Hiroshima announces its 2015 “Songs With Words” tour and new CD, a re-recording of favorite Hiroshima vocal tunes.
Band leader Dan Kuramoto stated, “Don’t miss the first and only Hiroshima vocal tour, featuring the songs that helped launch our career. Hear ‘One Fine Day,’ ‘Save Yourself for Me,’ and so many more, sung by Terry Steele and the lovely Yvette Nii, the incredible vocalists on our 2010 Grammy-nominated ‘Legacy.’ Come and share a very special evening of Hiroshima music and song and pick up a pre-release copy of our new all vocal CD.”
Hiroshima’s 20th recording is “a response to all the requests we’ve received to put our early vocal songs all on one CD,” Kuramoto said. “‘Roomful of Mirrors,’ our first radio hit ‘Long Time Love,’ ‘Never Ever,’ ‘The Door Is Open,’ ‘Da Da,’ all from our first record, along with popular songs like ‘Tabo’ and a special ohana (family) version of ‘Thousand Cranes’ and more.
“There is even a special free download you can access from a code inside the CD that features an amazing jam of our song ‘Do What You Can,’ featuring one of our friends and heroes, Vinx. You have to check that one out!
“Lest you feel ‘detached’ from the Hiroshima sound, the music is all held together by our own queen of soul, June Kuramoto on koto. I found her work on this project truly amazing. She is the sound of Hiroshima, after all.
“Knowing us, we didn’t get to it right away partly because we wanted to find a way to make it unique. So when we decided that we would record those songs ‘live’ it all kind of fell into place … We crammed band, singers, engineer and producer into Studio Tofuville and ‘went for it.’ Along with some of our favorite guest artists, Richie Gajate Garcia, percussion; Jim Gilstrap and Hillary Black, vocals; and Leslie Chew, guitar.
“This may be a once-in-a-career reunion for us and our ‘Songs with Words.’ So please join us.”
The tour heads to Oakland for four shows at Yoshi’s Jazz Club, 510 Embarcadero West near Jack London Square, on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 18, at 6 and 9 p.m. Info: (510) 238-9200, www.yoshis.com.
On Saturday, Oct. 24, at 8 p.m., Hiroshima performs at Santa Fe Station Casino, 4949 N. Rancho Dr. in Las Vegas. Info: (702) 658-4900, (800) 745-3000, https://santafestation.sclv.com/Entertainment/ConcertsandEvents.aspx.
Then it makes a return to Fresno (after 10 years) at the Tower Theatre, 815 E. Olive Ave., on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 8 p.m. Info: (559) 485-9050, http://towertheatrefresno.tix.com/.
The tour continues in 2016 on Saturday, May 14, at 8 p.m. at the Arcadia Performing Arts Center, 188 Campus Dr. in Arcadia, to celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month. Info: (626) 821-1781, www.arcadiapaf.org/.
Visit www.hiroshimamusic.com, iTunes, Amazon, Facebook or Cdbaby for downloads or physical CD orders. The brand new Hiroshima Music app will provide complete tour schedules and a variety of news from food to new music and everything in between. Available Oct. 15 on Android Apps, Google Play and Apple App Store.
The band’s website includes stories behind the songs and also allows you to join the Hiroshima community — you can get on the e-letter list and get special stuff, including free sneak previews of the Hiroshima/Vinx musical collaborations and the return of the band’s recipes.
Hiroshima is: June Kuramoto, koto; Dan Kuramoto, sax, flute, shakuhachi, keyboards, percussion; Kimo Cornwell, piano, keyboards, synthesizers; Danny Yamamoto, drums, percussion; Dean Cortez, bass.
“Songs With Words” features:
1 .“Never, Ever,” composed by Dan Kuramoto and Peter Hata (1979, “Hiroshima”)
2. “Roomful of Mirrors,” composed by Dan Kuramoto (1979, “Hiroshima”)
3. “The Door Is Open,” composed by Terry Steele, Dan Kuramoto and June Kuramoto (1979, “Hiroshima”)
4. “One Fine Day,” composed by Dan Kuramoto and Kimo Cornwell (1994, “Hiroshima, LA”)
5. “Da Da,” composed by Dan Kuramoto and Peter Hata (1979, “Hiroshima”)
6. “Long Time Love,” composed by Dan Kuramoto and Peter Hata (1979, “Hiroshima”)
7. “Tabo,” composed by Dan Kuramoto (1989, “East”)
8. “Save Yourself for Me,” composed by Dan Kuramoto (1985, “Another Place”)
9. “Thousand Cranes,” composed by June Kuramoto and Derek Nakamoto (1989, “East”)
Special bonus track download with the purchase of a “Songs With Words” CD: “Do What You Can” jam performed live by Vinx (Vinx De’Jon Parrette, www.vinx.com) and the band.
What is the title of your music played on the Simply Ming Cooking Show episode# 1311?