"What I am trying to say is hard to tell and hard to understand, unless you have been yourself at the edge of the Deep Canyon and have come back unharmed. Maybe it all depends on something within yourself - whether you are trying to see the Watersnake or the sacred Cornflower, whether you go out to meet death or to Seek Life. It is like this: as long as you stay within the realm of the great cloud-beings, you may indeed walk at the very edge of the Deep Canyon and not be harmed. You will be protected by the rainbow and by the great Ones. You will have no reason to worry and no reason to be sad. You may fight the witches and, if you can meet them with a heart which does not tremble, the fight will make you stronger. It will help you to attain your goal in life; it will give you strength to help others, to be loved and liked and to Seek Life." -- (An Elder Tewa man from San Juan Pueblo, speaking to Vera Lask, Recored in Laski, 1959:128-129)

Well, Chief, you are absolutely right! I've been in Tokyo for 15 days, wondering if I made a wrong move by coming here to check out the jazz scene; and wondering if I would ever reach my goal in Japan. But, today, after two days of continuous rain, the Great Cloud-Beings smiled on me and two highly-talented Japanese Women in Jazz, pianist Miyuki Saito and vocalist/pianist Aoi Katoh, on our way to perform for a room full of middle school students at Tokyo International School.

I met founder, Patrick Newell at the Cotton Club, the second night I was in Tokyo. I just happened to show him my book, IN PURSUIT OF A MELODY (YEAH! RIGHT!) and, when he saw the songs I'd written, he said, "Wow, you're who I came here to meet, tonight!" Why? Because Patrick is in the process of writing the TIS school song, ideas for which he jotted down on a napkin, while listening to the Christian McBride Quartet, featured at the Cotton club, that night. Patrick said I should come to his school and help him with the lyrics of the song. I agreed and, the next Monday, I was there! We worked on the lyrics for this school whose mission is to "nurture confident, open-minded, independently thinking well-balanced inquirers for global responsibility", a mission that I could fully relate to, being the risk-taking, globe-trotting Diva that I AM!

At TIS, I told Patrick about my WOMEN IN JAZZ presentation and he introduced me to the music teacher, Miguel Arambulo who said he would love for me to bring my concert to his class. So, a couple of days went by and everything was arranged.

Today, I presented my lecture/concert for the first time in Japan! with Miyuki on piano and Aoi, who sang and played piano on "I Wish You Love", which she sang in French and I followed with the English lyric. This is one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite Women in Jazz - Ms. Gloria Lynne.

The Women in Jazz Lecture is a part of my book (available at www.trafford.com/05-0819). It traces the history of vocalese from it's roots in Africa, through slavery, when blues and jazz evolved from Spirituals by highlighting the lives of Blues singers Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter and Ethel Waters; jazz singers Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and Betty Carter; and instrumentalists Lil Hardin Armstrong, Mary Lou Williams, Dorothy Donegan, Marian McPartland, Alice Coltrane, Tania Maria and Toshiko Akyoshi.

Patrick's concern was that the students would be bored by a lecture. I assured him that it was a musical concert that the class would participate in and never forget. That is exactly what it is and, from their response during and after the lecture, I know the students thoroughly enjoyed our presentation.

At the end, is a song I wrote especially for this audience, "Love Translation", which, on the second round, many of the students were singing with me. They received two quizzes, "Jazz and Blues Musicians" and "Women in Jazz". I told them they could email me for the answers and many said they would. I told them that their parents may know the answers to many of the questions, but, after this lecture, I was sure they did too!

One of the requirements for bringing this presentation to schools is that we get a videotape of the concert, which Miguel and other teachers in attendance made. They took a lot of photos and many are a part of this journal. Thanks to those teachers for their focus on getting such great photos of us, especially Mel Borgman who had my camera.

I would also like to thank Chika Singer, a parent of three students, and teacher, Andrew Hancock for displaying the photos in my book to the students as I gave the history of WOMEN IN JAZZ. To Vice Principal Des Hurst, thanks for purchasing my book for the school library and Miguel for welcoming us so warmly into his class and purchasing my CD, FEELIN' GOOD for the school's music collection.

A special vote of gratitude to Patrick for his intuition and insight for inviting me to TIS. Your 10-year dedication to the mission statement of this school is most positively evident in the gentile and conscientious students I met on both occasions at TIS. I wish you decades of grooming more people like you and your staff, who are sorely needed in this world!

Most of all, thanks to Miyuki for her tender, loving and skilled accompaniment; to Aoi Katoh for getting up so early to come and join us in performing these beautiful songs; and, especially, to Chika Singer, who came out of retirement, today, to bless us with her beautiful voice. Keep on with the music, all of you. You are blessed and your music is a gift to the entire community!

After the concert, Patrick, Miyuki, Aoi, Miguel and I worked at the piano, on the music for the school song. All in all, it was a tremendously musical day, framed by a gorgeous, blue sky with fluffy white clouds that must have been placed there by the Great Cloud-Beings just for us WOMEN IN JAZZ.

At lunch and on the train ride home, Aoi, Miyuki and I recounted the morning's events with wonder and awe. They were amazed at my powerful presentation, saying that I had a lot of force, so early in the morning. I assured them that it was a piece of cake for me, after doing this concert for over 10 years (mostly in South Florida at Broward Schools), for over 5,000 children, including the class at the International School of Tianjin (see earlier journal). Doing this lecture/concert is more pleasurable than singing in all the clubs in over 30 years. Why? Because the audience is kids who are open to learning, rather than people who are drinking and looking for dates! Kids are like sponges. They soak up everything and the History of Women in Jazz has lots for them to learn about.

The worst thing about doing this at schools is having to be up at 6:30 a.m. The best thing is that by noon, it's over and I'm on my way home, though I never get to crawl in bed because I'm so thrilled at the students' responses, when I make them sing, "Bebop! Bop boo wah! Shop bop ba ba dop! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" They just love it and it is the central theme of the lecture - scatting or vocal improvisation, which grew out of the need to SAY something, when singers Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong forgot the lyrics. Sounds simple, but it's the truth and has grown into a musical style emulated by hundreds of present-day song stylists.

The kids also say "No no no no!", when I sing "A Tisket A Tasket", a song popularized by Ella Fitzgerald.

I say, "Was it red?"
They say, "No no no no"
"Was it green?"
"No no no no"
"Was it blue?"
"No no no no"
"It was a little yellow basket!"

They love it, I love it and so do the teachers and other Women in Jazz who join me. Well, the biggest surprise was when Chika Singer, a Japanese jazz singer who's three sons attend TIS, sang "God Blessed The Child" in tribute to "Lady Day" Billie Holiday. I usually sing this song, but after so many years of doing it, I always look for someone else to sing it. I asked Aoi if she knew it, but she didn't. Then, Chika, who told us when we arrived that she wasn't going to miss the presentation for anything, piped up and said she knew it. I ushered her onto the floor and there she was, doing her rendition of this very popular jazz standard with lyrics written by Billie, herself.

Another tune that the kids do the "Bebop" thing on is "Jazz Ain't Nothin' But Soul" by Norman Mapp. It's based on what we call in the jazz world, "Rhythm Changes", that is really the song by George and Ira Gershwin, "I Got Rhythm". In 1984, I met Mapp at Freddy's, a jazz club on East 43rd Street and 2nd Avenue, in New York City, and he gave me the lead sheet. But I learned the song, in 1969, from two well-know jazz singers, Betty Carter and Joe Lee Wilson. I claim Wilson as my mentor and dedicated my first CD, "Feelin' Good!" (I AM RECORDS, 1995) to him. Betty, Joe Lee and I are the only singers to date, who have recorded "Jazz Ain't Nothin' But Soul" and it's on my third CD, "Talkin' That Jazz" (I AM Records, 2006).

Ironically, in 2005, Joe Lee Wilson was in Tokyo and visited this class in this same school. When I showed the class Joe Lee's photo, they were surprised when I told them that I met him, when I was 19 years old! Joe fell ill in Japan, last year, and had to go home to Brighton, England. In March of this year, I was fortunate enough to visit him in Brighton, while on tour with my daughter's group, Caustic Dames. In fact, Joe's wife, Jill is a teacher who works at TIS, when she is in Japan! Imagine Patrick's surprise when he learned that Joe and Jill were friends of mine.

All in all, this was a great day, with the blue skies, scant, but fluffy white clouds, crisp air and wonderful smiling faces of the music class of Tokyo International School! I am so happy to have met Patrick. His visionary personna led me to Miguel who welcomed WOMEN IN JAZZ with open arms! I know the students will love the song we've written for the school. It is truly uplifting and conducive to the mission statement upheld by the entire staff of this progressive academy of learning.

Before I left Japan, I received the DVD of our performance. On October 6, at Aoi's birthday party, we watched it and though everyone was woozy from sake, we did enjoy it and will continue to do so.

Love and music,
Diva JC
www.divajc.com
www.fyicomminc.com/wijcontents.htm
jazzisus@aol.com

P.S. The best part of any experience is the response you get from what you've done. Here are some I've received:

1. Hi! Joan,

I had a interesting experiece that I never had, this morning!!
You are so great educator for children, I feel so. We will
impossble find a music teacher like you here in Japan!
Anyway, I have to go to work tonight right away.
Talk to you very soon! !
Thank lots!
Aoi

2. Joan,

What great pics. You are truly a diva, a great ambassador for Jazz/Blues & for the USA. I'm proud of you girlfriend and thankful for displaying a very positive and intelligent image of American blacks.
Luv ya,
Jan

3. Good morning Joan,

I just finished to check your amazing journal I have enjoyed a lot, I will forward it to the Middle school teachers so they can enjoy it too.
What a lovely time yesterday morning , a morning full of ENERGY, MUSIC, CREATIVITY and LOVE!

The children had a great time participating and singing along with you. Some of them told me Joan has a strong and loud voice!!

They will be checking your page for the answers for the WOMEN IN JAZZ QUIZ and we will be watching the video of your presentation next week again.
Thank you so much for coming and sharing with us your talent and knowledge. Your CONCERT at TIS will remain in our hearts...

Thanks to Aoi and Miyuki talented vocalist/pianist for coming and being part of your "WOMEN IN JAZZ" Band.
I'll burn the Concert at TIS onto a CD and give it to Patrick next monday.

Once more thanks and hope that more schools can have your wonderful lecture!

Miguel Arambulo
Music teacher
Tokyo International School
www.tokyois.com

P.P.S. It is now 11:00 p.m. and I've just finished this journal entry. No way I could have slept before getting these beautiful photos out on the Internet for all of my friends, family and colleagues to enjoy.

NOTE: To book WOMEN IN JAZZ with Joan Cartwright in EUROPE, go to www.segulaentertainment.com.

For all other bookings send an email to: jazzisus@aol.com