Trade-Winds Pacifica
January 2017
Trade-Winds Pacifica
Concert Description
Concert, Page 1
Trade-Winds Pacifica
January 2017
Trade-Winds
Pacifica
Concert Description
"This ensemble is a dream for me as a shakuhachi player because I
needn't squeeze a round-peg into a square hole; the phrases come
tumbling out effortlessly as though this was meant to be - a true joy."
Bruce Huebner
Typically the Shakuhachi, a
traditional Japanese bamboo flute
rooted in Buddhism, is paired with
the usual Japanese zither koto or
lute shamisen. The Trade-Winds
Pacifica Concert series offers its
audience something totally
unexpected by pairing the
shakuhachi with the guitar,
traditionally a Spanish folk
instrument and now the giant of
jazz, rock and pop in the West. The
first time audience member might
wonder - can two such seemingly
disparate musical worlds be joined
in a meaningful way? Yes, they can
- and that's what makes this concert so unique.
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Trade-Winds Pacifica
January 2017
The Trade-Winds Pacifica Concert opens with two solo pieces from
traditional repertory. First, George plays the guitar in the style of
flamenco then Bruce makes a dramatic
entrance with his shakuhachi. While walking
through the audience, Bruce plays a
haunting piece that Buddhist mendicants,
the komuso, have passed down over
centuries. While these hallowed sounds are
still ringing in the participants' ears, Bruce
and George next perform a set of original
material, joining the two instruments,
effectively taking the audience to a new world and a remarkable fusion of
sounds.
Bruce and George pause through out the concert at key
intersections to share stories and interesting bits of history. Participants
learn that the remarkable musical affinity between those two instruments
is not coincidental. In fact, both Japanese and Spanish music have roots
in the same cradle of civilization. In
ancient times the shakuhachi was carried
from the Middle East to Japan on the
fabled Silk Road. Meanwhile, the guitar
springs from flamenco and Renaissance
traditions and has antecedents in the
Middle Eastern Oud.
In their 2016 recording, Pelican Buoy, and
in concerts in California, Bali and Tokyo,
and now around the world, George and
Bruce reunite those two old friends, the
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Trade-Winds Pacifica
January 2017
shakuhachi and guitar, in a wide-ranging, entertaining and often moving
set that evokes the interconnectedness and natural beauty of our world.
The Trade-Winds Pacifica Concert series recently premiered in the US at
that historic Presidio Chapel in beautiful Santa Barbara.
Below are a few reactions to the Trade-Winds Pacifica Concerts:
"The music transported us. It was transcendent..." Karla B.H.,
violinist and Suzuki educator, Pasadena, CA.
"After the opening guitar solo, it was a truly dramatic moment as
Bruce entered playing traditional phrases from his shakuhachi... then
when George and Bruce joined on stage playing together, essentially
creating a new sound... amazing!" Carol W., Senior Director Discovery
Communications, Silver Spring, MD.
"Just keep doing what you are doing... it
is truly unique and musical." Larry H.,
clarinetist, Los Angeles, CA.
"My girlfriend and I are really enjoying
Pelican Buoy, we listen to it night and day..."
Michael S. pianist and Chopin adjudicator,
Tokyo, Japan.
"I am continually amazed to hear from
the melisma and Phrygian Spanish mode is
answered by the nuances of the Japanese
Miyagi mode of the Zen bamboo flute in such
harmony." Ryuichi H. Documentary maker and
recording engineer on the Fumio Koizumi's
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Trade-Winds Pacifica
January 2017
NHK Silk Road.
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