Dan Kuramoto Interview Page 4

DK: Right, literally the last time we were there, there were families with 12-year-old kids that had our CDs, and we’re going like, “You can’t possibly be digging our CD can you”? And they look at me like what’s wrong with you, of course, I love the music, man, I know who Miles is. It’s always that thing where we fail to give folks enough credit because the gift of music doesn’t have an age barrier on it. It is what it is. All you’ve got to do is let it happen; all you’ve got to do is give people the opportunity to hear it, and let them decide. Sadly in this day and age with radio being what it is, there isn’t the access that there ought to be. I remember when we were kids, we would go into a record store and just thumb through the bins until we found something, “Like man I’ve got to take this home and listen to it.” A lot of it was trial and error, but it was so much discovery.

Jazz Monthly:  That’s a great point man. By the way, another one of the cuts, I’ve Been Here Before, that was from your album Go, which won a Soul Train award, “Best Jazz Album” of 1987. That stayed on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz charts forever man.

DK: Yeah, we were number one for 13 or 16 weeks and stayed on the charts for close to a year. George Duke produced a lot of that record, a really good friend of ours. We had so much fun working with George Duke.

Jazz Monthly:  One of the other great cuts on this delightful CD, and again we do encourage everyone to go out and get this because these are re-recordings, not a compilation. Not that there’d be anything wrong with a great compilation, a condensed collection of Hiroshima’s work man, but these are re-recordings, you’re hearing them updated as updated versions but still capturing the essence of what you heard about 28, 30 years ago but making it with today’s sound.

I know that one of the real highlights of Hiroshima’s career is that you opened for Miles back in I don’t remember what year…

DK: the JBC East Coast Tour. But, my favorite was the Philadelphia Academy of Music because that’s a water tuned concert hall and Miles was just… and it was the year before Miles passed… I don’t think I’ve ever heard Miles sound any better. I think I’ve heard Miles at that point in my life about a half a dozen times live and just being around Miles… he’s a frightening cat because he’s all about who he is. I don’t mean that in a sense of ego, but his commitment to music was so profound. I would hope people understand that coming from somebody who got to be on the same stage, got to talk to him, got to hear him playing in his dressing room. Miles was a very generous cat if you mean it, but if you don’t, don’t even be near him.

Jazz Monthly:  Yeah, it’s all about honesty with Miles.

DK: Yeah, yeah, if you look at Miles in his eyes, if you’ve been close enough to stand face to face with him, he’s looking right through you. He’s all about, “If you’re not all about who you represent yourself to be I don’t have one second for you.”

Well he’s honest, at least it reinstalled in us that our efforts were genuine as we attempted them because Miles does not tolerate anything that was not. To watch him stretch every note, every show, every tune he played during that tour, it was a lesson. That really directly applies to Legacy because when we looked at Legacy we wanted to go at it with that same focus and honesty about our own music.

Jazz Monthly:  Absolutely, and that’s the thing that Miles saw. That’s what the public saw and heard immediately since 1979 Danny… that Hiroshima wasn’t a gimmick. This was real music, using all of this music together. You set out, you and June and: all of the founding members and the members today, set out on a mission to make music… period.

DK: Yeah, well, you know what occurs to us at one point is, this is our life’s work. We’ve committed our lives to doing this…Hiroshima, and we took that and we’re comfortable with that so I guess maybe that’s a good thing.

Jazz Monthly: It sure is. Thank you again for bringing us this great music over the years and again we invite everybody and encourage everybody to go out and get Legacy man because these are re-recordings of great, great, great songs of Hiroshima done anew. Believe me, you will be thrilled just like I am, and just like we are here at Jazzmonthly.com.

DK: Thanks Joe, man I really appreciate it.

Jazz Monthly: When is the CD coming out?

DK: August 18th

Jazz Monthly:  Thank you so much Dan.

DK: Thanks Joe. Thanks everyone.