2015 / Play “The J-Town Jazz Club” to depict after war racial tension in Little Tokyo, July 25 at 2 PM
The cast and musicians of the “The J-Town Jazz Club” include (l-r) Kenny Elliott, Scott Nagatani, Keiko Kawashima, Loryce Hashimoto, Leslie A. Jones, Kurt Kuniyoshi, Darrell Kunitomi and (back row) Gordon Bash. (Courtesy of the Grateful Crane Ensemeble)
“The J-Town Jazz Club,” the Grateful Crane Ensemble’s musical look back at Little Tokyo when it became an African American enclave known as “Bronzeville” during WWII, will be presented on Saturday, July 25 at 2 p.m. at the Aratani Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.
Presented by the Union Church of Los Angeles and the Presbytery of the Pacific, the afternoon will kick-off with a live, 40-minute performance by the “Dan Taguchi Big Band” setting the tone with nostalgic hits from the 1940’s Big Band Era.
After a brief intermission, “The J-Town Jazz Club” will be performed featuring the singing of famous blues tunes and the telling of a little-known history of when jazz music could be heard nightly from nightclubs throughout Little Tokyo.
“As Japanese Americans returned home after the war,” said Soji Kashiwagi, playwright of “The J-Town Jazz Club,” “Some tensions developed as Nisei attempted to move back in and Africans Americans were told they had to move out. Through our Nisei and African American characters, we see these tensions play out, and how they are resolved as they realize that the racism, oppression and suffering they share can bring them closer together rather than split them apart.”
The Blues, said Kashiwagi, were created by African Americans, but the songs and music transcend race and culture. “If you look at our history, it’s safe to say that Japanese Americans can sing the blues as well.”
Directed by Darrell Kunitomi, with musical direction by Scott Nagatani, the show features Loryce Hashimoto, Leslie A. Jones, Keiko Kawashima, Darrell Kunitomi and Kurt Kuniyoshi. Musicians include Scott Nagatani on piano, Gordon Bash on bass and Kenny Elliott on drums.
Additional event sponsors include the East West Eye Institute, LA Urban Farms, GIVE and Café Dulce.
The Aratani Theatre is located at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, 244 S. San Pedro Street in downtown Los Angeles. Tickets for the event are $25 Orchestra (reserved seats) and $20 Balcony (general admission).
To charge by phone, call Grateful Crane’s ticket line at (310) 995-5841. For more info, call the Union Church of Los Angeles at (213) 629-3876.
