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Obokuri Eeumi is a Japanese folk song by Ikue Asazaki, made famous when it was featured in an episode of anime series Samurai Champloo in 2005.  Blogger Frederick Cloyd writes a bit about Asazaki, the lyrics, and the song’s dialect:

Asazaki-san sings this in her traditional Kagoshima/Okinawan/Japanese style, accompanied by piano. Some say that Ikue Asazaki is Okinawan and from Okinawa. Some say she’s from Kyushu, the southernmost large island of Japan, where Kagoshima, her birthplace is. This is a testament to the complexity of history and who claims what. Some say she sings in Okinawan. Some say she sings in the Kyushu dialect. Both and none may be true. Most mainstream Japanese do not understand what she is singing. Dialect? Another language? Okinawan? Japanese? Kyushu language or dialect? In the end, we listen to the beautiful language and song, to reflect, enjoy, feel.

As in most nation-states, the dominant state language is demanded. When I was growing up in Japan, those who spoke the language that she speaks, were ridiculed and often called stupid and primitive and unsophistocated. Nowadays, the young Japanese are more fascinated with these languages. The stigma of it has changed. In destruction, while languages and cultures become museum pieces for us, are we then appreciative? Let us listen and appreciate.

This arrangement features trumpet and alto sax solos emulating the colors and embellishments found in Ikue Asazki’s singing.  This recording is from July 24, 2013  at the Jazz Showcase.

Saxes: Tim Koelling, Kelley Dorhauer (soloist), Casey Fitzpatrick, Vinny Starble, Brian Toms

Trombones: Bryant Scott, Luke Malewicz, Joshua Torrey, Antonio Portela

Trumpets: Tom Klein, Andrew Ecklund (soloist), Jen Marshall, Jenni Szczerbinski

Piano: Carl Kennedy (soloist) | Guitar: Chris Parsons | Bass: Dan Parker | Drums: Keith Brooks

Music Arranger & Director: John Dorhauer

 

Obokuri Eeumi – (Obtain our Bearings)

Arayashikiku no dei – (in search of a new land)
Harasaku baku no dei – (let’s build a new house)
Hare fushigyurasa nejyuku – (by neatly gathering hay)
Surajifushiro yondo – (to thatch the roof)
Hare fushigyurasa nejyuku – (by neatly gathering hay)
Fushigyurasa nejyuku – (neatly gathering hay)
Surajifusero yondo – (to thatch the roof)Kirishigaki ku no dei – (at the stone walls)
Kuganeya be tatei tei – (let’s celebrate the golden house)
Hare momo tobyuru wakya – (that was built)
Ya uriba yuwa o yondo – (by a hundred carpenters)
Hare momo to byuru wakya – (that was built)
Momo to byuru wakya – (was built)
Ya uriba yuwa o yondo – (by a hundred carpenters)Hateigachi ya naryuri – (august draws near)
Tobibani ya neranu – (but i have nothing to wear)
Hare utou katabani – (i want to dress up)
Ya karachitabore – (brothers, lend me a sleeve)
Hitotsu aru bani ya – (i want to dress the children and those i love)
Kanasha se ni kusuitei – (with the single kimono i own)
Hare wanu ya okuyama – (i will wear vines)

Nu kazuradasuki – (that i picked deep within the mountains)
Ojyuugoya no teiki ya – (the full moon shines)
Kami gyurasa teryuri – (far and wide like the gods)
Hare kana ga jyo ni tataba kumo tei taborei – (when my lover comes to visit, i wish the clouds would hide it a little)

Ikue Asazaki – Obokuri Eeumi Lyrics @ LyricsSpot.com

 

http://youtu.be/u6FM1E_rxEg

 

Written for Adam Dorhauer (artist of Emergency Postcards). 

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 your mouth is tabou

To raise funds for Emergency Postcards, we had an option for fans to commission us to arrange a song of their choice.  The idea was a success, and we came away with seven new commissions spanning a variety of genres.  Interestingly enough, no one has chosen a jazz standard!  We’d like to share the outcome of some of these projects once they become complete (and we get a decent recording).  This recording was sight-read and recorded within the same hour.

Saxes: Dan Meinhardt, Kelley Dorhauer, Adam Frank (soloist), Shelley Bishop, James Baum

Trombones: Joshua Torrey, Phil Arquette, Xavier Galdon, Steve Duncan (soloist)

Trumpets: Brian Warszona (soloist), Andrew Ecklund, Jen Marshall, Jenni Szczerbinski

Piano: Carl Kennedy | Guitar: Chris Parsons | Bass: Dan Parker | Drums: Joel Baer

Music Arranger & Director: John Dorhauer

This is a really fun arrangement to perform and direct, largely because it’s impossible to play the same way twice.  Basically, it’s a “choose your own adventure” chart.  Although the groove stays pretty constant throughout, there are a few sections in the arrangement where the horns have a few different options of things they could play.  So, for example, the saxes have three different short musical phrases that they can play over the first section (a section similar to the song’s first verse), and so do the trombones and the trumpets.  Each section is cued to come in and with a specific part to play, but I make that up on the fly.  There’s also a spot toward the end (what would be the third verse) where something similar happens, but instead of all the saxes having three different phrases as a group, all of them have their own unique set of three phrases.  I cue individuals to start and stop playing, but they’ll pick which idea they play.  So when it sounds like everyone’s playing their own part that has nothing to do with anyone else, that’s because that’s what’s happening.  But everything that they’re playing is written down – the only improvised parts in the song are the trumpet/tenor sax/trombone solos that happen during the middle part.  When I was listening to live versions of the original song, the biggest thing I took away from them was that this was just a group of friends getting together and jamming over a catchy groove, and I wanted to try to emulate that with the arrangement.

Ta Bouche est Tabou is an original song by Poi Dog Pondering.  PDP began in Hawaii in 1986 and eventually relocated to Chicago in 1992.  They’ve collaborated with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra & the Chicago Sinfonietta and they were named Best Rock/Pop Act in Chicago Reader’s 2009 poll.  Here’s a live recording from the Vic Theatre in Chicago from 1999.

Visit their official website at http://www.poidogpondering.com/

 

Special thanks to Jay Dorhauer for commissioning this arrangement.