Synthesizer Keyboard Mad Drifting Record - Electric Keyboards That Colored Music and Many Synth Masterpieces - Part 29

New York Music Yomoyama Story

The keyboard mad drift that flew to the southern United States is this time on the east coast, New York.
In 1980, I visited the United States to film my graduation project. It was a poor photography trip across the United States on a Greyhound bus from New York. The title of the graduation system was "New York & New Orleans". The theme was to set the contrast between advanced New York and the countryside of New Orleans. Since the first installment was on New Orleans, which was a big surprise, this time the theme is the story of music experienced in New York.
I have visited New York three times so far. The first visit was the graduation trip to film New York, the second was a trip with my wife, and the third was a TV interview with former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan in Atlanta. On the last day of the interview, I stopped by the affiliated New York office.

Color of New York

For the first time in the United States, I was taken care of by Mr. K, a friend of the landlord of the boarding house I stayed in.
Mr. K's house was located in Roslin, a city near New York. Every day I went out from Mr. K's house to shoot the city. I had a feeling when I stepped out from the basement of Pennsylvania Station (Penn Station), a large station in Manhattan, New York. The color of Manhattan in the early morning that I saw when I ran up the stairs was "purple". Certainly I thought that this was "Purple Town". Purple Town is a hit song sung by Junko Yagami. Manhattan is full of skyscrapers. It takes some time for the fresh rising sun to illuminate entire skyscrapers. That's why I think the concrete city looked purple due to the oblique light.
The bassist of Yagami-san's backing band, "Melting Pot," was my friend's brother-in-law. I had a friend teach me cutting-edge music via a professional bassist. I was listening to the “Extensions” of the Manhattan Transfer and Airplay before hitting the city. They still form my musical backbone even as time has gone by.
By the way, did you know that the song “Purple Town” has an original version?
On Ray Kennedy’s (a vocalist) solo album, "You Oughta Know by Now" from "Lonely Guy" appears to be the original. It also became a litigation issue. Please check out this story.

■ Ray Kennedy “Lonely Guy” (1980)

Ray Kennedy's solo album, which turned from "KGB", a super loop with Mike Bloomfield and Carmine Appice, to a solo. The producer is David Foster (KEY). It is a wonderful work in which the talented people of the West Coast at that time, such as Steve Lukather of TOTO, met. Foster arrangements are scattered everywhere. At that time, I wasn't the only one who listened to this album and wondered, "what's this?"

Recommended Song: "You Oughta Know by Now"

A rock-like arrangement with a guitar on the entire surface different from the Yagami version. There is no rust in the Purple Town of Yagami. The intro and others are average. (^^♪

New York

The second piece of music I came into contact with in New York was the Gil Evans Monday Night Orchestra, which I heard with my wife in 1989. Gil Evans is a musician that Miles Davis relied on when arranging songs, and Miles' autobiography also describes that era.
"Sketches of Spain" and "Quiet Night" were Miles-released co-productions with Gil.
Gil Evans had already passed away when I visited New York, but the music that inherited Gil's ideas was alive and well.
New York's prestigious jazz club, Sweet Basil, charges $ 15 for a midnight show! I remember it well. For some reason, jazz clubs in the United States and in Japan charge 8,000 yen and 10,000 yen for one drink. It creates a sense of luxury. I think jazz is more familiar music...
We listened to Gil's music in the front row. The pianist was Delmar Brown. He had a Roland D-50 synthesizer on a live piano and I was impressed with how he played it. (See related articles about the Roland synthesizer D-50 here.)

Roland D-50

The bassist is Fretless Bassist Mark Egan, also the bassist of the Pat Metheny Group. Drums also include Berklee College of Music professor Kenwood Dennard, from British high-tech jazz fusion band Brand X. The guitarist was a sumptuous member of the 24th Street Band, Hiram Bullock. The Monday Night Orchestra is a jazz band, but the music changes like an amoeba. If you thought you were listening to a four beat, you would unknowingly become Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" with Hyrum on vocals. Hyrum was playing the guitar with one foot on the pillar beside the stage. It was a great show that lasted more than two hours.

■ Gil Evans Orchestra Plays Jimi Hendrix (1974)

A masterpiece by Gil Evans, a sound magician, featuring Jimi Hendrix tunes. Percussion and synthesizers get mixed, and the world of Gil unfolds. As you can see from this album, Gil can be said to have been a neutral musician with no loyalties to a particular music. While jazz musicians tend to make fun of rock and only play four beat, Gil didn't draw any lines when it came to music. That may be the reason Miles got along with Gil. Japanese guitarist Ryo Kawasaki also participated.

Recommended Songs: "Little Wing"

A cover of Jimi Hendrix's masterpiece, Little Wing. It starts with an impressive percussion intro. It covers the original relatively faithfully, but in the ad-lib part, you are led to the sound world of Gil at once. Gil's music always wears intelligence.
　The third New York story will be told in the next installment...

Musicians, albums, recommended songs, keyboards used this time

• Artists: Ray Kennedy, Gil Evans Orchestra
• Album: "Lonely Guy" and "Plays Jimi Hendrix"
• Title: "You Oughta Know by Now" and "Little Wing"
• Equipment: Acoustic Piano, Roland D-50

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