[Song Review #140EX] "Bulldog" by Masato Honda with VOE
Hi. It is a Jazz time. Today's song is "Bulldog" by "Masato Honda with Voice of Elements".
Its a thrilling, technical, but melodious nice fusion instrumental.
If you like, please listen.
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1.Song data
| Title | Bulldog |
|---|---|
| Artist | Masato Honda with Voice of Elements |
| Album Title | Masato Honda with Voice of Elements |
| Catalog Number | VICJ-61378 |
| Track No. | 5 |
| Duration | 5:01 |
| Released | 2006 |
| Publisher | Victor Entertainment |
| Lyricist | Instrumental music |
| Composer | Masato Honda |
| Arranger | Unknown |
- About the creators
Instrumental musicLyricist
This is an instrumental music, and there is no lyrics.
Masato HondaComposer
The composer "Masato Honda" is the artist of this instrumental music as well.
Then, we would like to come back to him in "About the artist" section later.
UnknownArranger
"Masato Honda"(Sax) and 3 other members of "Voice of Elemets", namely, "Hiroyuki Noritake" (drms), "Keiji Matsumoto" (Kb), and "Mitsuru Sudō"(Bs) were all former members of a popular fusion band "T-Square".
"T-Square" sometimes do not write the name of the arranger.
It is quite natural if the song contains a lot of ad-libs, or solo plays.
So, they might be applying the same rule for this as well.
Cover art today
- Sound impressions
Thrilling & melodious
This is a high speed, highly technical, but sweet-sounding dynamic fusion instrumental by the mastery musicians.
Accurate
This song has almost no introduction. After the minimum lead by the synth-sax, the drums, bass, and keyboard start playing the main melody.
After few repeat of the main part, amazing solo plays of each musicians come up.
Honda's excellent performance on the wind synthesizer (EWI) is another listening point.
Lyricon & EWI
Both Lyricon & EWI (iː wiː, or Electronic wind instrument) are the names of the brands of the Wind synthesizers. And, the wind synthesizer is the synthesizer, but can control the sound smoothly and delicately, like playing a wind instrument (Sax, flute, trumpet, etc.) by using a specially developed controller.
In Japan, the wind synthesizer, more precisely the name of the "Lyricon" and its unique sound became known through a whiskey TV commercial sponsored by a Japanese distillery, and on-aired in 1984.
On this advertising, a popular fusion band "T-Square"s hit song "TRAVELERS", which features Lyricon sound a lot, were used as a jingle.
And the player of this song, and the saxophonist of T-Square, Takeshi Itoh was also appeared on the ad, and was introduced as a "Lyricon" player.
Thanks to this (actually a series of) campaign, the name of the "Lyricon" came to be recognized more. And, funny, but the sound of the "Lyricon" became as if it is a signature of "T-Square"s music.
That is perhaps why the successive saxophonists of the band love to use the wind synthesizer.
(The sample of "TRAVELERS" is not very useful (no Lyricon part), then here is the other song "All about you", which was used on the 2nd version of the same ad.)
"ALL ABOUT YOU"(1984)
by "The SQUARE"
(You can still listen this song by clicking the banner. Please select the track No.2, once the page is open.)
For the details of the "Lyricon", "EWI" & "Wind synthesizer", please have a look at the linked articles of Wikipedia.
And just for your information, this is a small video clip of the "EWI" produced by its current supplier, under the original brand name, AKAI.
On this movie, you can see the EWI itself, and how to play.
Please have a look if you like.
- Reference
- About the artist
Masato HondaHyper Sax player
"Masato Honda" is a saxophonist, flutist, wind synthesizer player, trumpeter, guitarist, keyboardist, drummer, composer, arranger, and a former member of a popular fusion band T-Square, active since 1981.
His exceptional high skill on the saxophone is well-known in the Japanese Jazz scene.
And also famous as a multi-instrumentalist, who can play all of them at the high level.
"Honda"s album debut was 1991, on T-Square's album "New-S". His first leader album was "B.B.Station live at Roppongi Pit Inn" in 1998, as "Masato Honda B.B.Station".
Since then, 1 single, and 13 original, 4 live DVD, plus 2 best albums have been released until now.
(Ref: Wikipedia-en, Masato Honda)
Early times
"Masato Honda" started learning the saxophone when he was a elementally school student.
In the high school, he joined a brass band, and continued to brash up his skills further.
After graduating from high school, he went to music college to study the saxophone.
But because his playing skill was already quite high, he began to work as a backing musician just after entering the college.
He also participated in establishing a new college Jazz big band, while he was studying in there.
Then he entered a prestigious contest of the big band Jazz with that band, and won the first prize in 1983. And "Masato Honda" received a best soloist award at one time.
By this remarkable achievement, "Honda" was scouted by a top class professional big band, "Nobuo Hara & Sharps and Flats", and began to participate in.
At the same time, he graduated first in his college class in the next spring.
T-Square
"Honda" continued to play in the big band after the graduation. And simultaneously, he started to work as a support musician to the various J-pop artists.
he had such music life until around early '90s.
In 1991, he was invited to a popular fusion band "T-Square" as a saxophonist and front-man. Because the band's star sax player "Takeshi Itoh" was leaving from "T-Square", since he was expecting a new music career in Los Angeles.
For "Masato Honda", it was a good opportunity. He joined the band as a new member.
As contrasted to Itoh's dynamic and emotional play, Honda's performance was sharp and funky. We thought "Honda" would brought certain level of changes to "T-Square"s sound.
Megalith shock
Having said that, fans were feeling uneasy because it was a replacement of the key player.
They were wondering if the sound character of the band would be changed too much.
In an atmosphere of hopes and fears, "T-Square" released their new album "New-s" in March 1991, which "Masato Honda" played the sax for the first time as a band member.
The fans quickly purchased the new album, and played.
When they listened the first track "Megalith", they were really surprised.
Because, the technique was superb, performance was exciting, and the sound was perfectly "T-Square"!
"MEGALITH"(1987)
by "T-SQUARE"
(You can still listen this song by clicking the banner. Please select the track No.1, once the page is open.)
"Masato Honda" and the band members drove away the concerns completely.
The fans were delighted and eased. And accepted "Honda" as a legitimate new sax player of "T-Square".
And this episode is often called as "Megalith shock" by fans according to Wikipedia.
B.B. STATION and solo
"Masato Honda" spent 7 years with "T-Square" and brought a new perspective, and revitalized the band. And in 1997, he left the band to seek for a possibility of a big band.
"Honda started" his music life by joining a brass band at the high school. Or, established a college Jazz band when he was a student, and he started his professional career from a Jazz big band.
So, he knows the greatness of a big band very well.
Then what he formed n 1997 was a Jazz big band "Masato Honda B B Station".
The band has half-fixed but flexible 17 members, and plays wide range of Jazz, from orthodox big band Jazz to technical fusion numbers.
According to a interview, "Honda" organized this for one time big band, but it is still active in 2018.
Voice of Elements
In 2005, as a part of solo and band activity, "Honda" launched a new 4 piece fusion band with 3 ex "T-Square" members, namely "Mitsuru Sudō"(Bs) , "Keiji Matsumoto" (Kb), and "Hiroyuki Noritake" (drms).
The band was calling themselves as "Fake Square" at the beginning, but in 2006, the name was set as "Masato Honda with Voice of Elements".
The band is playing highly technical numbers with sense of speed. And showing an excellent performance even now.
"Honda" also has several bands of slightly different formula of the members.
Recent
"Honda" seems to set "Solo", "band", and "Jazz big band" as main pillars of his activity.
And recently, he started to teach music in college, and making an effort to develop the potentiality of the students.
(Ref: Wikipedia-jp, Masato Honda)
(Ref: bluenote.co.jp,
Interview to Masato Honda, 20-07-2017)🇯🇵
(Ref: jazzfusion.com, Interview, Masato Honda)🇯🇵
(Ref: triton-arts.net,
Artist interview, Masato Honda)🇯🇵
(Ref: bigband-jazz.jp, Live report 3
Masato Honda & B.B.STATION)🇯🇵
(Ref: saxophoneworld.com, DPA Microphones VO4099)🇯🇵
(Ref: jpma-jazz.or.jp, Interview Vol 35, Masato Honda)🇯🇵
Video clip
Finally, this is a small trailer of "Masato Honda"'s live concert held at a Jazz Club, "BlueNote Tokyo" in 2016.
There are small samples of his fines tunes, and some still pictures of the (earlier) live stage.
If you like, please listen.
* "Masato Honda 2016 trailer" by "BlueNoteTokyo"
One more
The first clip maybe too short, and we would like to post other link to a streaming live video.
Very generously, the "BlueNote Tokyo Jazz Club" is sharing a movie of a live stream of the big band Jazz live stage, titled, "Celebrate "International Jazz Day" with Blue Note Tokyo All-Star Jazz Orchestra", held in 30 April, 2019 in Tokyo.
The 17 most shining Jazz musicians were gathered to form the big band, and the trumpeter Eric Miyashiro acted as MC.
And as special guests, Alfredo Rodríguez (Salicio), and Andrea Motis also participated.
Our "Masato Honda" also participated, and was showing a beautiful performance.
The video lasts about an hour and a half. But if you like, please listen.
* "Celebrate Int'l Jazz Day" by "BlueNote Tokyo"
- Samples from online music stores
About the samples
Please go to the page below, and just play or click track No.5.
Trial button is on the left side of the song title.
AD :
Free listening samples
Amazon JP(en)
neowing.co.jp
Tower records online
8. Japanese Letters
| Song Title | Bulldog |
|---|---|
| Artist | 本田雅人 (Masato Honda) |
| Album Title | Masato Honda with VOICE of ELEMENTS |
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