.S.", is wonderful too. I don't think I fully appreciated the
brilliance of "Ramen Tabetai" until I was a little older and had a bit more
life experience.
Both K and I loved YMO, so we started a YMO tribute band together. Since I
admired Ryuichi Sakamoto — "The Professor" — I played his role, while K took
Haruomi Hosono's part. I can't even remember now who played Yukihiro Takahashi.
We performed as a YMO tribute band at our school festival two years in a row.
Before the second one, we decided it would be nice to add a guitarist, so we
asked our classmate M — a punk kid whose family owned a printing shop.
M agreed on one condition: "Let me sing one song."
So besides the YMO set, M took the lead vocal and guitar on Cheap Trick's
"Surrender."
The funny thing was... it got by far the biggest reaction from the audience.
Watching everyone cheer, I remember thinking, "So... I guess YMO isn't
enough."
Not wanting to be outdone, I slipped a P-MODEL song into our set, hoping to
add a little of my own personality. That didn't go over very well either.
I lost.
Looking back, I can laugh at myself—a gloomy, aesthetic-minded sixteen- or
seventeen-year-old who desperately wanted to be "The Professor."
One day, M—the son of the printing shop owner—bought a copy of Talking Heads'
"Remain in Light" on LP. He decided he wasn't that impressed with
it and offered to sell it to me for 1,000 yen.
As it turned out, I absolutely loved the album. Somehow, though, I never got
around to paying M the 1,000 yen. Technically, I've been "borrowing" that
record ever since. If I ever see him again, I'd like to apologize properly
and finally pay him what I owe.
After graduation, K moved to Tokyo to pursue a career in design and art.
With his naturally cheerful personality, he became a popular DJ in Tokyo's
gay district, Shinjuku Ni-chome, for a while.
Eventually, though, his health failed, and he returned to his hometown. We
made plans to meet, but work got in the way and I couldn't make it. That
turned out to be my last chance to see him. He passed away far too young.
If the same thing happened today, I'd throw work aside without a second
thought and go see him. But there's no point in living with regrets.
Back then, I introduced my girlfriend N to Akiko Yano's music, and she fell
in love with it too. Before long, "Ai ga Nakucha ne" had become one of our
favorite albums.
I remember telling her that my favorite song was "Donna Toki mo Donna Toki mo
Donna Toki mo." That Valentine's Day, she gave me a heart-shaped chocolate
with those lyrics written across the top in white chocolate—in wonderfully
messy handwriting. I still remember it fondly.
We stayed together for a while after graduation, but eventually I became
distracted by another girl and ended our relationship in a way that wasn't
honest or fair to her. I hope she's living a happy life now, though I realize
what a selfish wish that is.
Sorry this turned into such a melancholy story.
As we get older, the number of people we'd like to see again—but never
will—keeps growing. That's why I want to be as sincere as I can with the
people who are in front of me today.
Take care of today. Treasure this moment.
みなさんぜひ読んでください。矢野さんのインタビューもだけど、僕は上原ひろみさんが
矢野さんについて語ったインタビューがとても良かったです。実は上原さんと矢野さんの
共演を聴いたことが無いので、CDを取り寄せてみようと思いました。
高校生の時、登校した初日に前の席に座っていたKくんが、下敷きにゲルニカの切り抜きを
挟んでいて話しかけて仲良くなった。彼も僕もYMOが好きで、僕以上にマニアで探究心が強い
Kは矢野顕子さんのこともよく知っていて、大ファンだった。北海道のどこかで開催された
矢野さんの「出前コンサート」を遠征して観に行ったり、矢野さんに年賀状を出したらお返事を
もらったりしていた。彼にレコードを貸してもらって僕は初めて矢野顕子さんを聴いた。
アルバムでいうと「ごはんができたよ」や「愛がなくちゃね」あたり。「愛がなくちゃね」は
今でも好きで時々聴くアルバム。その次くらいの「オーエスオーエス」も良いよね。名曲
"ラーメン食べたい" の良さを実感を伴って理解できるようになったのは、もう少し大人になって
からだったなぁ。
僕もKもYMOが好きで、一緒にコピーバンドを組んだ。僕はキョージュ(坂本龍一)に憧れて
いたのでキョージュ役で、Kは細野晴臣役。ユキヒロ(高橋ユキヒロ)役は誰だったかなぁ。
２年連続で学園祭でYMOのコピーバンドをやって、２年目の時にギターを入れたいねという
話になって、同級生のパンクスで印刷屋の息子のMくんにギターを頼んだんだけれど、
Mくんの条件が「一曲歌わせろ」で、YMOのコピーの他にMのギターボーカルで、チープトリックの
"Surrender" をやって、本番ではそれが一番ウケていた。それを観て YMOじゃだめかぁ ... と
敗北感を感じた。オレはオレでさりげなくP-MODELを一曲混ぜて自分の色を出そうとしたけれど、
P-MODELもウケなかった。負けた。当時16,7歳の暗い性格の、耽美的な、キョージュになりたかった
オレ笑。
ある時印刷屋の息子のMくんが Talking Heads の "Remain in Light" のLPを買ったの
だけど、イマイチだからと僕に1000円で譲ってくれた。僕はそのLPがとても好きになったの
だけれど、なんだかんだでMに1000円は結局払わずに踏み倒した。「借りパク」の形に
現在もなっているので、もしまた会えることがあったらきちんと謝罪をして1000円を払いたい。
矢野顕子が好きなKは卒業後上京して、デザイン・美術の道を目指す傍ら、持ち前の明るい
性格を発揮して二丁目界隈でいっとき人気のDJになった。けれど身体を壊して故郷に戻り、
再会をするつもりで待ち合わせをしたのだけれど、僕の仕事が割り込んでしまって会いに行けず、
結局それが最後となって彼は若くして亡くなってしまった。今だったら仕事なんか投げ捨てて
会いに行くと思うけれど、後悔しても仕方がないね。
当時お付き合いをしていたガールフレンドのNちゃんに矢野顕子を聴かせたら、彼女も気に入って
僕も彼女も「愛がなくちゃね」のLPがとても好きになった。
中でも僕は "どんなときもどんなときもどんなときも" が好きだなと話していたら、その年の
バレンタインデーに彼女がハート型のチョコレートの上に白いチョコレートで、その歌詞を
（下手くそな字で）書いてくれたのを覚えている。卒業をしてからも少しの間、お付き合いを
していたのだけれど、僕がフラフラっと他の女の子にうつつを抜かして、誠実でない形で
お別れをしてしまった。彼女が元気で幸せに暮らしてくれていることを願うけれど、なんて
身勝手な願いだろうと思う。
なんだか暗い話になってしまってごめんなさい。
歳をとると会いたくてももう会えない人の数が増えていきますよね。悔いが残らないように
今目の前にいる人に対して誠実でありたいものです。今日一日、いまこの瞬間を大切にね。
---
The August issue of Music Magazine has a wonderful feature on Akiko Yano.
It's such a rewarding read that I highly recommend it to anyone who's
interested in her music. Akiko Yano's own interview is fascinating, but I
especially enjoyed reading Hiromi Uehara's interview about her. Strangely
enough, I've never actually heard the two of them perform together, so I
think I'll order one of their CDs.
On my very first day of high school, I noticed that the boy sitting in front
of me had a magazine clipping of Guernica tucked inside his notebook. I
struck up a conversation, and we quickly became friends.
We were both huge YMO fans, but K was even more of a music geek than I was.
He was endlessly curious and knew a great deal about Akiko Yano. He was a
devoted fan. He even traveled somewhere in Hokkaido to see one of her
intimate "Demae (delivery)" concerts, and once he sent her a New Year's card
and actually received a reply.
It was K who first introduced me to Akiko Yano by lending me some of her
records. I especially remember "Gohan ga Dekita yo" and "Ai ga Nakucha ne".
I still love "Ai ga Nakucha ne" and listen to it from time to time. The next
album, "O.S.O.S.", is wonderful too. I don't think I fully appreciated the
brilliance of "Ramen Tabetai" until I was a little older and had a bit more
life experience.
Both K and I loved YMO, so we started a YMO tribute band together. Since I
admired Ryuichi Sakamoto — "The Professor" — I played his role, while K took
Haruomi Hosono's part. I can't even remember now who played Yukihiro Takahashi.
We performed as a YMO tribute band at our school festival two years in a row.
Before the second one, we decided it would be nice to add a guitarist, so we
asked our classmate M — a punk kid whose family owned a printing shop.
M agreed on one condition: "Let me sing one song."
So besides the YMO set, M took the lead vocal and guitar on Cheap Trick's
"Surrender."
The funny thing was... it got by far the biggest reaction from the audience.
Watching everyone cheer, I remember thinking, "So... I guess YMO isn't
enough."
Not wanting to be outdone, I slipped a P-MODEL song into our set, hoping to
add a little of my own personality. That didn't go over very well either.
I lost.
Looking back, I can laugh at myself—a gloomy, aesthetic-minded sixteen- or
seventeen-year-old who desperately wanted to be "The Professor."
One day, M—the son of the printing shop owner—bought a copy of Talking Heads'
"Remain in Light" on LP. He decided he wasn't that impressed with
it and offered to sell it to me for 1,000 yen.
As it turned out, I absolutely loved the album. Somehow, though, I never got
around to paying M the 1,000 yen. Technically, I've been "borrowing" that
record ever since. If I ever see him again, I'd like to apologize properly
and finally pay him what I owe.
After graduation, K moved to Tokyo to pursue a career in design and art.
With his naturally cheerful personality, he became a popular DJ in Tokyo's
gay district, Shinjuku Ni-chome, for a while.
Eventually, though, his health failed, and he returned to his hometown. We
made plans to meet, but work got in the way and I couldn't make it. That
turned out to be my last chance to see him. He passed away far too young.
If the same thing happened today, I'd throw work aside without a second
thought and go see him. But there's no point in living with regrets.
Back then, I introduced my girlfriend N to Akiko Yano's music, and she fell
in love with it too. Before long, "Ai ga Nakucha ne" had become one of our
favorite albums.
I remember telling her that my favorite song was "Donna Toki mo Donna Toki mo
Donna Toki mo." That Valentine's Day, she gave me a heart-shaped chocolate
with those lyrics written across the top in white chocolate—in wonderfully
messy handwriting. I still remember it fondly.
We stayed together for a while after graduation, but eventually I became
distracted by another girl and ended our relationship in a way that wasn't
honest or fair to her. I hope she's living a happy life now, though I realize
what a selfish wish that is.
Sorry this turned into such a melancholy story.
As we get older, the number of people we'd like to see again—but never
will—keeps growing. That's why I want to be as sincere as I can with the
people who are in front of me today.
Take care of today. Treasure this moment.