Hiroshima
Legacy 

With an impressive thirty year career Hiroshima has proven itself worthy of this aptly named CD. In fact the group has such a deep history that Legacy, the inaugural release of a planned series of retrospectives, covers only the first decade of their work. Legacy is not an anthology of original studio recordings as was The Best of Hiroshima (Sony, 1994). Rather, it is a set of new recordings with the group’s current lineup which includes the two founding members Dan Kuramoto (saxophone) and June Kuramoto (koto), as well as bassist Dean Cortez, keyboardist Kimo Cornwell, percussionist Danny Yamamoto, and taiko drummer/percussionist Shoji Kameda. They are joined on several tracks by various guests including vocalists Terry Steele (a regular guest in past years) and Yvette Nii, and guitarists John McCourt and Leslie Chew. Either June or Dan Kuramoto composed or co-authored all of the 11 tracks which include some of Hiroshima’s best-known pieces.

Hiroshima’s unique mix of East/West sounds includes healthy bits of traditional Japanese, jazz, R&B and rock. June Kuramoto’s ever-present koto provides a distinctive and unmistakable Japanese character whether plucking a modal Japanese theme, cascading waterfall-like glissandos (“Winds Of Change,” “Thousand Cranes”) or improvising jazz solos (“Dada,” “Another Place”). Shoji Kameda’s taiko drumming provides well-placed dramatic accents (“Turning Point”) and interludes (“I’ve Been Here Before”). “Another Place” is an extended showpiece for the band’s eclectic styles as well as the solo talents of June Kuramoto and Kimo Cornwell. The nine-minute long performance is filled with gems. Note Cornwell’s quote of the jazz standard, “Invitation” (by Bronislau Kaper—known for “On Green Dolphpin Street”), and the bass line quote, intentional or not, from “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” by the Temptations. 

Vocals are not the focal point of Hiroshima’s music, but are instead treated like additional instrumental voices in the orchestration. Vocalists Terry Steele (“Save Yourself for Me”) and Yvette Nii (“Dada” and “Roomful Of Mirrors”) provide yet another layer to the amazing variety of sounds on Legacy. Steele has a powerfully rich R&B voice (he has performed a Luther Vandross tribute show) and Nii adds her soft clear tones to a couple of tracks. On the closing track, “Thousand Cranes,” everyone (with the exception of Danny Yamamoto) joins in what amounts to a farewell chorus for the set.

In Western music there have been many nods to Eastern influences over the years, but few groups have so successfully combined the two as has Hiroshima. For fans, Legacy is a thoughtful and concise representation of the group’s first decade. For new listeners it is an excellent introduction as it showcases the ensemble’s many sounds and talents.

Mike Reynolds-MuzikReveiws.com Contributor

September 21, 2009

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