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June 24, 2005
My shakuhachi in Japan
Hey Perry,
Hope you are well.
Here is a photo of Tanaguchi and the maker Kono Gyokusui with your western scale flute.
I was in Japan with James Schlefer and he showed them your work. They were very intrigued by the flute. Gyokusui spent a good deal of time looking at it. When James played it at the Meian temple, gathering it sounded great.
Thought you might want the photo - sorry I couldn't get them smiling.
The trip was actually beyond incredible - it was totally surreal. I was really mesmerized by shakuhachi before but now I am really sucked in...
But even more noteworthy than the picutre is the fact that James played your flute in the ensemble peice at the 100th anniversary of the Meian temple gatherings. Three of his students (me included) played Kumo-Jishi and he played a western scale accompaiment that I, and a bunch of others apparently, enjoyed very much. And perhaps just as important: we were the only gaijin at the gathering. So your flute was very much a part of a major event in shakuhachi history.
Seth Appel
Thanks Seth! When I sat in on a Komuso Society gathering a few years ago, little did I know that one day a Shihan would show up playing one of my flutes! I am honored and humbled. Gambatte.
Posted by Perry Yung at June 24, 2005 11:08 PM