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Keisuke Kishi: Midpoint Cafe
ByBobby Troup wrote an R&B song in 1946 called "(Get You Kicks On) Route 66." Nate King Cole covered it, as did the The Rolling Stones. Troup's lyrics say:
"Now it goes through St. Looey, Joplin, Missouri, Oklahoma City looks mighty pretty, you'll see Amarillo, Gallup, New Mexico, Flagstaff, Arizona, don't forget Winona, Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino..." before they tell you to: "Get hip to this timely tip, when you make that California trip?"
That timely trip ultimately resulted in Kishi's Midpoint Cafe, a nod to the Adrian, Texas eatery that sits on Route 66, located at the midpoint between Chicago and Los Angeles in a surreal panhandle landscape featuring miles of flatness and endless vistas. The title tune reflectsin an ECM Records waythe feeling of the expansive countryside. The quintet consists of Andrew McGowan and Jun Sugiura on the pianos, joined by bassist Nori Naraoka and saxophonist Calvin Johnson, with the leader in the drummer's chair rounding out the crew. They create a collective soundscape that is eerie, spacious and serene, with a hint of the ominous lurking around the corner.
"Santa Fe" has more of a groove, a touch more brightness. "We Saw Him" was inspired by a destitute Native American man whom Kishi and his wife encountered on their journey, a man with a tale to tell, one about his tribe and community, and how they had been robbed of their land. The tune is disjointed, agitated and perhaps confused about one of America's original sins. And, like the rest of the music, it is an oddly beautiful statement as it examines and attempts to understand an ugly truth.
Throughout, Kishi displays a distinctive compositional approach. As it was with drummer Paul Motian, the Japanese drummer's vision is his own, unlike anyone else's as he grabs ahold of a cross-continent theme and shapes it into a compelling jazz statement, having apparently gotten hip to that timely tip.
Track Listing
Midpoint Cafe; Santa Fe; We Saw Him; Inside Utah; New Days.
Personnel
Keisuke Kishi
drumsNori Naraoka
bass, acousticAndrew McGowan
pianoCalvin Johnson
saxophone, altoJun Sugiura
pianoAlbum information
Title: Midpoint Cafe | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Self Produced
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Keisuke Kishi
Album Review
Dan McClenaghan
Midpoint Cafe
Self Produced
Nate King Cole
Rolling Stones
Andrew McGowan
Jun Sugiura
Nori Naraoka
Calvin Johnson
Paul Motian