Tribute to Wes Across Genres Part Ⅲ

Tribute to Wes Across Genres Part Ⅲ

Finally, let’s look at a tribute to Wes from the classical music world. At the forefront is the guitarist Shin-ichi Fukuda, a name likely familiar even to jazz fans.

“Born in Osaka, he studied guitar under A. Ponce at the École Normale de Musique in Paris in 1978, and also studied musicology, harmony, and musical analysis under N. Bonet. In 1980, he studied under O. Ghiglia at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Italy, receiving the highest diploma. In 1981, he won the Paris International Guitar Competition. He quickly garnered attention and continued to collect prestigious awards both domestically and internationally. He has been invited to give recitals in almost all major cities across Europe and the United States. His collaborations with major orchestras, such as the NHK Symphony Orchestra conducted by Charles Dutoit, and top soloists across genres, including jazz musician Kazumi Watanabe, have always been highly acclaimed. His borderless activities, ranging from rediscovering 19th-century guitar music to contemporary compositions, have earned him worldwide recognition.”

In August 1997, he released the CD “Guitar Legends / Denon COCO-80634,” subtitled “The Legend of Shin-ichi Fukuda, Guitarist / Hymn to Jimi Hendrix.” Though it might seem to be dedicated solely to Hendrix at first glance, Fukuda, understanding the importance of honoring guitar legends, included tributes to Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhardt, and Luiz Bonfá, among others. In the context of Wes, he included “SUA COSA op.52 ‘To the Memory of Wes Montgomery'” (Japanese title: “Sua Cosa op.52 ‘In Memory of Wes Montgomery'”), composed by the British guitar giant John W. Duarte. Fukuda performs this piece with a sharp sense of rhythm and beat, not typically expected from a classical musician, stating, “I played the last two bars solely with my thumb to pay homage to Wes.”

Duarte, who has written many classical masterpieces like the “English Suite” dedicated to Segovia, originally had a career in jazz. Now, he focuses on composing and teaching. He composed the jazz ballad for classical guitar, “SUA COSA,” in 1972 as a hymn to the young Wes Montgomery who had passed away. “Sua Cosa” means “His Style” in Italian, referring to Wes’s octave playing technique.

By now, you might have guessed—yes, the title “SUA COSA” is reminiscent of Wes’s song “Mi Cosa.” “Mi Cosa” means “My Style” in Italian and refers to Wes’s signature octave technique. “Sua Cosa” changes rhythm in the middle and incorporates “Mi Cosa” in an interlude-like manner, creating a seamless and unique combination.

Another notable performance of “SUA COSA” is by classical guitarist Anri Shibata on his album “El Mestizo / Fontec FOCD3450,” which I highly recommend.

You can also listen to “SUA COSA” on the following albums:

• Neil Smith Plays Duarte / GUITAR MASTERS GMR-1006
• Ernest Bitetti / Hispabox HHS10-450
• Vladislav Blaha / Americana – Works by John W. Duarte
• Arne Brattland / VEPS 013-87
• Masayuki Kato / Discocenter 6622130
• Vladimir Mikulka / Nippon Columbia OX-1253-S
• Alexander Tchekhov / Faraway-Popular 20th Century Music / kreuzberg KR-10013

Information provided by Osamu Yamazaki