Live under the sky
The jazz festival Live under the Sky ( Japanese ラ イ ブ ・ ア ン ダ ー ・ ザ ・ ス カ イ , Raibu Andā Za Sukai ) took place in the Tokyo area from 1977 to 1992 in July and August . The festival was the first major open air music festival in Japan and played a pioneering role in jazz for other festivals such as the Mount Fuji Jazz Festival .
It was founded by Toshinari Koinuma, the director of one of the leading concert agencies for jazz in Japan, who first followed Keith Jarrett (first in 1974 in Japan), Abdullah Ibrahim , Don Cherry , Andrew Hill and the Art Ensemble of Chicago in the 1970s Japan brought. The model was the Newport Jazz Festival , where Koinuma was road manager for Nobuo Hara & His Sharps and Flats in 1967 , the first Japanese group at the Newport Festival.
From 1977 to 1981 it took place open air in Denen Coliseum in Ōta (Tokyo) (actually for tennis events), which held around 10,000 listeners. After a one-year break, it was continued in 1983 at the Open Theater East in the Yomiuriland amusement park near Tokyo. In 1987 they celebrated their tenth anniversary with a press party in New York and in the same year an offshoot was established in the Queen Elizabeth Hall in Hong Kong .
For example, Sonny Rollins and Herbie Hancock (who opened with his VSOP quintet in 1977) appeared in 1981 , Weather Report , Chick Corea Trio, Sonny Rollins Quartet and The Crusaders in 1983, the Gil Evans Orchestra in 1984 and the Herbie Hancock Rockit Band in 1985 Miles Davis Septet, 1986 Ornette Coleman , the duo Larry Coryell / Al Di Meola , Chick Corea Elektrik Band, the Herbie Hancock Quartet. In 1987 there was a tribute to John Coltrane with Wayne Shorter and others and Steve Gadd (The Gadd Gang) and Miles Davis performed, in 1988 the Sun Ra Arkestra, Miles Davis with Okett, David Sanborn , 1989 was under the sign of Michael Brecker and a Duke Ellington Tribute, in 1991 the Orchester National de Jazz , Milton Nascimento , Hancock performed with Shorter and Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller and in 1992 there was also a Marcus Miller project, performances by Hancock's VSOP quintet and Pat Metheny .
On the Japanese side, Terumasa Hino and Sadao Watanabe appeared, and Roberta Flack , Elis Regina , Carlos Santana , Ron Carter and Al Jarreau also performed .
From 1985 to 1991 Koinuma also organized the Tokyo Music Joy Festival , at which Steve Gadd , Charlie Haden , Pat Metheny , Bill Frisell , Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Michael Brecker , Lester Bowie , among others , played.
Discography
Several live albums and DVDs were made at the festival:
- Herbie Hancock, VSOP Quintet / Tempest in the Colosseum (1977)
- Jazz of Japan: Live under the Sky '77 (1977)
- Tony Williams All Stars: Live under the Sky (1978)
- Tony Williams / The Joy of Flying (1978)
- McCoy Tyner / Passion Dance (1978)
- Ron Carter / 1 + 3 (1978)
- Galaxy All-Stars In Tokyo: Live under the Sky (1978)
- Hancock, VSOP Quintet / Live under the Sky (1979)
- Herbie Hancock Rockit Band In Japan (Video 1984)
- Diverse: Tribute to John Coltrane (1987: CD and video, including Joshua Redman , Michael Brecker, New York Voices, Dave Liebman, Dave Holland, Christian McBride)