KATARU@Rubin Museum(Jul.17)

July 17, 2009 KATARU@Rubin Museum Kaoru Watanabe/ Tatsuya Nakatani / Adam Rudolph

KATARU meaning "to speak" in Japanese is a trio made up of Kaoru Watanabe on Japanese and Western flutes and taiko drums, Adam Rudolph on Handrumset and percussion and Tatsuya Nakatani on modified drumset , bowed gongs and percussion - three musicians of disparate musical backgrounds who, by seamlessly integrating abstracted Japanese Noh, Gagaku, festival and folk music components with traditional global percussion, free jazz and noise elements create ever shifting emotional soundscapes.  The spontaneity, delicacy and visceral intensity of the trio seeks to reflect, in a contemporary aesthetic, an ancient prototypical human expression.

Friday July 17, 2009 @ 7:00 PM $18.00 in advance / $20.00 day of Member Price: $16.20

Rubin Museum of Art 150 West 17th Street New York, NY 10011 212.620.5000 http://www.rmanyc.org/pages/load/32

Kaoru Watanabe Taiko Center -The Village @ Gureje(Jul.19)

July 19, 2009 Kaoru Watanabe Taiko Center -The Village @ Gureje

HAPPYOKAI - Come join us for a celebration of Japanese taiko drumming and flute (fue), music, food, drinks, and special guest performances. Meet the students and friends of the Taiko Center and find out what's mesmerizing about Taiko.

Performances by:  Kaoru Watanabe & students Guest Appearance by: Eric Person (MOON POOL) More Guest appearances and performances to be announced

Time: 4pm Place: The Village@Gureje 886 Pacific St., Bklyn 11238 New York, NY 718 857-2522 / 718 857-2105 Google Map Direction

Suggested Admission: $10 Raffles, Good food, and Drinks plus lots of Fun! More info: http://www.gureje.com/ or 718 857 2522

Resonance II Tokyo Review

"Resonance II" in Tokyo Review is published on the Japan Times Online.please check it out;

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fq20090612a2.html

Live Schedule in July, 2009

Please click the title to see for more information; July, 3 Natsuda!! NakaNaka Summer Opener@DROM(Jul.3) 8PM@DROM, NYC

July, 13 duo w/ Tomas Fujiwara (Jul.13) 7:30PM@The Local 269, Suffolk

July, 17 KATARU@Rubin Museum(Jul.17) 7PM@Rubin Museum of Art, NYC

July, 19 Kaoru Watanabe Taiko Center -The Village @ Gureje(Jul.19) 4PM, The Village @ Gureje

Birthday of Jimmy Mirikitani

Some of my students helped celebrate the birthday of the great Jimmy Mirikitani on June 13th.  I was unfortunately in Japan at the time but Lin, Kelly, Susan and Alia took a few of the Taiko Center drums down to his party.  Apparently he stole the show with his drumming.  For those of you who don't know who he is, please watch the incredible documentary Cats of Mirikitani by my friend Linda Hattendorf.

photos by Linda Hattendorf

duo w/ Tomas Fujiwara (Jul.13)

July 13thEV Kaoru Watanabe / Tomas Fujiwara duo also: Saco Yasuma group

Evolving Music Series@The Local 269 269 EAST HOUSTON AT SUFFOLK F TRAIN TO 2ND AVE 7:30 pm $10

Natsuda!! NakaNaka Summer Opener@DROM(Jul.3)

July 3rd, 2009Natsuda!! NakaNaka Summer Opener@DROM

Come celebrate the arrival of summer@DROM: Naka Naka curator/ Japanese drum and flute performer Kaoru Watanabe will be joined by many of his finest artist friends for a cornucopia of music and dance - appearances by many special guests including Tamango, Adam Rudolph, Lale Sayoko, Nahoko Sugiyama, Trina Basu and his parents Haruka and Ayako Watanabe of the acclaimed St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

8 pm start $10 advanced tickets $12 at the door http://dromnyc.com/home/index.php?option=com_gigcal&task=details&gigcal_gigs_id=789&Itemid=37

DROM 85 Avenue A New York, NY 10009 http://dromnyc.com/

Sonic Lifestyle@ROSE(Jun.29)

June 29Sonic Lifestyle@ROSE

A collaborative sextet with Sarah Bernstein and Curtis Stewart on violins, Kaoru Watanabe on flutes, Alex Marcelo on Piano, Stuart Popejoy on bass guitar and Malik Washington on drums, presents original compositions that utilize the group's unique instrumentation as well as the improvisational virtuosity of the players. The sound is grounded in jazz but invokes rock and world rhythm with contemporary harmonic sonority and dissonance.

ROSE 345 Grand Street (btwn Havemeyer/Marcy) in Williamsburg Venue: 718.599.0069 Restaurant: 718 388 8451 (L to Bedford, G to Metropolitan, JM to Marcy, Metropolitan exit off the BQE) http://nymag.com/listings/bar/Rose/

Resonance II Tokyo photo Gallery & Review

Here's some photos of the "Resonance II" in Tokyo, Jun, 6.There is an review article on "The Japan Times Online"; http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fq20090612a2.html

Other "Resonance II"  is coming up Sat, Jun.13 in Kyoto, and Sun, Jun.14 in Osaka. for more information, please see here.

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Live Schedule in June, 2009

Please click the title to see for more information; Jun.5, Fri Live @ InF (Ooizumi-gakuen, Japan) http://homepage2.nifty.com/in-f

Jun,6 Sat. Resonance II http://web.mac.com/yakimonos/iWeb/Site/Resonance2.html ＠Super-Delux, Tokyo, JAPAN http://www.super-deluxe.com/

June, 11, Thur. Special Session(6/11) ＠KICK BACK CAFE, Tokyo, JAPAN http://www.kickbackcafe.jp/index.html

June, 13 Sat. Resonance II http://web.mac.com/yakimonos/iWeb/Site/Resonance2.html @UrbanGuild, Kyoto, JAPAN http://urbanguild.net/

Jun,14, Sun Resonance II http://web.mac.com/yakimonos/iWeb/Site/Resonance2.html @Full Bloom, Osaka, JAPAN http://fullbloom.cc/venue/

June, 15 Mon. Live in OTO-YA(6/15) ＠OTO-YA, Kyoto, JAPAN

June, 22 Thur. Live @ InF (Ooizumi-gakuen, Japan) http://homepage2.nifty.com/in-f

June, 29 Thr. Sonic Lifestyle@ROSE(Jun.29) @ROSE, Williamsburg

Kaoru Watanabe’s Resonance II: “Echology”(Jun.6,13,14)

In 2007, while still serving as the artistic director for the world-renowned Japanese performing arts group KODO, fue/flute player Kaoru Watanabe called together a group of friends to form Resonance, a one-night multimedia celebration of sight and sound that astounded the audience. Now based in New York, Kaoru has reassembled much of the old cast and called upon some new friends to realize Resonance II: 'Echology' for a three-show tour of Japan. With the unparalleled mastery of tap dancer Tamango, the angelic voice of Matsuda Mio, cutting-edge percussion by Tatsuya Nakatani, contemporary taiko beats by Yuu Ishizuka and a multimedia stage set by D.H. Rosen, 'Echology' promises to be an unrivaled music/dance/art experience. Tokyo - Superdeluxe June 6, 2009 19:00 OPEN  20:00 Start Advance: 3,500 yen At the door: 4,000 yen (+1 drink)

Kyoto - Urban Guild June 13, 2009 19:00 OPEN  20:00 Start Advance: 3,000 yen At the door: 3,500 yen (+1 drink)

Osaka - Full Bloom June 14, 2009 18:00 OPEN  19:00 Start Advance: 3,000 yen At the door: 3,500 yen (+1 drink)

for more info, click the link below; http://web.mac.com/yakimonos/iWeb/Site/Resonance2.html http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/793/agenda.asp

Tokyo Review on the Japan Times Online; http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fq20090612a2.html

Live schedule in May, 2009

Please click the title to see for more information; with Ty Citerman (of Gutbucket)(May,2) 8 pm@Vox Pop

Yoshikazu and Yoko Fujimoto singing and drumming KASA workshop(May,6th) 4 to 6, 6 to 8 pm

Yoshikazu and Yoko Fujimoto of KODO(May.7) 7:30 start- two sets

Go: Organic Orchestra (May 11,18,25) 8:30 pm

live with Belinda Becker & Sheila Anozier @Drom(May 12)

Kaoru Watanabe Taiko Ensemble(May,16) 2-4 PM@The Metropolitan Museum

Matt Moran Quintet(May,17) 7:30@Douglass Street Music Collective Festival DSMC

Live at Flushing Library(May,19) 6pm

THE SHASHIN-KA SLIDE SHOW(May,22) 7:30 PM@Drom

Live with the Jacob Varmus group@J’z(May 23) 9 and 11pm

Live with the Jacob Varmus group@J'z(May 23)

May 23rdLive with the Jacob Varmus group

9 and 11 pm J'z in Koreatown 23rd W 32nd st. 4th floor of the Wonjo Restaurant bldg

THE SHASHIN-KA SLIDE SHOW(May,22)

MAY 22, 2009 fri7:30 PM THE SHASHIN-KA SLIDE SHOW:  Photography with Live Musical Accompaniment FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHERS: Kunie Sugiura  |  Mayumi Terada  |  Masayuki Yoshinaga Asako Narahashi  |  Satomi Shirai  |  James Whitlow Delano Q Sakamaki  |  Takahiro Kaneyama  |  Mayumi Lake Pamela Matsuda-Dunn  |  Akiko Nishimura  |  George Hirose MUSIC PERFORMED BY: KAORU WATANABE, DEEP SINGH, TBA After performance: Q&A and Photographers' Reception THE ART GALLERY AT DROM: 85 Avenue A, between 5th & 6th Streets www.dromnyc.com  /  212-777-1157

The Shashin-ka Exhibition  |  May 22nd - June 17th George Hirose: Kyoto Meets the Lower East Side  |  On view until May 19th Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Sunday  6:00 - closing $10 Slide Show and Exhibition curated by GEORGE HIROSE and AKIKO NISHIMURA

ticket & more information, click here

Live at Flushing Library(May,19)

May 19thLive with the Jacob Varmus group

6 pm @Flushing Library Queens Library Gallery, 89-11 Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica

for more information, please visit Queens Library site.

Matt Moran Quintet(May,17)

May 17th, 7:30pmMatt Moran Quintet Tom Chess, Matt Welsh, Kaoru Watanabe @Douglass Street Music Collective Festival DSMC 295 Douglass St btw 3rd and 4th Aves in Brooklyn closest train is Union St. M/R, but Atlantic/Pacific isn't that far.

Kaoru Watanabe Taiko Ensemble@MET(May,16)

May 16, 2009 Sat  *DATE CHANGE*Kaoru Watanabe Taiko Ensemble

2-4 PM @The Metropolitan Museum Asian Heritage Performance  Grace Rainey Auditorium free with admission to the museum

for　more information, click here (to MET event calender) MET newsletter http://ebm.cheetahmail.com/c/tag/hBJ-xgsARJhWhB7tu5tDXxNFF.AIGK1Iss/doc.html

live with Belinda Becker & Sheila Anozier @Drom(May 12)

May 12th  live with Belinda Becker & Sheila Anozier @Drom

8pm to 10:30pm 

Belinda Becker -- afro-caribbean freestyle dance

Sheila Anozier -- afro-haitian freestyle dance, vocals

Kaoru Watanabe -- western flute

Fabio Morgera -- jazz trumpet

Swiss Chris -- drums

Junior "Gabu" Wedderburn -- nyabinghi "akete" & kumina drums, vocals

Drom

85 Ave. A

between 5th & 6th aves  http://www.dromnyc.com/

Go: Organic Orchestra (May 11,18,25)

May 11th, 18th, 25th - 8:30 pmWith Adam Rudolph's Go: Organic Orchestra

@Roulette 20 Greene St. (btwn Canal and Grand) www.roulette.org $15 at the door

Yoshikazu and Yoko Fujimoto of KODO(May.7)

Yoshikazu and Yoko Fujimoto of KODOMay 7th, 2009 (thurs) as part of the NakaNaka series@Drom 7:30 start- two sets $20 @DROM 85 Avenue A, between 5th & 6th Streets www.dromnyc.com  /  212-777-1157 Yoshikazu, one of the premiere taiko players in Japan, has been mesmerizing audiences across the world for close to four decades.  In 1981 he was one of the founding members of Kodo, and has been the group's featured O-daiko player and center-man for the "Yatai-bayashi" climax ever since.  Yoko has been a specialist in the koto, dance and singing with Kodo since it's inception.  She recently performed two songs from her newly released album with Kodo and the New Japan Philharmonic in Tokyo.  Joining them will be New York based former Kodo member, Kaoru Watanabe on the Japanese flute and taiko.  Other special guests to be announced!