Miyanoue’s Nishinomiya Live Report
Miyanoue’s Long-Awaited Visit to My Hometown
On September 22, Miyanoue finally came to my hometown, Hyogo. Near the famous Koshien Stadium, known for high school baseball, there’s a station called JR “Koshienguchi.” In the basement of the Nouvelle Koshienguchi Building, there’s a small club called the Nishinomiya Liverpool Sound Club. The venue, about the size of 12 tatami mats (sorry for the old-fashioned measurement), had a grand piano taking up most of the space. Miyanoue was seated there, and the bassist, Inagaki, was squeezed into the small space next to the piano, creating an incredibly dense setting.
The Conversation
Tokui: Nice to meet you, I’m Tokui from the Takarazuka Wes Fan Club. Thank you for the newsletters.
Miyanoue: Oh, Tokui-san! Nice to meet you. (He seemed surprised.)
Tokui: Finally, I get to meet you. I’ve marked tonight’s two-stage performance on the schedule I received in the Smokin’ newsletter, so I’ll be watching closely.
Miyanoue: Aoki-san requested some Wes Montgomery pieces, but I’d like to try some other stuff tonight.
Tokui: Just meeting you is enough for me.
Miyanoue: You look quite young.
Tokui: Do I? I’m actually seven years older than you.
Miyanoue: Really? (laughs) I wrote a message in the CD return letter (Touch/Yoshiki Uta) about whether it would arrive before tonight’s live show. Did it arrive?
Tokui: I came to the live show first. I’m looking forward to receiving it, but I’m really excited about tonight.
Miyanoue: By the way, did you watch the “Wes Montgomery Techniques” video?
Tokui: It has received high praise. The content is excellent, and I’ve already shared it on the website.
The Performance
As we talked, the first stage was about to start. After syncing with the background music, the master introduced Miyanoue. “Thank you for coming tonight. It’s a rare occasion, but we have members of the Wes Fan Club here, so I’m a bit nervous,” he said. “I’ve brought three copies of the ‘Wes Montgomery Techniques’ video. Have you seen it? It showcases everything I have to offer, so please buy it.”
With that promotion, he started the first song. “Not many musicians cover this, but I really like ‘Jubilation.’ Please listen.” In an hour, he played six songs non-stop.
“Today has been amazing, meeting my disciple and Tokui-san from the Wes Fan Club… but I’m really tired,” he said as he finished his drink, marking the end of the first set.