“Lovetap Japan 2023" (live in Kokura) /  by Goh Kurosawa

GOH KUROSAWA
LOVETAP TOUR 2023 Japan/日本
Japan final summer show / 夏の日本公演最終日

-program/プログラム- 
1. Return of the Fruit Bunny 
2. Lovetap 
3. Third Word Swamp (beatboxing/ビートボクシング)
4. Schumann/シューマン (classical/クラシック)
5. Rain/雨
6. Furusato/ふるさと (Japanese Folk, a song called Home)
7. Smile (unplugged/生音演奏)

"My first show in Kokura was fantastic, thank you to the people: the audience, the supporters, all music lovers, and my family my friends. Sometimes there is rain, sometimes there is no rain. This footage is my first complete solo set ever released. Beginning with one of my first overseas shows at the start of this millennium, I have completed about 30 Japan Tours at this point. You all rock! Thank you all!"

「初の小倉ライブ最高でした、ありがとうございました皆様：お客さん、サポーターのみなさん、音楽大好きな人すべて、そして僕の家族僕の友達。雨は降ります、雨はやみます。この作品は、僕のソロプログラム完全版、初のリリースとなりました。お陰様で僕は今世紀の始まりに初の海外ライブ後、今までに30回近くのJapan Tourを演奏させていただいてきています。みんないいね！ありがとうみんな！」

film director: Gyokun
Goh's guitar by George Lowden: Honey Beast
Goh's amp by Elite Acoustics: Lucky8
Goh's custom cables: Noritoshi Maeda
venue/会場: Music Cross in Kokura Japan (小倉ミュージッククロス)
special thanks to: Ari Tomoto, Naomi Hanafusa, Canty (Hina / Kumico / Sana), Gon Yamamoto, Sangjin Lee (director of Music Cross)

-new video from this set-
Lovetap South Pas 2023 (live at Eclectic Music Festival)

-previous videos from this set-
Return of the Fruit Bunny (from “Flow” 4 song album)　Lovetap　Third Word Swamp (from “TWS” 4 song album)　Humming Song (Robert Schumann Song)　Rain　Furusato/ふるさと (Home)　Smile

2023 tour shots by: Goh Kurosawa, Sue Morris, Lindsey Loon, Lisa Stacilauskas, Aki Hacto, Kazuki Himura, and Gan (Iwao Ohyama)

Blues in Ojai /  by Goh Kurosawa

Good morning Brent,

It was much fun to meet you in Ojai. Yes, Miroslav Tadic; meeting and studying with him helped me to realize that one can be a classical guitar player and a blues electric guitarist (though at the time, I had little interest in the blues). All of us go through many different phases. During the phase before meeting Miro, I thought I was going to become an orchestra conductor with the ability of a modern classical guitarist; when I discovered Miro, it kinda set me freer. I have always believed, in order to conduct an orchestra, one must be able to make a beautiful sound and must learn to play an instrument extremely well; when I lived in Japan, I conducted, directed, and arranged music for a mandolin and guitar ensemble. I enjoyed conducting music, but it is a much greater joy to be playing music.

Miro invited me to come watch his trio's rehearsal with percussionist John Bergamo (my teacher later), sax player Eric Barber, and Miro playing a flamenco guitar completely unplugged; and because Miroslav was just as loud as the other two, I was shocked. It was one of the most incredible live performances I have ever experienced. Also, John's focus and presence in the moment, really made a lasting impression on me. These guys were funny; they told my friend who drove to the rehearsal with me to look for a particular tree that they seemed to be quite familiar with, when giving him directions to the restroom.

Before becoming familiar with Miroslav and his diverse musical dimensions (and dry sense of humor), I believe Roland Dynes was my favorite guitarist (possibly more than Paco De Lucia at a certain phase). I studied with Roland in the US and France. For me, the direction that Miroslav was going was much more fascinating. One of the big things I took away from Miro was the Balkan music's exotic rhythms and meters; I expanded on the idea especially with my trio Sharp Three like this song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bojr8cTlbzw starting in the meter of 15 over 16 with the fourth measure of the ostinato pattern ending with 7/8 (seven over eight) rather than 15/16. The biggest thing I got from Miro was the idea of taking my homeland’s musical traditions (both new and old), and bring those together with the rest of the world; for example, Miroslav is a master with performing Balkan traditional folk songs arranged and recreated with a section that reminds me of modal jazz and harmonic improvisations, rhythmic and metric improvisations, or as far out as free improv.

Paco, Miro, and Egberto... Egberto Gismonti. Guitaristically, these three perhaps gave me the biggest impacts, and were my definite favorites for quite some time. Egberto from Brazil, Miro from Serbia, and Paco from Spain; all global musicians with respect for music and cultures.

That being said, some times we are not completely familiar with what has truly shaped us, or what shapes us; we might want to be loud about it, we might want to be quiet about it. In many situations, none musicians are influences... Bruce Lee, his style was no style.

Here is a letter from Eric Jue: 
"As for the number one word / concept that would be my number one...I might have to choose 'balance' simply because I always had the tendency to think in black and white when that was never the case (as I have learned living and maturing in Japan). For me 'balance' means not being dogmatic. In my case, not being dogmatic about training. All training modalities are superior and none better than the other, they just achieve different goals, but I was blind to not realizing that until years about (approx 2018)."

Eric and I became familiar with one another during the 2020 lockdown when we were doing body weight training (at times called calisthenics) independently of each other in an empty park in the morning before sunrise; he was so disciplined with his training he was doing that I had to give compliment. My favorite exercise is swimming for one to two hours without stopping, and this https://youtu.be/IRd_CoOUsNs is my favorite 21 (7x3) moves to do with 15 of them using the pull up bar. 

心技体 (Shin Gi Tai) is a fundamental I make effort to care for and grow little by little. The three characters are heart, weapon, and body. I believe by taking care of these three elements, one has a greater advantage to living a fulfilling life daily. My diary on ComposeLife.com offers a number of things that has shaped me to becoming who I am becoming, at least I think so, and I hope I know so.

The three songs you heard live in Ojai, "Lucky Old Sun" "Sing" and "Lovetap" are influences from different sources and people.

I was touring in Japan last year in 2022 when I came across LOS and I fell in love with the Japanese lyrics. When I came back to the US, I researched and came across Willie Nelson singing it, and about 10 other recorded versions. I did some tweaking to the lyrics and the melody which you heard me sing in Japanese and English; here is the album www.composelife.com/diary/tws that include LOS (track 2). The LOS video of this recording, I will be releasing a little before Christmas this year perhaps.

Sing, I wrote shortly after having a lesson with Adam Levy; Adam is one of the grooviest players who can groove slow... really cool. I studied several years with Bill Lenihan who was a student of Ralph Towner (from the band Oregon). Bill claimed to have written out all possible chord voicings on the piano that required more than 3000 pages to write on manuscript, or something that surprised me like that if not close enough for jazz. One thing that Bill told me that rings bright with me still today is, "Music is math with lots of lots of lots of love." So I was talking theory with Adam about some chordal movements and voice leadings, and Adam simply smiled and said, "You got to make it sing." I recorded the following www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ4GFQpzf04 after that experience.

Here is a note from Adam: 
"Musically, artistically, I think the word that means the most to me right now is: presence. For me, that means not thinking about yesterday or tomorrow, but just being with the music I’m making right now, being with myself right now, being with my collaborators right now."

The messages from Eric and Adam were responses to the following I wrote: 
"「改善」「生きがい」「やりがい」．．．この言葉をアメリカの方より投げかけられたら、みなさんはどう動くでしょうか？僕は知らなかったのですが、アメリカで「生きがい」は結構使われているとのことです。僕は嬉しかったのと同時に改めて自分はどうに使っているのかと考えるところに動きました。 So, what I wrote above is a question to friends from Japan based on two separate conversations I had with my friends here in Los Angeles. The conversations included Japanese words「改善(kaizen)」「生きがい(ikigai)」「やりがい(yarigai)」and at the time, I wasn't aware that ikigai is a word that is pretty frequently used in the US culture today... I was moved... "move" is my current number one guide; what word/concept would be your number one?"

Lovetap, here www.composelife.com/diary/lovetap is the story. This brings me to Joshua Lopez; if it was not for Joshua, I may have continued growing out the nails on my right hand as most classical guitar players have been doing since the modern classical guitar strings were invented. It seemed to me that Josh had a solid foundation in various music theories, and he demonstrated to me that two hand tapping was cool; we get to use all that we know with all fingers as if we were playing the piano, plus he said I would not loose any skills I have been using. In spite of the fact I was getting ready for a month long tour in Japan, I was convinced, therefore I cut off my nails right there and then. Josh was a little surprised, but I was too excited not to do so at that point. These kinda surprises, you gotta embrace them in the presence; my right hand eventually did develop calluses tough enough to pluck and strum just as efficiently as I have always have been doing, or perhaps even better.

It is exciting to be a beginner; Joshua told me that my fingers were going to hurt (and/or bleed) like the first time I played guitar, and I wanted that; I only smoke air and I was so naturally high.

The pecan chocolate was good with my lunch the very next day on a Saturday in sunny LA. Thank you for the thoughts you shared with me; it is a blessing to hear from a stranger out of the blue, who was a serious musician and knew Lucky Old Sun; it turned what seemed like a unlucky day for me, into a lucky day. Life is funny like that.

Nice to meet you friend; stay true to yourself. 

Shine on,
Goh
;)

Nyan-Nyan & "move/動" /  by Goh Kurosawa

「改善」「生きがい」「やりがい」．．．この言葉をアメリカの方より投げかけられたら、みなさんはどう動くでしょうか？僕は知らなかったのですが、アメリカで「生きがい」は結構使われているとのことです。僕は嬉しかったのと同時に改めて自分はどうに使っているのかと考えるところに動きました。

So, what I wrote above is a question to friends from Japan based on two separate conversations I had with my friends here in Los Angeles. The conversations included Japanese words「改善(kaizen)」「生きがい(ikigai)」「やりがい(yarigai)」and at the time, I wasn't aware that ikigai is a word that is pretty frequently used in the US culture today... I was moved.



ごろんごろん/arrival /  by Goh Kurosawa

-program ("goron goron & arrival / ごろんごろん&アライバル")- 
AW Talk (start 3:30):
Goh, Michael B, Paola, Veronica, Bethany, Teruyo, Michael S, Charlie, Donna, Kentaro
AW Live (start 43:47):
Goh - "Flow"

“Goron goron... we have arrived, we are satisfied!!!”
「ごろんごろん．．．アライバル、やっ～た！！！」

www.composelife.com/brokentour (AW page)

without my bass... /  by Goh Kurosawa

My teacher Charlie Haden used to say something like, “I know I can entertain people when I have my bass; the challenge for me is to entertain people without my bass...”

僕の先生チャーリー・ヘイデンがこんな感じに言っていました、「僕のベースを手にしている時は人を必ず楽しめる自信があるが、持っていない時は非常に難しい…」と。

Smash/バチン /  by Goh Kurosawa

Smash!?

So on Tuesday, as I was driving home on the freeway from the food bank where I serve during my time in LA, my hood smashed into my car's front windshield; I lost visibility for a sec, but noticed was able to see a little since the hood has a crescent moon like cut towards the windshield. I kept driving until I got off the freeway to go see my mechanic, Car Yoda. On the local road, the air lifted my hood above my car and beyond; there were no cars no pedestrians around me, and the intelligent hood decided to land close enough to the sidewalk. I got to my mechanic and Car Yoda advised me to go pick up the hood; I went back. Put on my hazard lights, but there were at least two people slamming breaks and honking horns. I kept calm and tried to fit the hood in my car full of music equipment since I was on my way to a gig. I ended up putting it on my car where it used to belong and drove slowly back to CY. 

All is well; I purchased a new hood, took it to a body shop, and waxed the new hood on Wednesday afternoon. 

My car has been taking me around the US since 2007; a solid journey friend who I am expecting to do many more adventures with (CY says my car is like a bullet). I can smile, here and now... it seems to be good to smile even when your heart is breaking. Stay healthy, strong, and most importantly, be yourself; nothing more nothing less nothing else.

バチン！？

今週火曜日、ロスいる間に働いているFood Bankから家に向かって高速道路走っていましたらボンネットが外れて車の前ガラスにスマッシュしました。一瞬視野を無くしましたが、ボンネットのガラスよりが月のような形になっているので、少しは見えるのに気付き、安心して運転続け、高速道路を降りた後、僕の車のドクター、Car Yoda、に向かうことにしました。一般道を走っている間に、ボンネットは空気で "ふわっ"、と持ち上がり、車を飛び越えました。歩行者やほかの車がちょうどいないタイミングで、賢いボンネットは歩道寄りに着陸。Car Yoda に伝えたところ、ボンネットを拾いに行くよう指導を受けたので戻りました。緊急ライトを点滅させていましたが、少なくとも二人が急ブレーキ、またクラクションで叫ぶ。僕は冷静を保ち、音楽機材でいっぱいの愛車（...演奏に行く途中だったので...）にボンネットを入れるよう努めました。結局入らず以前ボンネットが繋がっていたところにボンネットを座らせ、CYに戻りました、ゆっくりと。

全てよし。新しいボンネットを購入ゲット後、車体修理ショップに行き、水曜日の午後には新ボンネットにワックスをかけました。

2007年より我がScion XBとアメリカを回ってきています。タフな旅の友、まだまだと思っています（CYは僕の車を弾丸のよう、と断言）。にっこりできます、今ここで．．．心がぶっ壊れている時でもにっこりすることはいい感じです。毎日健やかに、毎日強く、そしてなによりも自分のまま、わがままそのままであれ。

MLK Day 2023 /  by Goh Kurosawa

I got home; took time to clean, to tune in, and to get a hold of myself. As I was driving through the grapevine, I popped opened a can of kombucha I have been saving since last year; it exploded. Although there was much rain with rather little visibility on the freeway, I kept driving smoothly at 70mph in fourth gear (fifth gear went out on me when I was passing by Redding last year); was just bummed about the fact I was bombed by one of my favorite drinks, but certainly was a lesson to be learned. I had a towel nearby, so I started wiping things dry. Cleaned the inside of my car yesterday in between the tear dropping sky.

It was a great trip that made me realize how much I enjoy where I live. However a new thought came to me this time... that thought, I will share for another time. 

I hope all is healthy; I hope everyone is getting a fun start with this year of hope, this year of the rabbit... time to rock 2023!

帰りました。掃除、整頓、そして呼吸。カリフォルニア州グレープバインを運転している時に、去年よりとっておいた kombucha の缶をピシャ、っと．．．爆発。雨がたくさん降っていて高速道路状況あまりはっきり見える状態ではない中、普通に時速112㎞を4速で走り続けました（5速は去年レディング通過中に失っています）。自分の大好きな飲み物をただ爆弾のようにくらって残念なだけでしたが、もちろん勉強になりました。手が届くところにあったタオルをとって、運転続けながら車内を拭きだしました。昨日は雨が降っていない時間を利用してさらに車内の清掃。

今回の旅で自分が住んでいる場所が余計に好きになりました。ふと新しい考えもひらめきました．．．その考えはまたいつか紹介しようと思います。

みなさん、お元気でしょうか？ウサギ年をhope/希望の年と信じる方もいます。2023年を思いっきりあけおめことよろ！

"Third Word Swamp" 4 song album (human-beat-box/guitar/voice/pedals) /  by Goh Kurosawa

"Third Word Swamp" (track 1 from “Third Word Swamp” 4 song album)
song by GOH (beat-box/voice/guitar/pedals)

"Lucky Old Sun" (track 2 from “Third Word Swamp” 4 song album)
song arranged by GOH in English & Japanese (voice/guitar/pedals)

"Third Word Swamp"
4 song album by GOH (human-beat-box/guitar/voice/pedals)

—click “HERE” to download album ($5.55 or name your price)　/　ご購入は”ココ”で—


Third word swamp; I wanna get this out... perhaps because these 4 songs are the best version ever, and/or, perhaps because before too long there are more tracks I would like to share with everyone more than ever... whatever and whenever, shine on, enjoy lots, and sing for you... sing be yourself!

Happy 2023!

第三単語沼、あとはお任せします... もしかしてこの4曲はベストバージョン、そして/または、もしかしてただ近い将来に僕がみなさんと分けたい音源がもっともっとたくさんあるのカモン... どんなであろうとどこであろうと、健やかであれ、たくさん楽しめ、そして自分に歌え... わがままそのままと！

あけましておめでとうございます、いつもありがとう！

"Silent Night / きよしこの夜" (track 3 from “Third Word Swamp” 4 song album)
arranged by GOH (voice)

Kitchen55 (2022 final update) /  by Goh Kurosawa

Happy Christmas & ハピクリメリクリ！！！ /  by Goh Kurosawa

www.composelife.com/diary/fb (Fruit Bunny is the reason)

Return of the Fruit Bunny brought peace to me on Sun 12/12 2021... more peace than any silent night... it's Sun 12/25 2022 and I recorded this in sunny Cali today; any day can be a fantastic day.　2021年12月12日(日) Fruit Bunny 果物ウサギ の新しい曲が誕生．．．めっちゃ安らかに．．．2022年12月25日(日)、晴天のカリフォルニアで録音完了は今日。今日を健やかに、毎日を健やかに。

2022 photos /  by Goh Kurosawa

photos/sketches by Goh Kurosawa, Mika Fujisaki, Kouzi Furusawa, Mitsuko Yano Hays, Atsuya Iino, Tetsuya Ishibashi, Kyoko Kirihara, Mikayo Kodama, Seigoh Leezen, Jared Long, Roger Mills, Masami Taniguchi, Jun Nagatsuka, Shinji Ohta, Iwao Ohyama, Hideomi Wada, Linda Watson, Fae Wiedenhoeft, and Yasuko Yanai

"Flow" 4 song album (guitar/voice/pedals) /  by Goh Kurosawa

"Momo" (track 2 from “Flow” 4 song album)
composed by GOH (guitar)

"Return of the Fruit Bunny" (track 3 from “Flow” 4 song album)
composed by GOH (guitar/pedals)

"Flow"
4 song album composed by GOH (guitar/voice/pedals)

—click “HERE” to download album ($5.55 or name your price)　/　ご購入は”ココ”で—

I am on the road... wanted to get it out tonight... more info soon perhaps... just be well!
ツアー中．．．今日リリースします．．．詳細はまた後でもしかして．．．ただ健やかであれ！

—to send a message, or to contribute by Venmo (PayPal) & Zelle, click “HERE” for support page—

Grants Pass Museum of Art /  by Goh Kurosawa

photo: Annie Marie Evans, Scotty Evans
newspaper: Kathleen Alaks (article), Sue Morris (photo)

AW2YA videos /  by Goh Kurosawa

AW "two year anniversary / 二周年記念"

-program (first day / 初日)-
1. AW Live: Goh - "Lovetap"
2. AW Talk: Goh, Michael, Paola, Yasko, Masashi, Lisa, Al, Tsukuru, Uchip (start 13:30)
3. AW Live: Uchip - "freestyle rap" (start 38:30)
4. AW Talk: Mitchell, Bryan, Kurt (start 39:00)
5. AW Live: R&Y - "Akai Postono Niaumachi" (start 48:00)
6. AW Live: Goh - "Mama" (start 53:00)

-program (final day / 最終日)-
1. AW Live: Goh - "Mama"
2. AW Talk: Goh, Pride, Trina, Cathleen (start 17:00)
3. AW Word/キーワード: "ワクワク！！！ / Wakuwaku!!!" (start 25:00)
4. AW Talk: Goh, Kenmei, Bethany, Mark, Trina, Cathleen, Pride, Kenmei (start 29:00)
5. Bonus/おまけ: Nyan Nyan (start 48:00)
6. AW Talk: Helen, Jun, Bev, Mark (start 48:30)
7. AW Live: Goh - "Flowing” (start 54:00)

Wave... this wave is only here today... I am here, and so this is where I belong... moral jujitsu… sonomama/そのまま with a positive attitude… just trust.

波... この波は今日しかない... 僕はここにいる、だからここにいるべきなのだ... 道徳的な柔術... そのままをポジティブな体制で受け入れる... ただ信頼するのみ。

During AW2YA week, 50+ people (along with 10 cats, 6 dogs, and 2 snakes) tuned in from the US, Canada, Mexico, and Japan.

AW二周年記念ウィークには、50人以上の方（プラス猫10匹、犬6匹、そしてヘビ2匹）がアメリカ、カナダ、メキシコ、そして日本より参加しました。

www.composelife.com/diary/aw1ya (AW "one year anniversary / 一周年記念")