Checking Out The Tokyo Scene: Guitarist Hirofumi Asaba
Hirofumi Asaba is an active jazz guitarist in the greater Tokyo scene – JGT’s Joe Barth interviews.
By age twenty, Hirofumi Asaba toured extensively around Asia.ย ย He has also performed at some of the largest jazz festivals in the States and around the world.
JB: I know you were born near Tokyo, Japan. What inspired you to play jazz guitar?
HIRO: I started playing the guitar when I was 14, but I didn’t practice seriously. I was more interested in finding great music, and I also collected vinyl records. When I was 18, I saw a live jazz performance at a bar in Tokyo. Before that, the music I knew had fixed rules. The intro had a certain length, and the solo had a certain length. But when I saw jazz live, it was so free, and everyone looked so happy. I was deeply shocked. But when I was 23, I went to New Orleans in the US for one month. I saw many live jazz shows there. I felt that music was truly wonderful. At that moment, I decided to become a professional jazz guitarist.
JB: Did you study music in college? If so, what did you appreciate about those years?
HIRO: I didn’t study music in college. From the age of 23, I took lessons from Yoshiaki Okayasu for four and a half years. He taught me jazz guitar from the very beginning. In my first lesson, I told him that I wanted to become a professional. But at that time, I couldn’t play well at all. My solos were just simple pentatonic scales. He taught me phrases and many chords. Most importantly, he taught me to play each note carefully. I practiced very hard, and I released my first CD in four and a half years. I can work as a jazz guitarist today because of him.
JB: You cite Barney Kessel as a special influence. All of us are impacted by this guitar great, but tell us about his special impact upon you.
HIRO: Barney Kessel can express everything with just one guitar. His single-note solos are beautiful, like singing. His chord solos are gorgeous like a big orchestra. His song structures are like a great movie. He starts with a single-note solo, then it goes faster and hotter with 16th notes, and finally, it finishes beautifully with a chord solo. Listening to him is never boring. He is a wonderful musician and a great entertainer.
His accompaniment for singers is also beautiful. His album with Julie London is very famous. I also love his playing on the Duke Ellington Songbook with Ella Fitzgerald, This Is Anita with Anita O’Day, and Body and Soul with Billie Holiday. Recently, I found Rose Murphy’s album Not Cha Cha But Chi Chi. His solo in that album is fantastic.
JB: To you, in shaping your sound and approach, what are three of the most influential jazz guitar albums and why?
1, On Fire / Barney Kessel
This is the best guitar trio live album for me. I always wish I could play a live show like this. The first song, “Slow Burn,” is very groovy and bluesy. I also feel a rock ‘n’ roll feeling in it. Every phrase is so cool. The second song, “Just in Time,” is incredibly fast! He plays the melody with chords beautifully, and his solo is as hot as fire. The other band members try very hard to keep up with him, and that is also very fun to listen to.
His ballads like “The Shadow of Your Smile” and “Who Can I Turn To” are very beautiful. I love that he finishes these songs after only one or one and a half choruses. He never plays long solos just to show off his technique. He plays to show the song’s beauty. His technique is for the music. I also love “Recado Bossa” and “One Mint Julep.”
2, Seven Come Eleven / Herb Ellis , Joe Pass
This live album from the Concord Jazz Festival is full of the joy of jazz guitar. When I listen to these two guitarists, I feel they play freely and happily. Ray Brown on bass is also wonderful. He adds cool ideas to make every song better. My favorites are “In a Mellow Tone,” the very fast and exciting “Seven Come Eleven,” and “Concord Blues.”
๏ผ๏ผ The Genius of the Electric Guitar / Charlie Christian
Charlie Christian and all the members of Benny Goodman’s band are masters. Their performances are perfect. The song structures, arrangements, and solos are all wonderful. Charlie Christian plays his solos with the best tone and melody. I also like his energetic, long solos at Minton’s Playhouse, but I love this album most because I can relax and enjoy it.
JB: Talk about the impact of Frank Vignola upon you.
HIRO: Playing with a master like him is one of the happiest things in my guitar life. We met in the dressing room at Birdland and played two or three songs together right away. The moment we started playing together, we matched so well. It was fantastic. He has many ideas, great knowledge, a beautiful tone, and a wonderful, entertaining personality. He is a great musician and a great person. I am sure we will play together again.
JB: What do you find most rewarding and challenging about playing guitar in the Asaba Trio?
HIRO: Playing in a guitar trioโand any other bandโis always rewarding and always difficult. Of course, my goals are always the same: to play good songs well, to try to play freely what I feel in the moment, and to have a fun time with the members. For the guitar trio, I think it will be really fun if we can add more big-band sounds.
JB: What do you appreciate most about the guitars that you use?
HIRO: I got a 1935 Gibson L-7 with a 1938 CC pickup this April. I really love the sound of this pickup. Playing a non-cutaway guitar is still difficult for me, but this guitar can make the exact sound that I love on old records.
JB: Tokyo has a number of great guitarists. Talk about what your career looks like there.
HIRO: Tokyo has many wonderful guitarists and musicians. There are also many jazz clubs. Every night, musicians play at nearly 100 places. It is a wonderful city.
But honestly, now I want to play more in the US, especially in New York. On my recent trip, I saw many great live shows. Musicians from all over the world move to New York to make good music. In conversations with musicians there, names of historical musicians come out naturally. For example, someone said they played with Benny Goodman or were in Lionel Hampton’s band. When I hear those stories, I get very excited and think, “This is New York.” So now, I want to make better music, and I want to move to New York.
