Issue Four : 'I Wouldn't Want To Play Six Degrees With You' by John Book

My sister called me "music's biggest fan". I don't have it on a business card or anything, but outside of a small group of friends (read "I can count them on my hand"), my sister knows more than anyone my passion for music. Could this be the reason why I'm not married at my age? Nah, because DJ Shadow has over 20,000 records and I heard he just got engaged. Music junkie I am, music junkie I be.
But that's neither here or there. Last time I recommended some music by a musician from Japan named Monday Michiru. Since becoming infatuated with her music, I've done some research on her. I knew she was hapa, but I was curious to know about her musical background. It goes back to when you hear your uncle's Led Zeppelin records for the first time. You either dwell on "Stairway To Heaven", or you start digging and reading, finding out who Robert Johnson, Bukka White, Memphis Minnie, and Sonny Boy Williamson were.

So off I went, and I found out that Monday Michiru is the daughter of two respected jazz musicians, Charlie Mariano and Toshiko Akiyoshi. They already had a healthy discography behind them when they met in the late 50's. In the 60's they produced a child, named Michiru. Michiru Mariano eventually would become known as Monday Michiru. So why would this be of any concern to me? I like Michiru's music, and I wanted to know more. She can play the hell out of a piano, but her style obviously does not come from just going to piano class. As I did more research, I found out that Charlie Mariano and Toshiko Akiyoshi went their separate ways, but never stopped recording music. They created someone who is slowly creating a musical legacy all her own, even though it's one that isn't widely known.

I'm looking for a particular album that has a bassline, one that DJ Shadow had used on one of his songs. I like looking for these albums so I can get a perspective of what a producer or DJ was doing in order to get the sound (s)he wanted to achieve. At the same time, I can absorb that album and get into it more than just "the album that Shadow sampled".

This is the ol' "play the sample" game, something I did with Paul's Boutique and something I do on all the hip hop I listen to, sometimes consciously, sometimes not. So I do the research on said album and who plays the sax on it? Charlie Mariano. I go to a website that sells a wide range of music I like, and there he is again, Mr. Mariano, on a compilation of jazz music from the 60's. Sometimes discoveries like this all fall into place, other times by accident, but it's cool when it does run all together.

I then decide to find out more about Michiru's mom. Toshiko Akiyoshi had to break a lot of barriers as a jazz musician. She was a Japanese woman who loved to play music, but was forced to dress into the stereotype, which meant performing with a kimono when really all she wanted to do was jam. She was playing jazz in Japan before musicians from the West performed there, and was considered a freak by most. But she pushed on, and some even rank her right up there with Duke Ellington. Not a "female" Duke Ellington or a "Japanese" Duke Ellington, but someone who could easily stand side by side with the master.

Then you find out how much music she has produced, either as a musician or a composer, and it's mind blowing. Where does one start? Like any new music, you just pick one. But even that is hard. The recent Jazz movie by Ken Burns has sparked much controversy, along with a healthy dose of communication. It has given attention once again to the music of jazz, as much more than just "the stuff Tribe sampled" or "that music with that Miles guy", or "isn't Kenny G. jazz?"

I've talked about my love of jazz elsewhere, but it has grown quite a bit in the last three years. My curiosity is wild after the special, but there isn't enough time in the world to enjoy it all. But you have to pick one.

You may be asking "John, what's your point? Are you promoting Monday Michiru because you think she's hot, or is there something more?" Yeah there's more. I'm often asked by people about record collecting tips, what are some of the methods I use? It comes from being familiar with the music, record labels, and being curious enough to analyze liner notes. If you have knowledge of the music you're listening to, you can bounce back and forth and find a lot of other music inbetween. I'm sure a lot of you have seen those musical trees, where each musician branches off into their own groups, some of which have their own musical trees. I try to play it along those lines. When you do, you realize it is neverending and in many ways it makes record collecting and music listening more fun.