Part of what makes Yagami Toll!!
YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT LISTENING TO THIS!!
Translation: Lola
Shiraki Hideo
-[Shiraki Hideo] recorded 1958.
-[Recital at Sankei Hall, Tokyo] recorded 1959.
-[FIESTA] recorded 1961.
-[STEREO DRUM] recorded 1961.
-[BLACK MODE] recorded 1961.
Who are you discussing today?
Shiraki Hideo-san (born in Tokyo 1933, died in 1972). He's a person from the time of the old Jazz boom in Japan, at the beginning of the Showa (1) era in the 30s. He was legendary in those days as the top drummer. What I have here are recent reprints of his CDs.
Have you heard of Ishihara Yuujirou-san's (2) film 'Arashi wo yobu otoko'(3)? Yuujirou-san's drumming for the film was dubbed and actually the real person playing was Shiraki Hideo-san. So really, he is the real man who caused the storm. So in the scene in the film where you see a shot of the character's hands practicing the drums, those are his hands.
He started off as the leader of a Jazz band and nowadays he is truly a star drummer.
How did you hear about him?
I found out about him through the movie 'Arashi wo yobu otoko'. When I saw the movie I thought the drumming sound was really good you know? So I looked into it.
I found out he was born before me, and that sadly he died in the later years of Showa but I think he's still the Number 1 drummer to this day. It seems like he drew his style from the wataiko (4) originally. Anyway, his work has a great sound and a great quality to it. The American drummer Max Roach (5) won the award for best album in 1966 but about five years prior to that in 1961, Shiraki-san had recorded an even greater work. That's how amazing he was.
After that the Jazz boom seemed to decline didn't it? It was around then that Jazz drummers and musicians shifted towards the trend of Group Sounds and many became session musicians but this guy remained fixated on Jazz and in the end he went bankrupt.......
Because of that he spent his final days at his home and quite some time passed before they discovered he had died.
I'd say he was like a samurai you know, and an electrifying drummer.
Notes: (1)The Showa era was from 1926-1989.
(2) An actor and singer, he become a macho movie hero in the postwar era and was adored by fans. He won the Blue Ribbon best actor award for his role in 'Arashi wo yobu otoko'.
(3) The film title has been translated in two ways, 'Man Who Causes a Storm' and 'A Storming Drummer'.
(4) Wataiko is a traditional Japanese drum.
(5) American Jazz percussionist who is widely considered one of the most important drummers in history, he was a pioneer for Bebop music.