Live in Japan

Release Date: September 1, 2024

In early 2013 I was fortunate to receive an invitation to play a show in Tokyo with Tokio Uchida, the great Japanese fingerstylist. Also on the bill that night was Takasi Hamada, one of the world’s premier practitioners of Classic Ragtime guitar. Takasi and I immediately hit it off.

The next year I returned for a few shows with Takasi-san in the Tokyo area, and the following year we extended our geographical reach to encompass a few shows in the Kansai area. When we met Xavier Ohmura in Osaka, we incorporated him into the mix. For the last several years (excluding the pandemic) I’ve traveled to Japan annually and done some shows with Takasi-san, some with Xavier-san, and a few trio shows to boot. My partner Cheryl Hall has joined us on several tours, and we’ve made some dear friends along the way. It’s become a highlight of my year.

The 2024 tour was the most extensive yet, 33 shows over five weeks or so. I decided to record the shows so I brought along a portable recorder and did exactly that. Choosing the best performances and capturing that live energy proved a daunting task, but I think I’ve managed to put together a set that captures the feeling. There are some tunes I’ve recorded before, in the studio, along with a couple of new ones, and two duets, one each with Xavi and Takasi.