Doug played for Sera Masanori's self cover album again. It was recorded in LA this summer and it's called "Jacaranda". It's the second album of Twist International following the first album released in 2003, "Sho". Most songs are Sera Masanori's old songs, but 2 new songs are included. And this time it's the acoustic album and sounds different.
"Anta No Ballad" is basically a heavy song, so it sounds different from the original one. It becomes warm and soft. Doug's slide guitar is cool on "Soppo" and Doug himself seems to like it most. The acoustic guitar is powerful on "Yadonashi" and "Hikigane". And the new song "Jacaranda" sounds relaxed and comfortable, and Sera Masanori's vocal is different from the other songs in the album. Both Doug and Sera Masanori's guitar is great.
The limited edition includes the DVD. It features the scenes from the recording and the interviews. Jacaranda flower looks very beautiful in LA. The studio looks a nice place filled with nature. The recording session has very good atmosphere. I can feel they really enjoy playing together. Sera Masanori has a longer career than Doug, and Doug says in the interview that he keeps learning from Sera Masanori's playing everytime. Twist International played in Japan with "Sho" album in 2003. I hope they will play some acoustic shows with this album.
I found the old movie on YouTube. It's the show of Kuni Special Band in 1988, and it's the one which I saw then. I was in the center of the second row at this show. I used to copy "Strangers In The Night" with my guitar ... How time flies!
Kuni doesn't seem to play the guitar recently. This show was the first time when I saw Jeff Scott Soto live. He looked great and his singing was awesome. They did the signing session at the instruments stores, so I went there too. Doug Baker, the bassist, had well-balanced body and looked warm and kind, and he was shooting the video around. The drummer was Mike Terrana. He played with Doug in the band, Beau Nasty, after this band. They seemed to break up. Mike played with Yngwie Malmsteen after, and I sometimes see his name in some bands recently. Jeff was around 20 years old when he was singing in the Kuni band ... I was young too at that time.
My favorite song in the "Looking For Action" album
"Strangers Of The Night"
And the title song of this album
"Looking For Action"
B'z will be awarded by Hollywood's RockWalk!! It's the first time when the musician in Japan and Asia get it. And they have the 20th anniversary now! Amazing!!
I remember Zakk Wylde got it recently. The ceremony will be held on November 19, and they will be there. Japanese fans are very proud of it, I think.
B'z Official WebsiteRockWalk Official Website
I went to Nagasaki to see my parents from September 1 to 8. I should go there on the Bon and the New Year, but recently I go there when the plane is cheaper. This time was hard, because I felt sick on my stomach late August and had a pain in my stomach, so I couldn't eat anything for a while. I felt better by taking some medicine, but I felt sick again ... so I decided to examine my stomach. I took a test by an endoscope for the first time on the day before I left for Nagasaki. I was so worried about it, but one of my co-workers recommend a good hospital near my office. I could take a test without a pain. The result is not so serious. It was not no problem, though.
I didn't feel well in the first 2 days after arriving in Nagasaki. I felt better after that, but I seem to be a bit sick mentally. This time I went to see my father in a hospital and visited my family's grave as usual. The country side is slow and easy, so I can be relaxed. My mother looks older everytime I see her. I stayed at my aunt's house, because it was closer to the hospital where my father was. There is a street car around my aunt's house from the Nagasaki station, and there is the Matsuyama station where was the center area of the atomic bomb dropped. I got off the train at the Urakami station, and I found the memorial monument of the victims by the atomic bomb. When the atomic bomb was dropping in Nagasaki, my parents were not in Nagasaki city, so they were not bombed. But my grandfather was. He is already dead, but he attended at the ceremony for the victims by the atomic bomb every year. I watched this ceremony on TV and prayed silently every summer when I visited Nagasaki in my childhood.
While I was staying in Nagasaki, the typhoon hit Kanto area including my place. There seemed to be a heavy rain and wind around my place. I was watching about it on TV news in Nagasaki. When I returned home, the weather was fine. It was so hot in Nagasaki. The summer becomes hotter every year ... scary.
Another photos from Nagasaki