Japan's musical foundation is strong and solid. From this foundation, a variety of music is born and mixed together, including Japanese music, folk music, classical music, jazz, funk, and rock.
The drummer and bassist are different in the current TGJ. Japan has so many fine female musicians, and maybe more in jazz/jazz-fusion than any other genre. And they readily move among genres, as all the musicians in this vdo have. (For that matter, I've heard Saki ex-Nemophila play with a jazz trio.) Juna Serita on bass here was once the bandmate of Tamu, now of Nemophila, in a band called Soramimi. The shamisen performer is Shinobu Kawashima, who was one of the featured subjects of a best-selling book written several years ago about the chaotic lives of creative geniuses at the Tokyo University of the Arts. She goes by "CHiLi GiRL" in her more poppy/funky persona.
This person seems to be commenting more than replying to me-riding coattails, as it were. Anyhow, it's not the "j" but the "y" of "jyoshi" that's silent, and the word is pronounced "joshi" (written 女子), not "yoshi" as he claims.
Juna Serita is an absolute monster on the bass. All these musicians are phenomenal, obviously, but as a bass player myself what Juna does is just so inspiring.
Jazz was so huge in Japan that it permeated their whole pop scene - even today, even in idol music, you'll find chord shapes and structures coming directly from that jazz heritage. A "normal" pop song in Japan may use 10 to 12 chords structure where a western pop song would use three to five. Now, their "pure jazz" scene is still very vivid too as you can see 🙂. And Juna Serita is a monster.
Just wow! Never thought I'd see someone else fan out to this as hard as I do every damn time I hear it!! It's such joy to see a fellow musician really _get_ how indescribably good this is, and they were at this time... I mean, these players are all still incredible and so is every member of every lineup I've seen them offer... Some of the live tracks when there were TWO bass players during the big changeover are 'strap me in, let's go' kind-of good...
I love how the shamisen player comes in towards the end of the keyboard solo. Hinting at what's to come. It makes for such a nice transition, more interesting than a clean break between solos. It just illustrates that this is a constructed composition, not just a loose jam between elite musicians. Also, her quarter note triplets are just so fine. No sustain, no distortion, just pure musicality on that instrument.
@@joeking6763 As of this week Juna is still with _The Jazz Avengers._ That said, she does tons of other things. She regularly shows up with _Tokyo Groove Jyoshi_ as well as other groups and solo projects. She's a frequent collaborator with Harumo Imai, not to mention her work with _Muses_ and her own Juna sessions.
That my dear is Shinobu Kawashima, probably the only shamisen player on the jazz/funk circuit......only in that musical wonderland that is Japan. Add in Juna Serita, a bassist who deserves a LOT more accolades than she gets when Bassist comparisons and rankings are made. And with Emi Kanazashi on keyboards and Mi Mi on drums you have as close to perfection as you can find. And after listening to Emi closely during your reaction, she really reminds me of perhaps the finest female keyboardist I've ever heard, Patrice Rushen. What can you say about Juna Serita ??? The most fun is watching her practice sessions on YT, just amazing. You should also check out her videos with the excellent jazz singer Rita Nishikawa. And if that wasn't enough, Juna is part of the hottest female jazz band on the planet, The Jazz Avengers. Juna, master drummer Senri Kawaguchi, excellent guitarist Chizuru Segawa, keyboardist Marie Takeda and a four piece brass section with Miku Yonezawa, Miho Terachi, WaKaNa and Ami Nakazono. They are just tearing it up right now. Another outstanding reaction and yes, Drumroll Tony would love to react to this drum work.
Hey! Someone else found the groove....Tokyo Groove! Jyoshi is a beast on bass!! I think she has since moved on to her own projects but they have a Jyoshi approved replacement bassist that's impressive herself. Instant subscriber!! Absolutely enjoy your energy and insight!!
The bassist on here, Juna Serita, is actually an incredible multi-instrumentalist and pretty respected Jazz/Funk bassist. (guitar, bass, drums, horns, keys). Fun Fact: she was originally in the band Soramimi with Nemophila drummer Tamu Murata when they were younger. Juna is currently part of Jazz Avengers which is a supergroup of young female Japanese musicians playing Jazz covers and originals and is led by drummer Senri Kawaguchi, who is a world respected Jazz drummer and was on the list of DrummerWorld's world's greatest drummers when she was just 13. Senri played a cover of Billy Cobham's "Stratus" at a Jazz Festival in France when she was 18 that's definitely worth a listen if you love drumming. Its available on her personal YT Channel as well as DrummerWorld's YT Channel "Senri Kawaguchi Stratus France" should bring it up. But back to Jazz Avengers, that's a group you may enjoy since the ladies also play horns. I'm sure if you went and scrolled through their channel you may recognize a Jazz cover that may interest you, but let me at least suggest an original song called "Hunter". It is an original of Juna's and was rearranged by Jazz Avengers. Here's a link to the Jazz Avengers' version that's available on their YT channel ruclips.net/video/2w75LJ7ZmVs/видео.htmlsi=TUAJP3i7pvtMZN_- Hope you get a chance to discover these great young ladies. Cheers.
Hi from France: I will add that on their two studio albums, The Jazz Avengers (The Jazz Avengers -2023- & 8 Steps -2024) only play their own compositions, either from each of the members or collectively (except for "Funkadelic Muse" by Jun Abe on the first album). They only do covers in concert and, it is true, at the beginning of their training on some music videos... And by the way, their latest album (8 Steps) is a pure marvel...
Juna is one of my favorite bass players. She is technically fantastic across many genres and has an incredible stage presence. Shinobu, on shamisen, is amazing. Emi, on keyboards, is so tight. And Yuriko, on drums, is so smooth. As someone else mentioned, Juna has several projects, including the Jazz Avengers. The music scene in Japan is producing some of the best musicians in the world right now. What a great cover. Brava!
If you are going down this Rabbit hole, it leads into a whole other collection of musicians and music. For example, the bass player here, Juna Serita, is in another band called "The Jazz Avengers" with a drummer named Senri Kawaguchi (one of the top 5 drummers on the planet, period) and 6 other Japanese women. Check out the Jazz Avengers "Hunter".... a Psychedelic Jazz Funk Fusion on a Byzantine scale. Who does that? Both Senri and Juna also perform on occasion with a guitar goddess (and master of technique) named "Rie aka Suzaku". To check her out, check out the song "Breaking the Limits" with Senri on drums. The video titled "Onyx / Ice World / Wangan Street ＞ Rie a.k.a. Suzaku (G)／川口千里 (Dr)／星野李奈 (B)／池尻喜子 (Kb)" is a three song set that is also outstanding. The musicianship is next level.
THANK YOU so very much for the enjoyable reaction to this very special track.....As previously noted....the persionnel of TGJ has changed since this video...This is the original three studio musicians...Juna, Emi and Yuriko with Shinobu on Shamisen......Juna left to pursue a solo career shortly after this was released ...as did Yuriko... This rabbit hole is extremely deep and amazing...check out "Funk No. 1" to meet the new and current drummer Mimi (a Karen Carpenter fan...with a lovely voice of her own) AS WELL AS my current all time favorite saxaphonist Harumo Imai.... Juna's catalog is a fun dive...Do check out "Princess of funk" "No One" and "The Tiny Voice" for a good serving of her range...she is amazing and currently sits in with a variety of different groups......the previous comment alerted you to Shinobu Kawashima's pop stuff as "Chili Girl".. I play her "Drums Strings" video almost every morning as a great happy start , truly have enjoyed her catalog and she has made me a true fan of the Shamisen......ANYWAY.... by all evidence, jazz and funk and great overall music has apparently been hiding in Japan for the past several decades....I just keep being amazed........In that vein....do check out some of my girl, Harumo Imai's recordings....I love them all but think her bass duet cover of Alicia Keys' "If I ain't got you" is especially sweet and this RUclips video of "Mama's Boy" (ruclips.net/video/1MptdgbPZz0/видео.html) just kills me every time I see it...(it and so many more kept me grooving through the dark days of the pandemic ) Have Fun...and thank you again for your efforts!!!!!
TGJ is down in Australia right now. I've been following their vlogs. They are a 3-piece with Rina, Emi, and MiMi. ( I love MiMi. 🥰 ) If you like TGJ, then you will also like: The Jazz Avengers.
I seriously love your reaction to this TGJ cover of what is hip . I must have watched it a million times , I don’t get enough . I’ve just seen them , they are touring Australia at the moment April 2024. They are a three piece. Emi (keyboard) Mimi (drum) Rina on bass, the Bass on this video was replaced by Rina , her name is Juna Serita !!
Hello Princess Nitt Picc! Juna Serita was the bass player in this video, but she moved out of Tokyo recently and is now playing with the Jazz Avengers. She still sits in with Tokyo Groove Jiyoshi once in a while, whenever she is in Tokyo, and she does have her own RUclips channel. Juna also recently started playing sax as well. Please take care and have an awesome week.
There are few techinques involved here: Salp, pop and "double thumb" (+ there's a "double thumb + index/middle finger" for triplet feel). Slap: you slap your string with a thumb, it gives deep/strong/loud "thumb" sound Pop: usually after thumb on "upstroke" with a index, middle, ring finger you "catch on" to higher (sounding) strings: it gives more metalic, sharper sound. Double thumb: is used in slap or separately, where in essence you "turn your thumb into a pick", you can slap on downstroke and pick another or the same string on upstroke... Additionally with double thumb you can use index or middle finger to catch on same string on upstroke: this techinque in essence gives you a triplet feel... Not a bass player btw, but music enthusiast noetheless. Search youtobe for Victor Wooten Double Thumb for explanation, he's the master of the technique, other cool dude who is using it is called Charles Berthoud, he has youtube channel and is also insane bassist.
Juna Serita is the Princess Of Funk. You should check out her current main band The Jazz Avengers. It's eight women, four saxes. The drummer of that band is Senri Kawaguchi and she's an absolute monster.
Thank you, NittPicc !!---hadn't heard of them ,even! Now, THIS is the kind of band that BandMaid should choose to share a concert with !----NOT some American-based ultra-metal .ultra-rock, ,boring commercial stuff ,...dressed up in lots pf predictable heavy black ! THIS is a band that can truly add to even a BandMaid concert. soooooo glad you found them. Funny, how jazz always fails on its own---but so often adds to other music forms.
Like others have said, both the bassist and drummer in this video left a couple of years ago, although bassist Juna Serita still sometimes performs with them (both on bass and on sax). Their current lineup is really good as well. They are currently performing in Australia for their first tour outside of Japan and are putting out daily vlog videos about it on their channel. They do have other musicians join in during their concerts in Japan like this Shamisen player and sax player Harumo Imai, but they are a 3-piece band (btw, the name means something like Tokyo Groove Girls/Women). As far as Juna Serita goes, she has her hands in a lot of different genres, from funk (TGJ and her solo stuff) to jazz (The Jazz Avengers, Muses and some of her newer solo stuff) and blues (Shoka Okuba Blues Project and Addone) but since she loves to perform with others, who knows what else she does. Also she played in a pop band with Nemophila's drummer Murata Tamu in the past (called Soramimi).
Nittpicc, what do you get when you put 7 or 8 of the finest jazz musicians on the planet in the same band........The Jazz Avengers !! Check them out !! 😏♥️🎸🥁🎹🎷😎🤘
This version includes an incredible sax player, an even hotter drum solo, and what I'd have to call one hell of a bass lesson!!! ruclips.net/video/0RaSmq64LYY/видео.htmlsi=E7DfD1rHfwfOibCY
Tokyo Groove Jyoshi (TGJ), is more of a collective that includes many other musicians, including saxophone: "Hot Summer" ruclips.net/video/ffdT7pbJxRU/видео.htmlsi=X3y-8FLTz1E6K9Kg, special mention for Juna Serita, one of the best bassists in Japan. And if we talk about TGJ, we must necessarily talk about Muses/Rie A.K.A. Suzako and The Jazz Avengers (lots of saxophones and Japan's best female drummer), two collectives interconnected with TGJ, which include some of Japan's best female muscians: Muses, "Furinkazan": ruclips.net/video/1lrcjb3dMg8/видео.htmlsi=UtMLOb8sEW9PIezy (first song) The Jazz Avengers, "Maybe I Know": ruclips.net/video/q0bo1_2tkt4/видео.htmlsi=vC4JKIQVqQGSBGOv
In Jazz Avengers (great docu on how it was formed FYI) Juna plays with my other favorite musical Miku -- triple-tounging tenor improv virtuoso Miku Yonezawa, for example the solo at 5:00 in ruclips.net/video/q0bo1_2tkt4/видео.htmlsi=ijr3ot731g2iTPmH and speaking of "this is how we talk", JA's renouned drummer shows how funk/jazz "Ladies Talk" -- most recent version ruclips.net/video/K2lyudKWif4/видео.html -- organ/drum duet. Smiles likely.
SO glad you did this TGJ don't get nearly the love they deserve . Juna Serita is an exceptional jazz bassist ( worth subscribing to her channel ) BTW - they also recorded a version of this with twin bass
The bassist Juna Serita brought her show to the states a couple of years ago, even playing in my state of Alabama.....AND I COULDN"T MAKE IT THAT NIGHT!!!
You might like KUNOICHI - Juna Serita (feat. Shinobu Kawashima & Aria Shinbo), only shamisen, bass, bamboo flute and drums. Astonishing how modern and rich the song sounds.
Tokyo Groove Jyoshi is still around but only Emi (Keyboard) is left, joined by the ever fun MiMi on drums and Rina Hoshino on bass. Still good though! Shinobu Kawashima (Shamisen) is still a guest sometimes like she is here and does a lot of fun things on her own, right now as Chili Girl. Basically Shamisen pop. Juna Serita (bass) also has a lot going on, solo and in other projects like Addone. Yuriko Seki (drums) is teaching, but I'm not aware of any bands right now. This scene in Tokyo is so tight, they all have so many projects and play together in all kinds of combinations all the time. One of my favourite guest musicians next to Shinobu is Harumo Imai on Saxophone. Deep scene to dive into! Nice to see people discovering them :)
The bassist is Juna Serita ... AKA the Princess of Funk. She is spectacular, as is the rest of the band. She is currently with the band MUSES but plays guest spots with tons of other people and bands. If you see her name you can be guaranteed a good show :) .
At the present time this band plays with a different bass player and a different drummer. Both also super good players. Here the founder still plays the bass: Juna Serita. There is also a great live version of this song with the new bass player Rina Hoshio and Juna Serita as a double bass version. This is also absolutely worth seeing and hearing. Here is the link to this song : ruclips.net/video/MNtpE55_bL8/видео.htmlfeature=shared These ladies are currently on tour in Australia. Juna Serita is currently playing bass with two other absolutely extraordinary japanese top bands: 1. The Jazz Avengers 2. Muses
This really takes me back to my Jazz Band days in high school. If you are interested in seeing another amazing bass player, I would love to see you react to Kiyoshi - Hero: ruclips.net/video/sstSVUG5psM/видео.html&pp=ygUMa2l5b3NoaSBoZXJv (Make sure to check the description box for what instruments were NOT used on this song.)
hello nittpick. I believe, bassplayer juna was in a highschoolband (soramimi) with tamu, the drummer from nemophila, so much talent. I have to recommend to you "the jazzavengers - pick up the pieces live 2022" so good, all musicians are world class: drummer senri kawaguchi, juna on bass, three fantastic (edit: four) saxophonists. and they are an all female jazzband. so amazing. don´t miss.
Great reaction, NittPicc. Tokyo Groove is so well executed and gets even better when Harumo enters with her sax. Japanese music is extremely interesting and inventive. As other commentators have stated, musicians don't shy away from complicated progressions, weird beats and harmonics, strange and screaming sounds. Best explained to date - I think - by Mary Friedman in an interview with Rick Beato: ruclips.net/video/N_SHZkqsIDQ/видео.html The Shamisen player here, Shinobu Kawashima, is an excellent exponent for the modern shamisen. She is also an extremely talented singer as well and has a penchant for weird hats 😄. She does a lot of collaborations as well as her own things. She has a lot of live videos as CHiLiGiRL: ruclips.net/channel/UCo7eiI8R2L_iiyD8iIlW7-g - I think you will enjoy some of these: Beautiful In Tokyo - ruclips.net/video/rH58m2BJIpQ/видео.html Konoichi - ruclips.net/video/rN08sJQqCqo/видео.html (On Juna's channel with traditional flutist Aria Shinbo) Jump Up!!! - ruclips.net/video/qeDfam90Des/видео.html (Groovy, groovy) Chocolate Talk - ruclips.net/video/Dw-c0xAyxfg/видео.html (with Shin Watanabe) Ukiyo Funk - ruclips.net/video/ubIYAaCBphI/видео.html And, of course, Beni Ninagawa from Wagakki Band also does some good tsugura shamisen too: Bling-Bang-Bang-Born - ruclips.net/video/FJSBlhcKxwo/видео.html Enjoy!
more ? ok check out NiNi music. she does fantastic covers with traditional Japanese instruments. Tokyo groove Jyoshi settles me down on my drive home from work. good for the soul. Dont forget to put korean band DIH on your list. it's funny NittPicc, you are travelling down the same road i travelled about 3 years ago, same stops along the way. Good News!! i still cant see the end of the road!!
Unsurprisingly Junna the bassist and Misa from Band Maid are buddies. I saw a video of them talking bass and it's the only time I've ever heard Misa say more than a sentence. 😮😊😊😊
@@PANIC_aka_PinD I don't know about that, but I believe there's a video on YT of Silent Siren bassist Aina Yamauchi and Misa teaching each other their repertoire songs, as you may know.
Thanks again from Japan 有難う 💛。 As an enthusiastic fan of Tower Of Power, Band-Maid and BABYMETAL, I love this rendition. Juna's bass has totally different taste from original Francis Rocco Prestia's but it is very tasty as well.
I seriously love your reaction to this TGJ cover of what is hip . I must have watched it a million times , I don’t get enough . I’ve just seen them , they are touring Australia at the moment April 2024. They are a three piece. Emi (keyboard) Mimi (drum) Rina on bass, the Bass on this video was replaced by Rina , her name is Juna Serita !!
If you could instantly become an expert in one skill, what would it be?
For me it would be building instruments. Like building a complete Shakuhachi. Cause mastering that process takes decades...
Speaking Japanese now!
@@tobiashammarback5301 exactly What I was about to write.
Social interactions.
😏
Rogue's superpowers.
Japan's musical foundation is strong and solid. From this foundation, a variety of music is born and mixed together, including Japanese music, folk music, classical music, jazz, funk, and rock.
The drummer and bassist are different in the current TGJ. Japan has so many fine female musicians, and maybe more in jazz/jazz-fusion than any other genre. And they readily move among genres, as all the musicians in this vdo have. (For that matter, I've heard Saki ex-Nemophila play with a jazz trio.) Juna Serita on bass here was once the bandmate of Tamu, now of Nemophila, in a band called Soramimi. The shamisen performer is Shinobu Kawashima, who was one of the featured subjects of a best-selling book written several years ago about the chaotic lives of creative geniuses at the Tokyo University of the Arts. She goes by "CHiLi GiRL" in her more poppy/funky persona.
Bassist is slapping 5he strings with her thumb
Oh and the J is silent ... pronounced YO-SHI
This person seems to be commenting more than replying to me-riding coattails, as it were. Anyhow, it's not the "j" but the "y" of "jyoshi" that's silent, and the word is pronounced "joshi" (written 女子), not "yoshi" as he claims.
Juna Serita is an absolute monster on the bass. All these musicians are phenomenal, obviously, but as a bass player myself what Juna does is just so inspiring.
Not just technique. Juna's usually the band leader in her projects, and her sheer musicality is off the chain.
@@aquamarine99911 well Senri is the leader in the Jazz Avengers who Juna now plays with
Jazz was so huge in Japan that it permeated their whole pop scene - even today, even in idol music, you'll find chord shapes and structures coming directly from that jazz heritage. A "normal" pop song in Japan may use 10 to 12 chords structure where a western pop song would use three to five. Now, their "pure jazz" scene is still very vivid too as you can see 🙂. And Juna Serita is a monster.
These ladies are magic! Love them! Best reaction to any song I seen! You had me in tears and laughing in joy!
Just wow! Never thought I'd see someone else fan out to this as hard as I do every damn time I hear it!!
It's such joy to see a fellow musician really _get_ how indescribably good this is, and they were at this time... I mean, these players are all still incredible and so is every member of every lineup I've seen them offer...
Some of the live tracks when there were TWO bass players during the big changeover are 'strap me in, let's go' kind-of good...
I love how the shamisen player comes in towards the end of the keyboard solo. Hinting at what's to come. It makes for such a nice transition, more interesting than a clean break between solos. It just illustrates that this is a constructed composition, not just a loose jam between elite musicians. Also, her quarter note triplets are just so fine. No sustain, no distortion, just pure musicality on that instrument.
If you like this then I suggest listening to The Jazz Avengers, a top notch all-star jazz group.
Juna Serita is one of the best bass players out of Japan, period.
Agree!!!
She is literally.. The J-Bass!
In the same way Fuki from Unlucky Morpheus is... The J-Voice!
Not just out of Japan. She’s world class.
Anyone here looking for more Juna Serita she was also in THE JAZZ AVENGERS and now she is on her own. She is a fantastic player and she knows Jazz.
@@joeking6763 As of this week Juna is still with _The Jazz Avengers._ That said, she does tons of other things. She regularly shows up with _Tokyo Groove Jyoshi_ as well as other groups and solo projects. She's a frequent collaborator with Harumo Imai, not to mention her work with _Muses_ and her own Juna sessions.
That my dear is Shinobu Kawashima, probably the only shamisen player on the jazz/funk circuit......only in that musical wonderland that is Japan. Add in Juna Serita, a bassist who deserves a LOT more accolades than she gets when Bassist comparisons and rankings are made. And with Emi Kanazashi on keyboards and Mi Mi on drums you have as close to perfection as you can find. And after listening to Emi closely during your reaction, she really reminds me of perhaps the finest female keyboardist I've ever heard, Patrice Rushen.
What can you say about Juna Serita ??? The most fun is watching her practice sessions on YT, just amazing. You should also check out her videos with the excellent jazz singer Rita Nishikawa. And if that wasn't enough, Juna is part of the hottest female jazz band on the planet, The Jazz Avengers. Juna, master drummer Senri Kawaguchi, excellent guitarist Chizuru Segawa, keyboardist Marie Takeda and a four piece brass section with Miku Yonezawa, Miho Terachi, WaKaNa and Ami Nakazono. They are just tearing it up right now.
Another outstanding reaction and yes, Drumroll Tony would love to react to this drum work.
Drummer is Yuriko Seki, later replaced by MiMi
@@ruebenaguilera771 Muchas gracias !!!
The bass technique is called thumbing then she goes into slapping and popping they have a video version with two bassist it's awesome
Hey! Someone else found the groove....Tokyo Groove! Jyoshi is a beast on bass!! I think she has since moved on to her own projects but they have a Jyoshi approved replacement bassist that's impressive herself. Instant subscriber!! Absolutely enjoy your energy and insight!!
JUna is the bass player in this video, shes now with the Jazz Avengers. Rina has replaced her in TGJ
The bassist was like, you think that was the solo ? then proceed soloing after the shamisen,
The bassist on here, Juna Serita, is actually an incredible multi-instrumentalist and pretty respected Jazz/Funk bassist. (guitar, bass, drums, horns, keys). Fun Fact: she was originally in the band Soramimi with Nemophila drummer Tamu Murata when they were younger. Juna is currently part of Jazz Avengers which is a supergroup of young female Japanese musicians playing Jazz covers and originals and is led by drummer Senri Kawaguchi, who is a world respected Jazz drummer and was on the list of DrummerWorld's world's greatest drummers when she was just 13. Senri played a cover of Billy Cobham's "Stratus" at a Jazz Festival in France when she was 18 that's definitely worth a listen if you love drumming. Its available on her personal YT Channel as well as DrummerWorld's YT Channel "Senri Kawaguchi Stratus France" should bring it up. But back to Jazz Avengers, that's a group you may enjoy since the ladies also play horns. I'm sure if you went and scrolled through their channel you may recognize a Jazz cover that may interest you, but let me at least suggest an original song called "Hunter". It is an original of Juna's and was rearranged by Jazz Avengers. Here's a link to the Jazz Avengers' version that's available on their YT channel ruclips.net/video/2w75LJ7ZmVs/видео.htmlsi=TUAJP3i7pvtMZN_- Hope you get a chance to discover these great young ladies. Cheers.
Hi from France:
I will add that on their two studio albums, The Jazz Avengers (The Jazz Avengers -2023- & 8 Steps -2024) only play their own compositions, either from each of the members or collectively (except for "Funkadelic Muse" by Jun Abe on the first album). They only do covers in concert and, it is true, at the beginning of their training on some music videos... And by the way, their latest album (8 Steps) is a pure marvel...
Juna is one of my favorite bass players. She is technically fantastic across many genres and has an incredible stage presence. Shinobu, on shamisen, is amazing. Emi, on keyboards, is so tight. And Yuriko, on drums, is so smooth. As someone else mentioned, Juna has several projects, including the Jazz Avengers. The music scene in Japan is producing some of the best musicians in the world right now. What a great cover. Brava!
If you are going down this Rabbit hole, it leads into a whole other collection of musicians and music. For example, the bass player here, Juna Serita, is in another band called "The Jazz Avengers" with a drummer named Senri Kawaguchi (one of the top 5 drummers on the planet, period) and 6 other Japanese women. Check out the Jazz Avengers "Hunter".... a Psychedelic Jazz Funk Fusion on a Byzantine scale. Who does that? Both Senri and Juna also perform on occasion with a guitar goddess (and master of technique) named "Rie aka Suzaku". To check her out, check out the song "Breaking the Limits" with Senri on drums. The video titled "Onyx / Ice World / Wangan Street ＞ Rie a.k.a. Suzaku (G)／川口千里 (Dr)／星野李奈 (B)／池尻喜子 (Kb)" is a three song set that is also outstanding. The musicianship is next level.
From Rie aka Suzaku also check out ´Noah´s Ark.´
THANK YOU so very much for the enjoyable reaction to this very special track.....As previously noted....the persionnel of TGJ has changed since this video...This is the original three studio musicians...Juna, Emi and Yuriko with Shinobu on Shamisen......Juna left to pursue a solo career shortly after this was released ...as did Yuriko...
This rabbit hole is extremely deep and amazing...check out "Funk No. 1" to meet the new and current drummer Mimi (a Karen Carpenter fan...with a lovely voice of her own) AS WELL AS my current all time favorite saxaphonist Harumo Imai....
Juna's catalog is a fun dive...Do check out "Princess of funk" "No One" and "The Tiny Voice" for a good serving of her range...she is amazing and currently sits in with a variety of different groups......the previous comment alerted you to Shinobu Kawashima's pop stuff as "Chili Girl".. I play her "Drums Strings" video almost every morning as a great happy start , truly have enjoyed her catalog and she has made me a true fan of the Shamisen......ANYWAY.... by all evidence, jazz and funk and great overall music has apparently been hiding in Japan for the past several decades....I just keep being amazed........In that vein....do check out some of my girl, Harumo Imai's recordings....I love them all but think her bass duet cover of Alicia Keys' "If I ain't got you" is especially sweet and this RUclips video of "Mama's Boy" (ruclips.net/video/1MptdgbPZz0/видео.html) just kills me every time I see it...(it and so many more kept me grooving through the dark days of the pandemic ) Have Fun...and thank you again for your efforts!!!!!
TGJ is down in Australia right now. I've been following their vlogs.
They are a 3-piece with Rina, Emi, and MiMi. ( I love MiMi. 🥰 )
If you like TGJ, then you will also like: The Jazz Avengers.
I seriously love your reaction to this TGJ cover of what is hip . I must have watched it a million times , I don’t get enough . I’ve just seen them , they are touring Australia at the moment April 2024. They are a three piece. Emi (keyboard) Mimi (drum) Rina on bass, the Bass on this video was replaced by Rina , her name is Juna Serita !!
Everything in this song from shamisen and keys harmonizing, a killer bass solo and a Buddy Rich style drum solo are freakin’ amazing.
Bass player is awesome! Organist is a Jimmy Smith reincarnation!
Holy shit.
My words exactly. Lol
Juna is definitely one of my favorite Funk/Jazz Style Bass Players!!! Wanna have your face melted off though?? Check out Mohini Dey!! 🤘😜🤘
what a treasure you are discovering and give to us as a gift.
Agreeeeed !
Honest opinion, the best bassists in the world are all in Japan and they’re female. You can’t change my mind after this
Hello Princess Nitt Picc! Juna Serita was the bass player in this video, but she moved out of Tokyo recently and is now playing with the Jazz Avengers. She still sits in with Tokyo Groove Jiyoshi once in a while, whenever she is in Tokyo, and she does have her own RUclips channel. Juna also recently started playing sax as well. Please take care and have an awesome week.
There are few techinques involved here:
Salp, pop and "double thumb" (+ there's a "double thumb + index/middle finger" for triplet feel).
Slap: you slap your string with a thumb, it gives deep/strong/loud "thumb" sound
Pop: usually after thumb on "upstroke" with a index, middle, ring finger you "catch on" to higher (sounding) strings: it gives more metalic, sharper sound.
Double thumb: is used in slap or separately, where in essence you "turn your thumb into a pick", you can slap on downstroke and pick another or the same string on upstroke...
Additionally with double thumb you can use index or middle finger to catch on same string on upstroke: this techinque in essence gives you a triplet feel...
Not a bass player btw, but music enthusiast noetheless.
Search youtobe for Victor Wooten Double Thumb for explanation, he's the master of the technique, other cool dude who is using it is called Charles Berthoud, he has youtube channel and is also insane bassist.
Juna Serita is the Princess Of Funk. You should check out her current main band The Jazz Avengers. It's eight women, four saxes. The drummer of that band is Senri Kawaguchi and she's an absolute monster.
Thank you, NittPicc !!---hadn't heard of them ,even!
Now, THIS is the kind of band that BandMaid should choose to share a concert with !----NOT some American-based ultra-metal .ultra-rock, ,boring commercial stuff ,...dressed up in lots pf predictable heavy black !
THIS is a band that can truly add to even a BandMaid concert.
soooooo glad you found them.
Funny, how jazz always fails on its own---but so often adds to other music forms.
Like others have said, both the bassist and drummer in this video left a couple of years ago, although bassist Juna Serita still sometimes performs with them (both on bass and on sax). Their current lineup is really good as well. They are currently performing in Australia for their first tour outside of Japan and are putting out daily vlog videos about it on their channel. They do have other musicians join in during their concerts in Japan like this Shamisen player and sax player Harumo Imai, but they are a 3-piece band (btw, the name means something like Tokyo Groove Girls/Women).
As far as Juna Serita goes, she has her hands in a lot of different genres, from funk (TGJ and her solo stuff) to jazz (The Jazz Avengers, Muses and some of her newer solo stuff) and blues (Shoka Okuba Blues Project and Addone) but since she loves to perform with others, who knows what else she does. Also she played in a pop band with Nemophila's drummer Murata Tamu in the past (called Soramimi).
You forgot to breathe when the Japanese instrument showed up.
Nittpicc, what do you get when you put 7 or 8 of the finest jazz musicians on the planet in the same band........The Jazz Avengers !! Check them out !!
😏♥️🎸🥁🎹🎷😎🤘
JUNA!!! JUNA!!! JUNA!!!!
Juna plays bass in the "Jazz Avengers" alongside a keyboard player, guitarist, four saxophonists and a drummer. AWESOME!!
They really are amazing !!!!!!! I've been a fan of Senri Kawaguchi for quite a while.
There is more. Princess of Funk is recommended, too.
This version includes an incredible sax player, an even hotter drum solo, and what I'd have to call one hell of a bass lesson!!!
ruclips.net/video/0RaSmq64LYY/видео.htmlsi=E7DfD1rHfwfOibCY
これいいですよね!
あの三味線の人の楽器と演奏スタイルは日本の本州の一番北、
津軽/青森のもので、
三味線の中でも一番の物理的ごつさとロックで激しい即興で有名です
逆に日本列島の最南端の三味線、
サンシン/ジャミセンは
極東のレゲエみたいでそれもまた美しいんですよ
LOL, you ... survived! 🤣
Tokyo Groove Jyoshi (TGJ), is more of a collective that includes many other musicians, including saxophone:
"Hot Summer" ruclips.net/video/ffdT7pbJxRU/видео.htmlsi=X3y-8FLTz1E6K9Kg, special mention for Juna Serita, one of the best bassists in Japan.
And if we talk about TGJ, we must necessarily talk about Muses/Rie A.K.A. Suzako and The Jazz Avengers (lots of saxophones and Japan's best female drummer), two collectives interconnected with TGJ, which include some of Japan's best female muscians:
Muses, "Furinkazan": ruclips.net/video/1lrcjb3dMg8/видео.htmlsi=UtMLOb8sEW9PIezy (first song)
The Jazz Avengers, "Maybe I Know": ruclips.net/video/q0bo1_2tkt4/видео.htmlsi=vC4JKIQVqQGSBGOv
In Jazz Avengers (great docu on how it was formed FYI) Juna plays with my other favorite musical Miku -- triple-tounging tenor improv virtuoso Miku Yonezawa, for example the solo at 5:00 in ruclips.net/video/q0bo1_2tkt4/видео.htmlsi=ijr3ot731g2iTPmH and speaking of "this is how we talk", JA's renouned drummer shows how funk/jazz "Ladies Talk" -- most recent version ruclips.net/video/K2lyudKWif4/видео.html -- organ/drum duet. Smiles likely.
❤ your reactions. Some of the best content on U2b
If you like Tokyo Groove you will like The Jazz Avengers,Addone and Muses. These are jam bands that share many of same musicians from time -time.
JAPAN IS HIP !!!!!!!!!!
This is a funky bit of fun!! 😊
TGJ next stop: Funk no 1. Checkout: "Jazz Avengers" and "Muses". Parroting others, but it's really wortwhile.
You should olso see Indonesia kid playing fusion
このオバちゃん面白いな
日本から。 You have found another extraordinary group. There are many kinky bands in Japan, not only rock, you should explore. Don't forget BANND-MAID.😁
SO glad you did this TGJ don't get nearly the love they deserve .
Juna Serita is an exceptional jazz bassist ( worth subscribing to her channel )
BTW - they also recorded a version of this with twin bass
Wait till you check some of their average white band covers
Sonic nirvana. Juna...❤
The bassist Juna Serita brought her show to the states a couple of years ago, even playing in my state of Alabama.....AND I COULDN"T MAKE IT THAT NIGHT!!!
i now admit it.Best sounds come all from JAPAN.rock,jazz ,classic and funk
You might like KUNOICHI - Juna Serita (feat. Shinobu Kawashima & Aria Shinbo), only shamisen, bass, bamboo flute and drums. Astonishing how modern and rich the song sounds.
You would love the Jazz Avengers. Juna and some of the members here, PLUS horns are awesome 😎
Tokyo Groove Jyoshi is still around but only Emi (Keyboard) is left, joined by the ever fun MiMi on drums and Rina Hoshino on bass. Still good though! Shinobu Kawashima (Shamisen) is still a guest sometimes like she is here and does a lot of fun things on her own, right now as Chili Girl. Basically Shamisen pop. Juna Serita (bass) also has a lot going on, solo and in other projects like Addone. Yuriko Seki (drums) is teaching, but I'm not aware of any bands right now. This scene in Tokyo is so tight, they all have so many projects and play together in all kinds of combinations all the time. One of my favourite guest musicians next to Shinobu is Harumo Imai on Saxophone. Deep scene to dive into! Nice to see people discovering them :)
TGJ are currently on tour in Australia after playing Las Vegas 2 weeks ago.
How did I end up here? I think I like it though. These ladies are kind of good I must say.
I just discovered this video last week. One of my first thoughts was “NittPicc would like this…especially the inclusion of the shamisen”.
I was right😄
Fun fact: This is actually a cover of a cover. They are playing Marcus Miller's version of What Is Hip. ruclips.net/video/zaHKL3uOkLc/видео.html
AMISEN? I read "AMEISEN", German word for ants xD
Shamisen.
Holy Shee...amisen! 😂
Play of words.
The bassist is Juna Serita ... AKA the Princess of Funk. She is spectacular, as is the rest of the band. She is currently with the band MUSES but plays guest spots with tons of other people and bands. If you see her name you can be guaranteed a good show :) .
NittPicc just found Juna. Hahaha.
ToP GOLD!
Loving this fabulous....
At the present time this band plays with a different bass player and a different drummer. Both also super good players. Here the founder still plays the bass: Juna Serita.
There is also a great live version of this song with the new bass player Rina Hoshio and Juna Serita as a double bass version. This is also absolutely worth seeing and hearing.
Here is the link to this song : ruclips.net/video/MNtpE55_bL8/видео.htmlfeature=shared
These ladies are currently on tour in Australia.
Juna Serita is currently playing bass with two other absolutely extraordinary japanese top bands:
1. The Jazz Avengers
2. Muses
The Shamisen sounds to me like a fretless banjo. I really love the sound.
Como estas bien venido
Oh yes!, what a great suggestion. All that Jazz!.
This really takes me back to my Jazz Band days in high school.
If you are interested in seeing another amazing bass player, I would love to see you react to Kiyoshi - Hero:
ruclips.net/video/sstSVUG5psM/видео.html&pp=ygUMa2l5b3NoaSBoZXJv
(Make sure to check the description box for what instruments were NOT used on this song.)
I am really touched that you introduced this song to me! Thank you with love from Japan.❤
hello nittpick. I believe, bassplayer juna was in a highschoolband (soramimi) with tamu, the drummer from nemophila, so much talent. I have to recommend to you "the jazzavengers - pick up the pieces live 2022" so good, all musicians are world class: drummer senri kawaguchi, juna on bass, three fantastic (edit: four) saxophonists. and they are an all female jazzband. so amazing. don´t miss.
Great reaction, NittPicc. Tokyo Groove is so well executed and gets even better when Harumo enters with her sax.
Japanese music is extremely interesting and inventive. As other commentators have stated, musicians don't shy away from complicated progressions, weird beats and harmonics, strange and screaming sounds. Best explained to date - I think - by Mary Friedman in an interview with Rick Beato: ruclips.net/video/N_SHZkqsIDQ/видео.html
The Shamisen player here, Shinobu Kawashima, is an excellent exponent for the modern shamisen. She is also an extremely talented singer as well and has a penchant for weird hats 😄. She does a lot of collaborations as well as her own things. She has a lot of live videos as CHiLiGiRL: ruclips.net/channel/UCo7eiI8R2L_iiyD8iIlW7-g - I think you will enjoy some of these:
Beautiful In Tokyo - ruclips.net/video/rH58m2BJIpQ/видео.html
Konoichi - ruclips.net/video/rN08sJQqCqo/видео.html (On Juna's channel with traditional flutist Aria Shinbo)
Jump Up!!! - ruclips.net/video/qeDfam90Des/видео.html (Groovy, groovy)
Chocolate Talk - ruclips.net/video/Dw-c0xAyxfg/видео.html (with Shin Watanabe)
Ukiyo Funk - ruclips.net/video/ubIYAaCBphI/видео.html
And, of course, Beni Ninagawa from Wagakki Band also does some good tsugura shamisen too:
Bling-Bang-Bang-Born - ruclips.net/video/FJSBlhcKxwo/видео.html
Enjoy!
The keyboards were made to sound like a Hammond B3 through a Lesley amp.
Great reaction 😄If you want, check out another song from them, Funk no.1. Another studio live!
The bassist is in a band called Jazz Avengers (bass, guitar, keyboard, drums, 4 saxophones).
more ? ok check out NiNi music. she does fantastic covers with traditional Japanese instruments.
Tokyo groove Jyoshi settles me down on my drive home from work. good for the soul.
Dont forget to put korean band DIH on your list.
it's funny NittPicc, you are travelling down the same road i travelled about 3 years ago, same stops along the way. Good News!! i still cant see the end of the road!!
Great tune. I would not have thought to look for Japanese jazz. Outstanding.
I'd love to explain what's going on, but I'm too busy Garooooovin'!!!
It was the Hammond organ that got me on this one :)
edit- Also, gonna have to nickname the bass player "thunder thumbs". Like a female Mark King 😅
The answer is obvious - they are hip. They are also another new rabbit hole.
If you want to hear pure slap bass, listen to Kiyoshi.
Shamizen is fretless. It is not pentatonic only. And you can hear that in the first part she played. No pentatonic there. She choose pentatonic later.
Unsurprisingly Junna the bassist and Misa from Band Maid are buddies. I saw a video of them talking bass and it's the only time I've ever heard Misa say more than a sentence. 😮😊😊😊
Doobie! ... where have you been man?
There's also a vid of Misa teaching some bass licks to Akane which involves some talking 🙂
Junna is a cute drummer.
Juna is a fine bass player.
There's a great interview with MISA by Chris Peppler.
Of course, he's also a bassist.
@@PANIC_aka_PinD I don't know about that, but I believe there's a video on YT of Silent Siren bassist Aina Yamauchi and Misa teaching each other their repertoire songs, as you may know.
They have "groove" in their name for a reason lol
Yes, Juna Serita is funky queen 👍
As a Japanese, I didn't know the Shamisen is such a groovy instrumental.
React dimas senopati
Thanks again from Japan 有難う 💛。 As an enthusiastic fan of Tower Of Power, Band-Maid and BABYMETAL, I love this rendition. Juna's bass has totally different taste from original Francis Rocco Prestia's but it is very tasty as well.
Reacting is easy. Talking and making sense while reacting is hard. 🤔
Right on
I seriously love your reaction to this TGJ cover of what is hip . I must have watched it a million times , I don’t get enough . I’ve just seen them , they are touring Australia at the moment April 2024. They are a three piece. Emi (keyboard) Mimi (drum) Rina on bass, the Bass on this video was replaced by Rina , her name is Juna Serita !!