Articles by Simon Bernard    

The little sleepy village of Nango, located just southwest of Hachinohe, comes alive every July putting on the largest open-air jazz concert in Tohoku. This year on Saturday, July 25th, the villagers are celebrating the 20th annual festival, bringing in some of the best world renowned jazz groups from all over Japan and America.

Small beginnings: It all started back in 1989 by the Nango mayor who was a great jazz fan! Inviting local groups from Aomori prefecture to do an indoor show, they realized from the response of the fans that they needed to expand. From 1990 on, they started having the shows outside and even built an outdoor amphitheater to hold the festival with Mother Nature surrounding the event.

Now thousands of jazz aficionados every year drive and bus in to Nango from all over Aomori, Iwate, and Akita prefectures and beyond to dig on the sounds of jazz. From last year, the times have been moved up to be more jazz fan friendly. The hot show starts from mid-day and goes on while the sun sets and continues with the cool sounds into the evening under the twinkling stars.

WHO'S COMING?

This year’s lineup should really appeal the all ages of jazz lovers. Starting at 12:00, the First Session starts with George Kawaguchi Jr. and The New Big 4 (drums, bass, piano & sax) to kick things off. George Kawaguchi Sr., his father, was the first Japanese ever to perform at Carnegie Hall.

Next, the Second Session: The Eiji Kitamura Quartet (clarinet, drums, bass & piano) featuring Carol Yamazaki on vocals. This band has the distinction of playing 18 consecutive times at the Monterrey Jazz Festival. The stunning Carol Yamazaki, former model, (father: American/Hungarian, mother: Japanese) will knock your socks off!

Now that you are warming up you should be ready for Session Three: The Super Premier Summit Dream Band (3 guitars, drums, & bass). This band features the 3 greatest Japanese jazz guitarists: Tadanori Nakamurei, Kiyotsugu Amano & Hiroshi Takashima! These guys are legends and have played with everyone who is anyone in the Jazz world!

Now you are cookin’ hot and ready for the fourth session: Charito with the Hip Jazz Cats! Swing Journal magazine calls Charito the best jazz singer in Japan. She already has 12 albums under her belt! Her unique style will lift you into jazz, upbeat, bossa nova and latin heaven!

With Jonathan Katz from Long Island, NY on piano, Mark Tourian from Denver, Co. on bass and Cecil Monroe from NYC, NY on drums, these Hip Cats will bring Americana to your Japanese doorstep!

You are gonna need a break after this just to cool down!

After the intermission, the Fifth Session begins: Before I tell you who will play. I would like to tell you the week after the lineup came out this year, my phone was ringing off the hook from all my Japanese friends ranting & raving about this next group.

The Watanabe Group 2009 (sax, piano, electric guitar, electric bass, drums and percussion). This international group of musicians has won more jazz awards than I have space to write and returned to Japan after a 6 state 9 concert tour in the US of A. Sadao Watanabe (sax) received “The Top Musician Award” and is revered as the most popular musician in Japan. This will definitely be the highlight of the evening!

You can sit right up close to the action!

Easy Directions: It takes less than one half an hour to get to Nango from Misawa Air Base. Go out the Falcon (POL) gate and start counting traffic lights. Turn left at the 13th light to get on the Dai Ni (No.2) Michinoku Expressway. At the 1st toll booth, pay 250 yen and get an expressway ticket. Continue straight (you will go past the Shimoda Mall and then the Hachinohe Kita interchanges), the expressway will merge with the Hachinohe Expressway as if you were going toward Tokyo. Get off at the next exit (Nango interchange), pay the toll. Go to the stop sign and turn right. Go about 1 and a half kilometers and the venue will be on the right next to the Kakko-no-Mori rest stop. Traffic control will guide you to a parking area.

The concert takes place regardless of weather. So take sun block or a rain coat or both!
Umbrellas should not be brought in unless you plan on sitting all the way in the back so you do not disturb the view of the people in front of you!

Buy your tickets in advance and save money: Tickets are 4,500 yen in advance (5,500 yen at the gate on the day of the festival) for adults. 2,500 yen for senior and junior high school students, age 13 to 18 (3,500 at the gate). There is free admission for elementary school students and younger kids (12 and under)! Advance tickets can be bought at Misawa ITT on base. Student tickets are limited so buy early. Gates opens at 11:30.

This year again, Misawa ITT with have a bus that will leave at 10:00 from the base library and take you to the festival and back. This bus will fill up fast so reserve your seats early. Call 226-3555 for more information.

Or you can chill out in the back!

Tips from a veteran: There are no bad seats but if you want seats close-up, go very early and get in line with a cooler, meet the people in front and back of you, offer them a soft drink or beer. Once they know you, you can walk around until before the gates open then get back in line….or take turns waiting in line or bring some lawn chairs (put them back in your vehicle just before the gates open). Small camp chairs are OK if used in the back, but lawn and reclining chairs can not be bought in. Bring a blanket, get your seats and again meet the new people around you, then you can get up again! There are a lot of stalls selling all kinds of delicious food and drinks. There are also grassy knolls behind the semi-circle of seats where you can lay a blanket down and watch the show!

There are no bad seats but if you want seats close-up, go very early and get in line with a cooler, meet the people in front and back of you, offer them a soft drink or beer. Once they know you, you can walk around until before the gates open then get back in line….or take turns waiting in line or bring some lawn chairs (put them back in your vehicle just before the gates open). Small camp chairs are OK but lawn and reclining chairs can not be bought in. Bring a blanket, get your seats and again meet the new people around you, then you can get up again! There are a lot of stalls selling all kinds of delicious food and drinks. There are also grassy knolls behind the semi-circle of seats where you can lay a blanket down and watch the show!

Can you camp or Bar-B-Q? There are very limited tent spaces available to camp just outside the gate of the festival site near the field and track area. You will have to go EARLY Saturday morning if you want to get one. The tent sites are free but you must sign in first. Tents and tarps are not allowed in the festival site. Bar-B-Q-ing is only allowed around your tent if you are a signed in camper. You can not Bar-B-Q inside the festival site or make campfires anywhere.

This year should be the best Jazz Fest yet, get out and experience Aomori! See you there!