On the 17th of July I saw Yugao play a very fine concert with biwa and bass guitar player Masayoshi Okubo.  Yugao of course already play an entrancing combination of classical, jazz, and traditional music on shakuhachi, piano, tabla and cello. With another player on board we were in for a very magical evening indeed! Here are some videos and images from a very memorable evening.  Details of Yugao’s next big show and of shakuhachi lessons with Koichi Yoshida are at the bottom of this post.

First a tune with the biwa.

Next onto bass guitar…

Yugao pre-Europe Tour Live at Zac Baran!
Kyoto’s most eccentric fusion quartet, Yugao, presents an evening of reflections on the songs of Kyoto.
Date: 2011 9.18(Sunday)
Afternoon performance from 15:00
Evening performance from 19:30

Advance tickets: 2000 yen
On the door: 2300 yen
Foreign Student Discount: 1700

Location: Zac Baran is a legendary cafe/bar/music spot on the north side of Marutamachi a short walk east of Higashioji Dori.　Here is a map.

 

Shakuhachi Lessons with Koichi Yoshida!

Koichi Yoshida studied Kinko-ryu shakuhachi under renowned pedagogue Yodo Kurahashi, and is currently an active performer of traditional repertoire, as well as rock, jazz, folk music, and improvisation. Whether solo or with his band Yugao, he performs frequently in the museums and tea-houses of Kyoto and teaches at 孤吹庵 (Kosui-an), his own shakuhachi dojo.

Tuition fees per month:
4000 yen for two 1 hour lessons
5000 yen for three 1 hour lessons
Tel: 090-8531-5515
email: koichi21net@yahoo.co.jp
Website: http://www.myspace.com/koichiyoshida

To learn more about Yugao and their music please visit their website. You can also view several videos of their performances there.

Links to the performers’ websites:
Yugao
Yoshida Koichi
Ikeda Ippei
Fujisawa Bayan