Music! and Movies! in the Month of September, 2015

My musical experiences from last month in Tokyo…

The 14th Tokyo Jazz Festival over two days. Saw Bob James, Esperanza Spalding, Adam at, Lee Ritenour, Fourplay with Lee and Larry Carlton at Tokyo International Forum

Idemitsu Music Awards Gala Concert honoring this year’s three recipients at the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall

The Manhattan Transfer at Billboard Live Tokyo

“Music Storm 2015”, an industry convention at EX Theater Roppongi

The first Japanese cast of Chess, a London musical from the ’80s with music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre

And films during the same period.

Phoenix

Learning to Drive

Danny Collins

St. Vincent

Wild

Kingsman: The Secret Service

The Best of Me

Who am I – Kein System ist Sicher

This month’s surprise hits were St. Vincent and Who am I – Kein System is Sicher, the latter being a German film from which I was not expecting anything.  It had a clever storyline and was highly entertaining although the trailer may not fully convey that.