Clazzical Notes will present an ambitious cultural experiment this evening with “Criss X Cross: The Crossroad Where Japanese & African American Jazz & Culture Meet,” exploring the unexpected harmonies between two rich musical traditions separated by geography but united by improvisation and rhythmic complexity.
The evening will showcase a carefully curated ensemble that marries the improvisational language of African American jazz with traditional Japanese instruments and forms. At the program’s heart will be koto artists Hiroko Masuda, a master from Hokkaido trained in the Seiha Hougaku School, and June Chin, alongside shamisen virtuoso Yu Ooka, whose fusion work has reached Hollywood soundtracks including “Creed III.”
Musical director Kevin Alan O’Neal brings impressive credentials—a Grammy nomination for his film work on “Ghostbusters” and “48 Hrs.” and collaborations with Outkast, LaVern Baker, and Tracy Chapman—while leading a rhythm section that includes DownBeat Magazine contributor Gary Fukushima on piano and Berklee alumnus Lyndon Rochelle on drums. Rochelle’s resume spans from Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies for President Barack Obama to opening for Prince’s Welcome to America tour and European tours with Esperanza Spalding.
The jazz component will feature reed master Rickey Woodard, whose eight-year tenure with Ray Charles Band and subsequent work with Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Horace Silver, Michael Bublé, The O’Jays, and The Temptations brings authentic swing tradition to the cross-cultural dialogue. Non-performing contributing composers Ark Sano, a 1989 Thelonious Monk Competition finalist, and Dave Iwataki, known for his Japanese American Experience compositions including “J-Town/Bronzeville Suite,” will provide original works that promise to transcend simple fusion.
Founder Jerri Price-Gaines envisions the evening as more than entertainment—it’s cultural education through what she calls “unique levels of audience inspiration and interaction.” The program reflects Clazzical Notes’ mission to engage, educate, and inspire through high-quality musical performance that illuminates ethnic history and musical evolution.
Tonight at 7 p.m. at Lineage Performing Arts Center, 920 E. Mountain Street, Pasadena. $25; children 12 and under, free. Free parking. Information: www.clazzicalnotes.org
