仙台 えいごの教室

  Last Sunday I went to a live house for a performance by the saxophone group, Saxophobia. It had been a while since I had been to a saxophone concert, which was in November last year by Sachiyo Nayuki. It’s always exciting to listen to live music!

  This time it was a quartet performance. I was sitting very close to them so I was able to watch how each player plays. I was really thrilled¹. I know I can’t reach their level, but I wish I could² be closer to them while I’m still playing. 

  Sometimes I feel I’m lucky to be able to enjoy saxophone like this : taking lessons, going to live concerts³, playing the saxophone in a big band. When I was a high school student, I went to a live concert by Sadao Watanabe by chance⁴. I really enjoyed it, but I never dreamed that I would be playing the saxophone in the future like this. At the age of 40, finally a chance came and since then I’ve been playing all these years and I live a life with the saxophone! 

  … Oops! Now going back to the Saxophobia performance  

  Their performance was so cool and fun — from straight jazz to some pieces⁵ with a Shinobue, a Japanese flute, and other instruments and a humorous piece to entertain us. At one point we all enjoyed "Punch Perm Chili Chili" — a kind of sing-along⁶ tune⁷ with the audience joining in. Live house performances are really fun because we are close to each other.

  At the end, I got the autographs⁸ of every member in the book which one of the players wrote (!) and I’m using right now with my teacher. Even at this age, I was excited!

  By the way, speaking of⁹ live performances, my band is going to perform at the Matsushima Park Festival tomorrow at 16:30 at the Green Park Marina-side stage AND at the Jozenji Street Jazz Festival on September 8, at 16:50 at the Ohanami Hiroba stage. If you are interested, please drop by¹¹!

  (Our performance at the Jozennji Street Jazz Festival last year)