Christian McBride's Quartet made up for all that I suffered my first night in Japan (see my last journal - Culture Shock!). This band also made up for alllll the music I didn't get to hear in China, in four months.

At Tokyo's Cotton Club, a gorgeous club in the center of the city, McBride tore up the bass, with his bandmates, Terreon Gully on drums, who just floored me; Geoffrey Keezer, an incredibly diverse pianist and keyboard player; and tenor saxophonist Ron Blake, who even played on one knee! just shook the roof off the Tokia Building!

I mean they cooked, in every sense of the word. The were smokin', boiling hot, simmering and even fried on a couple of tunes. The audience was fully-baked, when they finished and after the encore, everyone in the house thought they'd had dessert!

Terreon Gully's tune, "Say Something" set the joint on FIRE! "Lehos De Usted" by McBride, can only be described in one word - POWERFUL! McBride's tribute to Flip Wilson, "Clerow's Flipped" was simply fun.

Though I preferred the songs from their new album, "Live at Tonic", their rendition of Joe Zawinal's "Boogey Woogie Waltz" had the Japanese bouncing and bobbing their heads, and the band seemed to enjoy playing this song the most. It's Scottish, or was that Irish? flavor seemed to be in accord with the "Mc" in "McBride"!

"Sonic Tonic" by Geoffrey Keeser really framed the beauty of the rhythm section, as McBride started out with a bass solo, later driven by Gully's steam-rolling drumming. It was, then, set off by Keeser on what sounded like a Moog Synthesizer, popularized by Herbie Hancock and I believe I heard a hint of "Chameleon" in there, too. But it was Ron Blake's tenor calypso that put the proverbial icing on the cake. I was in heaven, listening to McBride's "SittinG On A Cloud"! His bass solo was out of this world.

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better meal on my second day in Tokyo! I ate to my heart's content and left the Cotton Club full of delectable musical memories. I mean I was grilled, blackened, Bar-B-Qued by this dynamic Band and I am so happy to see my old friend, Christian McBride, with his ensemble that must be at the top of their game. All I can say is, if there's a better band out there, I'm not sure my stomach could take it!

This night was a musical roller coaster and I feel like a kid with a fist full of cotton candy!

At the show were two members of the new Japanese band, Soil & Pimp, bassist Noriaki Akita and drummer Jose; bassist Niro Shiota, who lives in New York, but is touring with Japanese musicians to introduce his new CD in Japan; singer Lica; artist Eduardo and Patrick, owner of the Tokyo International School, who may commission me to finish the school song he was inspired to begin writing at this wonderful concert.

Also, I met one of the world's most reknowned classical contrabassists, Susan Wulff, who performs with the San Diego Symphony.

And, many thanks to Ayaka Kanda, who made sure I got my train back to Ikebukuro, before the system shut down, at 1:00 a.m. I know we'll be hanging out again, while I'm in Tokyo!

All I can say is, if it gets any better than it was tonight, I'm in for the time of my life!

Love and music
Diva JC
www.divajc.com

Be sure to see my photos at www.myspace.com/joancartwrightandjazzhotline