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Rifftides

Doug Ramsey on Jazz and other matters...

Correspondence: On Tour In Earthquake Country

Bill Mays writes from Japan, where—despite earthquake, tsunami and radiation—the Phil Woods Quintet is on tour: Mays, piano; Woods, alto saxophone; Brian Lynch, trumpet; Steve Gilmore, bass; Bill Goodwin, drums.

Food and bottled water have not been a problem here in Tokyo. Transportation has posed no problem. Radiation levels are “safe.” We are avoiding milk, tap water, other questionable items. I was a little paranoid the first two days here and ate nothing but bananas and trail mix. Have felt 5 or 6 mild aftershocks. Aside from streets being not as crowded and neon signs off, life in Tokyo appears normal.

Phil’s group is holding up well, and concerts are near sold out, and that at 8000+ yen a seat (more than $100 U.S.) They are starved for the music, what with all the groups that have canceled.

Boy did we have a soulful audience in Yokohama tonight. They just about ate us up. There were young (all of them girls) alto sax players lined up to have Phil sign their alto cases–so cute).

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Doug Ramsey

Doug is a recipient of the lifetime achievement award of the Jazz Journalists Association. He lives in the Pacific Northwest, where he settled following a career in print and broadcast journalism in cities including New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, San Antonio, … [MORE]

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