Last October, I went on a UK & Ireland tour with KIKI BAND – Kazutoki Umezu (as), Natsuki Kido (g), Takeharu Hayakawa (b), and Joe Trump (dr). This was the first overseas tour for us in about four years. Since there was no local coordinator this time, all communication with each live music club, hotel reservations, and transportation were done by myself and others. This was a real challenge. Compared to the past, e-mail and the Internet must have made things much easier, but the workload has increased. And it’s all at your own risk. The times tell me that I should get used to it, but I highly doubt that I can keep up. To add an extra push, most stores have a PA, but no amplifiers or drums at all times. “Should we rent the amps? That would cost a lot of money. No, but maybe another band will rent it to us…” We went through such days of twists and turns. Even so, the number of audience members grew day by day, and the fact that they cheered for encores at the end of every show was a true blessing for the musicians.
Now, in March, the annual Petit Ohshigoto at the Pit Inn. There will be a day when we play “KIKI” acoustically, and we will have a chance encounter with “Tetsuhiro Daiku,” a great star of Okinawan folk music! Then there’s the good-hearted “Komatcha Klezmer”, the “A.K.I. Blues Band,” and for the 14th year in a row, “Tavito Nanao”. Without a doubt, each day of this will be great.
There is a great audience waiting for us here, second to none. And Pit Inn has some great equipment that we didn’t have in the UK or Ireland.
We look forward to meeting you all.
– Kazutoki Umezu
photo：Taichi Hashizume
3/10(sun) 11(mon) 12(tue) 13(wed) 14(thu)
open19:00 start19:30
10th＝Advance ticket: 6,600 yen/ Ticket on the day: 7,150 yen
11th、13th= Advance ticket: 4,950 yen / Ticket on the day: 5,500 yen
12th、14th= Advance ticket: 4,400 yen / Ticket on the day: 4,950 yen (one drink included)
*Advance tickets (reservations accepted) will be available from 11:00 AM on February 1 (thu) by phone (03-3354-2024), at the reception desk of Pit Inn Shinjuku, or through the online ticket reservation form for each concert date on our website. A priority entrance number is given at the time of reservation.
*Admission to the ‘ Kazutoki Umezu – Petit Ohshigoto 2024’ concert will be in the order of ticket number, so if you have already made a reservation for a ticket, please be sure to purchase your reserved ticket at the Pit Inn reception desk.
*Numbers are assigned at the time of reservation.
*Tickets are available for purchase prior to the performance date.
Requests to Our Customers
Please be aware that the venue will be very crowded if you try to purchase your ticket reservations shortly before the opening time of 19:00. In order to avoid the congestion and ensure a smooth opening, we will start accepting reserved ticket purchases at the reception desk starting at 18:00. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we would like to ask for your cooperation in purchasing tickets early in the time difference. After purchase, you will be able to enter the venue in numerical order upon your return at 19:00 when the venue opens. Thank you for your cooperation.
10th Tetsuhiro Daiku’s Songs
Kazutoki Umezu (sax, cl), Tetsuhiro Daiku (vo, sanshin), Naeko Daiku (ohayashi), Kiyohiko Semba (ds), Daisaku Kume (p, key), Ryomei Shirai (g), Kaori Takahashi (vln), Yoko Tada (sax), Shinobu Kawai (b)
■Tetsuhiro Daiku and Kazutoki Umezu, two treasures of Okinawan shima-uta, produced numerous albums for the off note label in the 1990s and traveled extensively throughout Asia with the Asian Fantasy Orchestra. This chance encounter, which had been too long in coming, was made possible by the enthusiastic “Tetsu-chan calls” from the musicians, which still abound today. A must-see and must-hear evening.
11th ”Acoustic” KIKI
Kazutoki Umezu (sax, cl), Natsuki Kido (g), Takeharu Hayakawa (b), Kenji Sato (cello), Akihisa Tsuboy (vln), Yuriko Mukoujima (vln), Kazuto Shimizu (p)
■The latest version of KIKI BAND’s acoustic project, which is still talked about today, features Kenji Sato, Akihisa Tsuboy, and Yuriko Mukoujima, and is progressively enhanced with the addition of Shimizu’s piano to the skilled string section. How will KIKI’s famous standard number develop? Watch out for the exquisite arrangements made by each of the artists.
12th DUO
Kazutoki Umezu (sax, cl), Tavito Nanao (g, vo)
■With each performance, new discoveries are made, new relationships are formed and unraveled, and then brought together again. The two are on a road without a path, forever individual, but also firmly connected. Kazutoki Umezu and Tavito Nanao, the origin of this DUO is right here on the stage of Shinjuku PIT INN.
13th A.K.I. Blues Band
Kazutoki Umezu (sax, cl), Yoko Tada (ts), Kazuhiko Fujii (g), Mikio Ito (key), Takashi Nakajo (b), Sankon Jr. (ds)
■The A.K.I. Blues Band is a collection of incredible members who are in demand in the rock ‘n’ roll and blues fields. Since playing a major role in Aki Yashiro’s support band, the group has developed and grown into a free group in which everyone sings and plays. This time, each song will be soulfully dedicated with the utmost respect and gratitude to the great singer.
14th Komatcha Klezmer
Kazutoki Umezu (sax, cl), Yoko Tada (sax), Ayumi Matsui (vln), Chan Koyo (acc), Takero Sekijima (tuba), Fumihisa Natsuaki (ds)
■Despite their longevity, Komatcha Klezmer is gaining new fans with their rich sound and the one-of-a-kind worldview of their music. Before the Kyoto-Meihan tour in April, this time the band will be playing as “members only” without any guests, and will also be showing repertoire from their early albums, which have not been performed very often recently.
