Tantric Fire Ritual-Midnight-New Years Eve

Hi, TenGooz fans! Our members have all gone their separate ways for the New Year.
Here is an article Ive written about a very special way to spend New Years Eve in Tsukuba.

When a living organism or seed is carried by winds,ocean currents or an animal host to a new and distant environment, it might fail to take to the unfamiliar surroundings and perish.
On the other hand, there is some chance that it might take root in its new home and maybe even flourish.

The same holds true for the seeds of culture.It can probably be said that the mechanisms determining the success or failure of cultural transmission are even more complex than they are in the biological sphere.

Among the various types of vessels which can transport the spores of culture beyond their original boundaries we can note invading armies, caravans of merchants, and very often, highly
influential individuals.

One such outstanding figure,Kukai(known commonly in Japan by his posthumous Buddhist name-Kobo Daishi弘法大師),was single-handedly responsible for introducing to Japan certain ancient Tantric rites which originated in India more than 3000 years ago.
These practices were carried across the Himalayas, and over the centuries spread throughout South-East Asia and also ,puzzlingly, in Confucian China, whose cultural background would seem to have been hostile soil for most subcontinental concepts.

It was in the Tang Chinese capital of Chang-An in 804 AD that Kukai came into contact with the Master of Esoteric Buddhism,Huikuo(Keika,in Japanese), who believed that the Japanese monk was destined to bring the ancient Indian teachings to distant Japan where they would come into full bloom.

And this he certainly did,in the form of Shingon Buddhism,which has had an impact on almost every aspect of Japanese culture.

This New Years Eve, if you are curious, patient, and impervious to the bitter cold,you can experience first-hand, one of the most important Tantric rituals brought to Japan by Kukai,
the Homa fire ritual,or as it is known in Japan-Goma Taki(護摩焚き).
There is no more impressive way to see how the cultural torch transported by Kukai continues to burn brightly.

The ritual will be performed,as it has been for centuries, at the Tofukuji Temple(東福寺)in Konda,Tsukuba.

Originally founded in 1249,this temple is worth a visit ANY TIME, for its gracefull roof and interesting carvings. Inside the Main Hall you might be surprised to find that the entire ceiling
is a large overhead Mandala,symbol of the Buddhist universe. Also,some people are excited to hear that the Jizo carving on the alter is said to have been carved by Prince Shotoku himself(hmmmm).

The best time to visit the temple ,however,is the night of December 31st, when the priest and his wife get a bon-fire going outside the main hall for visitors to keep warm by before the ceremony begins. Amazake and snacks are usually offered as well.

As it gets closer to midnight, the handfull of locals
who show up start getting edgy from the cold and the excitement.
When the priest opens the doors to the Hall, I would recommend
grabbing a seat near one of the kerosene heaters because
it aint much warmer inside, and the ceremony is about an hour
long.

Homa fire rituals are still still commonly practiced by Hindus for a variety of purposes including supplication for long life, wealth,world peace,good karma, etc.

At the Tofukuji Temple, the rite is carried out as a New Years blessing and purification ceremony.

As the priest creates the fire using sundry mysterious ingredients including a variety of woods, seeds and grains, his sons, chant and percuss for the shomyo incantions, which are worth coming out for in themselves.

When the fire is properly going the priest calls all visitors to burn their wish tablets(100yen) and then to apply the sacred smoke to any body parts that might need it.

When everything is over head back out to the bonfire for more amazake and treats.

If you happen to be in Tsukuba on New Years Eve, this might be the place for you to cross over into the new year. Dont forget to give a thought to kukai and his impact on Japan.

Avi Landau

Bird Rescue Underway! Six saved ,thousands to go.....

Something MUST be done about the senseless and cruel slaughter of birds in the nets around Lake kasumigaura.
And because Maurice, a Canadian living in Iwama has gotten involved , the beginnings of a volunteer rescue movement have started to germinate. Maurice is an experienced environmental activist whose approach to getting things moving is engage the farmers in friendly discussion in order to win them over to our side. Then if farmers refuse to or are not available to free birds entangled in their own fields,Maurice takes action, but strictly within the bounds of the law. He has purchased a pair of chest-high water-proof waders, and rubber gloves, and carries tools which are not used for cutting. He refuses to cut any nets in order to free birds(as the farmers themselves would do),because that could be considered an illegal act. Instead, he patiently and painstakingly untangles the ensnared wings legs and necks. He also takes precautions against bird flu by wearing a protective surgical mask. This approach is extemely time consuming,and we were only able to rescue six birds today. I felt impotent, standing on firm ground as Maurice plodded, like an astronaut on a planet with a strong gravitational pull, through the waist deep muck, slowly toiling to free the struggling survivers which he spotted with his uncanny eagle eyes.

Birds are continually being caught. Saving a handfull of birds has no effect on the big picture and our ultimate aim is to have the nets come down as soon as possible.
however, It was still extremely heartwarming and relieving to see birds that would have hung until starvation set in swim freely out into the lake.

We DEFINITELY need more people to get involved and we need more in put and ideas.

Please contact us if you are interested in making a difference and doing THE RIGHT THING.

Thanks alot

Avi Landau
and The TenGooz

Ending the Year on FIRE!

Hey there, all ye TenGooz fans!

We appreciate you being with us for our last show of the year. And quite a show it was ,too! Hoping to start at a much earlier time than usual, so those who have always wanted to catch the TenGooz LIVE but couldnt get out so late could finally see us,Hase G, Michael and I arrived ready to go at 7.
Unfortunately it would be a couple of hours before A-Chan would arrive, as he was held up by business matters, so the 3 of us gave it a go.

We played about 4 songs as a trio and then Kinchan arrived. It work out pretty well as we all percussed (I mean the band and the audience) on anything percussable nearby, making for a unique sound and plenty of good cheer!

All in all we had a really good vibe going and we all had a great time.

Michael will be back in Germany soon so we are gonna have to take a brief brake in our gig schedule.

Keep checking our schedule and hope to see you at next years first show!

Avi Landau

Hotter than ever!

Hello there TenGooz fans!
Thanks for coming out in the wee hours and heat things up at Hot Stuff on a beautiful December night and then early morning!
Early on we had a small but intimate audience and we tried out some new songs. The band really found its groove last night and Kin-chan not only dazzled with his skill, but is starting to bond with the rest of us. We had some good chemistry going.

Playing to the point of exhaustion, we still forged on with 3 encores before heading back into the rising son.

Catch this years last gig at Spitfire on the 16th.

Cheers

Avi Landau

Marathon Michael !

Hello , TenGoophiles everywhere ! I hope that all fares well with you.
We have been getting little rest these days practicing , composing,recording and performing. Michael got a chance to leap directly into the Japanese livehouse scene, joining up with Kin-Chan , A-Chan and the other members of Twisters for an all-day sunday musical bonanza which was held in an establishment called Country.

Ten bands played. twisters were on last, and hand to be there before the start for rehearsal, giving our buddies the chance to enjoy all the acts! Michael looked a bit gaunt when I showed up at 9pm and they were just about to go on.

Despite the ling wait the guys and gals of Twister put on a great show, which was followed by the post event party! It goes without saying that michael was a tad tired for the next days TenGooz practice.

Remember-this Saturday night at Spitfire!!!

TenGooz @ Hot Stuff

It was a cool autumn night outside. it the comfortable confines of Hot Stuff,though, it was a sultry summer night as the heat was turned up by Hase g, a-chan,kin-chan, Michael Frei and myself, as we were joined by a very special guest, Jean, of the Bang Boys.

The place was packed and spirits were high throughout our 3 sets.kin chan played the crowd beautifully and the Frei fans were out in abundance. Hase -G treated us with the seemingly impossible-flamenco bass! yes, thats right!

I dont think it has ever been done before. If ANYONE has seen or heard it before,please let me know.
Thanks to all of you who were there to make it an extra special evening.

Ohtani-San helps us lay down Smile!

It's great to be back in the studio again ! Especially with the skillfull engineering of Ohtani-San who is giving us a sound. hase g and A-Chan laid down the drums and bass and then put down the vocal. Michael finished things off with his sax. Now there remains the mix down and the possible addition of embellishments here and there.

The lyrics

Feels like i've met you before somewhere
another place another time
Now I've forgotten all my cares
and Im thinkin thoughts sublime

just like a zen satori
there came a flash to me
you're not only my present but my future and my history

I know it mgiht sound funny
but no matter where you flee
there's no way that you can run away from destiny

I was running crazed down a lonley road
but what seems like a million miles
but that life is all over now
and I sit 'n watch you smile

I'm learning to love again...

See you Saturday night at Hot Stuff

Avi Landau

On Fire at Spitfire!!!

Spitfire was on fire tonight!

The TenGooz were fanning the flames with special guest Kinchan on guitar and Hassan,fromNigeria on percussion. With just a lttle practice just before the gig Kinchan drove the crowd wild with his spirited and skillful guitarations. Hassan added lots of good sound and atmosphere on the dance numbers. We played 4 sets. Dance,slow,dance and then dance again! Thanks,as usual to all those who turned out for the show and to Chris and Taka.

We will be back at the Spit on November 17th with lots more song and a more refined version of our new African sound.

Sweet dreams

Avi Landau Tsukuba Japan

New York and Phillie, Maia Cabeza plays Carnegie Hall !

Hi,all ! I am back in Japan offering you these nocturnal jet-lag induced scribblings.

After arriving in NY on the 24 of September, the next evening I met Alma and Roberto, my dear old friends,originally from Argentina but long term residents(and big time musos) in Tsukuba,who now reside in both Raleigh, North Carolina(Roberto is a Prof at Duke) and Philadelphia(Alma teaches at U. of P).

We had arranged to meet at Carnegie Hall, because their daughter Maia,who is like a niece to me( I played with her everyday when she was a baby)was playing the violin at that most famous of venues! It goes without saying that it was a thrill to see her on stage, as even in her early teens she has great charisma and seems to become MUSIC ITSELF when she performs.

On the following weekend we went out to Philadelphia where the Cabeza`s showed us around. It was perfect timing weather-wise and maybe a little too hot for rambling the old colonial streets.

It was also memorable to be there as the Phillies finished their amazing come from behind theft of first place from the Mets.
I will never forget the audible cry of victory resonating from peoples homes when the final out was made.

The TenGooz have started recording while I was away and we have a gig coming up this Saturday. Hope to see you there!

Heating things up at Hot STUFF!

It's already the end of September but its still steamy,even at night! Even more so when the TenGooz are firing it up! Everyone at Hot Stuff worked up a good shvitz dancing till midnight as our proposed one hour show went into overtime!
Thanks to all who were there for making it real fun. We will be doing regular gigs at HS, so we hope you can catch us there some time soon! We hope that by next month the humdity will have dropped a few percentage points. Michael is off for a couple of days hiking to destinations unknown and I will be off to NY for a couple of weeks but hase G and i will be working on new material tomorrow night.

Keep in the groove

Avi

Mayhem in Ishioka!

Whenever I mention going to the Ishioka Festival to friends in Tsukuba, they strongly warn me off with-its too dangerous-you had better be careful- etc...
As you might expect I pay no attention, as the 3-day festival is my favorite in all of Japan. Yes, there are fights and drunken brawls, and it certainly seems a tad precarious for all of the kids, not to mention the infants who have to be snapped up suddenly out of the paths of oncoming floats with its stampeding frenzy of revelers.
The festival is a reflection of of Japans volcanic and highly seismic nature. Throughout the year Ishioka is a sleepy backwater, rusting away as its glory days slip further into the past. The people are as reserved and polite as any Kanto Japanese and surely would not usually show much passion.
When the middle of September rolls around all the primeval energies erupt,especially on the second day of the 3-day bacchanalian bonanza.
Ive been there for the first 2 days and plan to be back tomorrow. Ive been doing the lion dance and am starting to get the hang of it, though pracing rythmically with a very heavy wooden shi-shi mask still leaves me out of breath. I have always tried to put the same kind of passion into gigs, that i find at this festival.
I think that TenGooz saxman michael Frei has also been inspired(though he certainly needs no inspiration!). Hopefully we can put up some more pics soon!

Avi Landau

Firing it up at Spitfire, then at Aren

Well, we sure have been busy! Last Saturday night, September 1st, we did a gig at Spitfire, playing our new set of songs, including one of Michaels band`s songs Craving Bones.

The audience grew from intimate and friendly to abundant and boisterous as the hours passed and it was good to see lots of beautiful dancers on the floor-Rachel,Yuriko and Ikuko setting the pace.

All in all I must say it was great fun ! I'd also like to introduce Seiichiro Ukyo who has been playing keyboards with us at practices. Hopefully, he will join us at our next gig, adding even more flavor to the TenGooz savory sound.

Last night,Saturday the 8th, we finished a two hour rehearsal at 9pm and then crossed to street to do a gig at Aren. There was a huge party there that night and DJ A.B had the music turned up full. We played 2 sets, leaving out our slow songs and ballads,as they did seem appropriate for the occassion!

Thanks to Jimmy and AB for their kindness and for having us at that raucus event. Ill try to let everyone know about our upcoming gigs a little earlier next time, and REMEMBER- stat grounded in GROOVE!

Avi Landau

TenGooz- G Whizz at the Ninomiya Festival

Hello out there in TenGooland! I have so much to report and have certainly been delinquent in my blog-writing duties! First let me tell you about G Whizz and our latest gig. A few weeks ago,
my buddy Rick Weisburd emailed me about a German researcher who had recently arrived in Tsukuba who looking for musicians to jam with.

Well I sent Sax player Michael Frei a message, and we ended up getting together. There was good chemistry right from the start and we started working on some of Hase G`s new material. Michael, who is a rice researcher,has vast musical experience and has a lot of contagious enthusiasm. He talked us into signing up for his residences summer festival entertainment roster and we put together a short set. TenGooz drummer Jon has been unavailable this summer,so Hase G called an old musical partner Yazawa A-Chan, originally from Osaka. We worked on 3 new Hase G songs, 2 covers , and then Perfect Wave and Saudade.

The festival was much bigger than we expected with a very large international crowd. The parking attendants had us on the vip list as G Whizz, which is what we were for the night and we also had a nice dressing room. Michael played beautifully,giving his neighbors a taste of what he can do on his horn.A-chan was in the groove too! Another special aspect of the night was arrival of our long time supporter and very special Hase G fan, Tess,who flew in from Shiga for the show.

Thanks alot for coming and we hope to see alot more of you. A special thanks to the staff of the festival for their very warm hospitality. Also thanks to Michael for everything! I promise I will write soon.

Avi Landau

Bloomsday in Tsukuba,Japan

Bloomsday has come and gone. I had hoped to finish rereading Ulysses by the 16th but I have been FLOODED with things to do and made it only up to the Cyclops section.

That chapter, however, always hits me hard and it seemed appropriate that the scene with the outsider Bloom, in the bar with all the narrow-minded(one-eyed) nationalist bigots, enduring all their indeirect and direct jibes, was that I was reading, while walking through the verdant wilds, so reminiscent of that other emerald isle, on the other end of Eurasia,with my trusty companion, Tickes.

Reading the great work always seems to involve some coincidences with me. Last year, while reading,as I walked, a friend of mine, who has never heard of James Joyce or and couldnt have possibly understood the connection to Ireland,came up to me and said:Avi! I found a four-leaf clover!

Here,have it! Being accustomed to bizarre occurences, I kept my cool and slipped the plant into the thick book where it remains to this day. The lucky charm was of course still pressed between the pages when I amazingly ran into Paddy Moloney, the great Irish musician and famous resident of Dublin,who signed my copy of Ulysses,as I had been reading it just as we met.

Later that night, when I picked up the book again, coincidence struck again, as Donnycarney,Paddy Moloney`s hometown,cropped up on the page!

I didnt tell paddy about The TenGooz or our Irish song Innishmoor or our arrangement of Johnny I hardly knew ya. maybe I should have. I hope he finds out about them for himself!

Avi Landau Tsukuba

Brett back at the Ice Palace,Running into Paddy Moloney

Hi,TenGoophiles!

My sincere felicitations to you after another long, unwarranted time away from the blog.

Brett Johnson, sometime Tengoo and, just about the funkiest bass player you are bound to find this side of the international dateline,is back in town,crashing at the Ice Palace.

The last time I was fortunate to be in his company,we were the only other customers in a Greek restaurant besides the Dixie Chicks, and today on my way to hook up with Brett. I ran into another Grammy Award winner(6 times over),Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains! as it is my custom to reread James Joyces Ulysses every year starting mid-may(hoping to finish by bloomsday,June 16). I was carring the thick tome with me when I encountered that other famous Dubliner.Paddy signed my book and actually called out to me during his concert later that night-Hey,get up here New York!

With Brett staying over I never know what to expect! I will keep you posted of any further developements.

On thursday, I will be interviewed by the Joyo newspaper in regard to my work trying to save the birds of Kasumigaura,and tomorrow I will be doing some researrch for an article on The Shibanuma soysauce factory(located about ten minutes away by car) and is the oldest in japan.

if you would like to read any of my recent articles just google my name-Avi Landau, and they will pop up.

Hopefully,we will have some new recordings soon. We have lots of material and just need to get together and do the job.

Sorry to keep everyone waiting.

Thanks for all your support

Avi Landau

Spring Fever in Tsukuba!

Happy spring, ye legions of loyal TenGoophiles! And a happy autumn to to all of you who are Down-Under! Thanks to all those who came out last Saturday night for our spring fever gig. We were ecstatic to have good friends come from afar! It was a real picker-upper to have Ertla and Elin from Iceland it made the evening very special indeed for me,with memories rushing back in torrents! Kuhara, our original bassist also showed up unexpectedly and I cant help but admit that I was ecstatic to see him. We started off slow,as we did in Australia,with Saudade, The Chills, Perfect Wave etc.... and grew progressively into our final frenzied set. It was nice to once again have such a wild crowd! Thanks for all the support! We will be recording this month and I hope to lay down Delirious, SunDance Walt`s Waltz, Beefcake,1,2,3 etc. In my extra musical life, I have been actively trying to save migrating water birds which become entangled in nets set up by farmers to protect their lotus root crops. Thousands of our feathered friends die a cruel and humiliating death as they try to take a rest during their gruelling journey. It's a pity that the beautiful coutryside scenery around lake kasumigaura has to be defiled by such horrific images. I will be writing an article soon with more details in an effort to have these nets taken down. The picture Im posting is a typical Koi Nobori ,or Carp Streamer Set, the festive decoration for the month of May. Families with sons, raise these fish flags in hope that their boys will grow to be brave and strong, with pleny of fighting spirit.

KTUH interview with DJ Erik in Hawaii

Good evening and Konban wa ! Im starting to pull out of my post-tour blues and one reason for that is the exciting interview I just had with DJ Erik of WKTUH in Honolulu.

Of course it was a phone interview,as Im here in Tsukuba,but I felt a real connection with Erik and I think we were really in tune. Especially since he is familiar with the creative commons(his show specializes in cc material)and Jamendo. So I found the convesation stimulating!

You can find Erik show on the web and listen to it on a stream. I will post the info later.Hopefully, I will be chatting with Erik on the air in the near future, since hase G and I have decided to start recording very soon. We will begin with

Autophobia, a song by Ascelin and myself about long suppressed memories of past relationships suddenly bubling up to the surface and the feeling of self disgust which this sometimes can elicit.

Tanaka, HaseG and I got together for a 2 hour session.They are in the same post Adelaide blue state of mind that Im in but we are hoping to get things fired up soon.

Once again, thanks to Erik in Hawaii ! Youve got a great concept for a show and I wish you the best!

Back Up-Over!

I made it back to Japan with all the bumps and bruises accumulated over 11 gigs in ten days in Adelaide Australia,

as part of the world famous Fringe Festival. Kenya flew back a day earlier, and HOPEFULLY Hase G, Tanaka and Jon will make it back tonight. I have my fingers crossed!

We wuold like to thank all those who befriended and supprted us, especially Sue and Ross, who we will miss very much.Thank you to our supportive audiences foryour warm and enthusiastic encouragement. You made travelling the thousands of miles and the gruelling daily gigs well worth it.

A very special thanks to Dr Ascelin Gordon who came out to spend some time with us and honoring us by playing with us on a few songs each night he was with us.Thanks to Tim at radio Adelaide for his warmth and kindness while hosting us on his radio show, and to the fringe reviewer John McBeath for his article on our shows.

Another big thanks to Dush and Otto for having us on as the house band of the Fringe Club Cabaret,an experience we are not likely to forget.

All in all, it was a wondeful experience for us and we are lookingf forward to getting back Down-Under real soon!

TenGooz Live in Adelaide

Hello loyal legions of TenGoophiles! Or should I say G'day?

We finally have a day off,so I have a bit of time to fill in on whats been going on. The band arrived safely,but groggy after the long flight.I had arrived two days earlier,and had been on the radio with Sue,3d radios super dj and allround wonder person.Thanks to Sue and Ross, weve really felt at home here and Ross"s extensive knowledge of local history and lore have helped to give me a deeper understanding of this beaytiful city.

There were beautiful TenGooz posters put up around the city, some designed by Brett and some by Jon,so when the guys arrived they felt quite welcome.
Our town house is very comfortable and I would even say palatial by Japanese standards, situated in a lovely,quiet suburb surrounded by stately eucalyptus trees. Ross made Jon very happy by bringing over his barbecue set, which has already been put to extensive use.
Our first gigs went down at the Wheatsheaf,a great venue with a fantastic clientele. Our three shows went over real well and we couldnt have hoped for a better response, though we could have hoped for more people.
On Saturday night we had everybody dancing and even got some people shakin it up on Suday afternoon.

A review appeared in the largest Adelaide paper with a 4 star rating and adulatory praise.

We still have 2 more shows to go! I have lots more to tell, but I will be back with more blogging on Friday!

Stay Grounded in Groove

Avi

3d Radio in Adelaide!

Last weekends St Patricks Day gig turned into Saturday Night Fever once again, as luck would have it,as I came down with flu-like symptoms just before a big show. Somehow,with the help of the band and some friends I made it through and the night was not that bad considering the conditions.
Jon soared to new heighs with his songs taking things all the way to 11 and even though Kenya had to go home early, the hornless TenGooz pulled it off.
Right now, Im in Adelaide and I just finished an exciting interview on Sue and Peters world music show. 3d radio, here in Adelaide is a really impressive set up of which Id like to write more about later. It is what a radio station SHOULD be, and if I were living in these parts I would always be tuned in. I will try to get a recording of the show online.Sue played Stranger, Innishmoore,The Chills, Mio Mine and Backwards peeker. I added lots of comments.Thanks Sue and Peter!
The rest of the guys will be getting in the day after tomorrow!

Avi

Stevie Wonder in Saitama,prepping for Adelaide

Hello out there all you Tengoomaniacs! Greetings from Avi! Last night was a special experience for me,as I was able to soak in the energy exuding from one of the great musical figures of our lifetimes. The Saitama arena was packed(as you might imagine) with reverant fans.Despite his age and excess heft, Stevie did his best to please the adoring crowd.

I was trying to inhale some of his vibes as he showed that none of his vocal virtuosity has been lost and neither has he lost any of his magic.

The back-up band however was lacking in presence and the sound system was disappointing.The greatest moment for me was after the show when Mai-chan an 11 year old tengoo fan said-This wasnt as much fun as the tengooz in Kasama!

This next week is gonna be hectic,as we have got to get the publicity material ready for our trip to adelaide.

Wish us luck!

Avi Landau

Kick-Ass Brass!!

Hello, Tengoophiles! Avi here!

After a week of Hawaii`s magic, I have been feeling extra stimulated and chomping on the bit to get back on stage. Unfortunately, with Jon now living in the big city,we are having a little trouble scheduling things.anyway, we were back last night, with a bang, though Jon was under the weather in a very bad way, regurgitating his fish and chips between the 2nd and 3rd sets and necessitating an early cessation of the evenings festivities.

Showing his KONJO (fighting spirit), he did a great job of drumming and singing despite his flu.

I would have to say that the high point of the evening was when Dr. Sax, Dr. sax, Kawakami Ryutaro showed up with his sax and joind kenya to make up a FORMIDABLE brass section! Ryutaro stayed on for one set, playing Running, Stranger, Bailar, and Vonja Vonja. The crowd showed its appreciation,howling, and whistling.

Thanks Ryutaro!

It was great to see lots of friends come out and we also made lots of fresh acquaintance.

We will be back soon with some polished up new material and begin rehearsals for our trip to Adelaide!

Good bye all!

Avi landau

Looong practice-new songs!!

Hey, all you TenGoophiles out there! This is Avi Landau blogging here at the Ice Palace. The TenGooz have just

finished a refreshing 4 hour song writing session,working on plenty of new material for upcomming gigs.

Kenya took charge of a song which he has composed, and i just have to come up with some good lyrics(pressure!)

but it sounded real good tonight and we are excited about it.

HaseG has concieved of an African inspired piece which we will be working on and he also played sone original works which he plans to play solo in concert. Thats something for everyone to look forward to!

we spent the last hour reviewing songs we havent played in while and have never recorded(as theTenGooz).

Lots of you might remember

Delirious

Best of me

Passion fruit

and Jons song-I dont mind.

We should have a completely different set the next time you catch us. We are getting ready for Hawaii-departure is Thursday! Hope to get a rehearsal in on Wednesday night!

nighty night everyone

Avi Landau

Tsukuba

Happy New Year, akemashite omedeto!

Happy Year,all ye Tengoophiles and Tengoomaniacs!

We wish you all a great 2007 ! As ive done for the past 3 yearsI spent New Years Eve at a local temple where the priest spends about 30 minutes building up a fire using an assortment of mysterious ingredients. We were then purified by the smoke which we applied to parts of our body which we deem need purification.

Last night haseG, Tanaka and I got together for a 3 hour practice and we had a chance to work on some more new material. We also practiced Autophilia, a song that Ascelin and I dished up a few years ago, in order to work it into

some upcoming TenGooz gigs.

Thanks alot,all you people who enjoyed our Christmas song.We hope to get a better recording of that done real soon.

We look forward to seeing you at some gigs this year,

especially at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in March.

late show at the Rock Factory,back home by 3:15 am

We did a late show at The Rock Factory,with an 11pm starting time,giving us plenty of time to enjoy the night scene in Roppongi. It was a fine autumn night with just a hint of a chill in the air.

We started out with Running,Stranger and Inertia.

The dimensions of the venue make it a bit difficult to really let loose and it took us a few songs to take complete control of the room.

Johnny I did the trick and after that late night crowd was really onto it.Almost out of Time was especially powerful and I felt a strong connection with everyone in the room.

After the gig we discussed our trip to Adelaide.We are excited to go back to Oz and both play and listen to music.

HaseG got us back to Tsukuba in record time,going his usual 190 kph. Yes, I fastened my seat belt (in a hurry!).

Good night all

Avi

Rehearsal in Studio!

HaseG,Tanaka and myself got together for a second Thursday night in a row,to make new songs and revive some stuff we haven't played in a while.

Tonight we reviewed G`s new Bossa nova-like song and I sang the melody line I came up with. Tanakas lead fits in just right and HaseG suggested we make this an instrumental(I guess he doesnt like the melody line!).

We also tried to revive a song we had worked on before and I think it gonna be a smash!

Also practiced Best of Me(ahh brings back memories).

It was a good 2 hours. We are set for saturday night in Roppongi!.

Open Studio and Bar 303 gigs

All of us would like to thank the proprietors,staff and great clientele of the venues we played at in Melbourne.The Night of Oct 14th at Open Studio was intimate.Brett and Ascelin created some magic and we tried to carry it along We made new friends and also were happy to see old acquaintance. We hung out for a long while after the gig and enjoyed the scrumptious food.

The next day, I got up early and went into town. When i got back to Ascelins place, Nichol was there. I had heard about her from Asco, but this was my first Face to face encounter.

Her warm and strong presence had an immediate impact on me and she surely from then on helped our short stay to be more pleasurable.

That night we played at Bar 303,just down the road from Open Studio. We had the honor of opening for Tzigas, an amazing klezmer/gypsy ensemble.We had a good show,but those guys really filled the room with soul!

Thanks you guys!

I grew up with that kind of music and was really dumbstruck to find the `spirit` in Melbourne!

pandemonium!

Just got back from this years Halloween gig. i always say it, but this time its true. BEST GIG EVER. Relaxed , in control and not too loud,we played a room stuffed to the gills and kept it dancin all night.

Started out with Saudade,theChills,Perfect Wave and a Kanashibari, and ended up with Vonja and Bailar.

Running and Capo Verde stick in my mind.

Lots of great costumes. Satan won first prize.Played the stones song for him.Jon ROCKED, G FUNKED Tanaka WAILED Kenya HOWLED and I AVIED.

It cant get much better!!!!!

Practice,New Songs!

Hello,out there. Its a gig night tonight. Kenya will be driving in from Funabashi,in Chiba prefecture,about an hour and a half drive from the venue. I havent seen him since we parted on Swanston street in melbourne. Jon will being coming by train from Tokyo. We said hw is skipping an office party to make it tonight.Tanaka might be working until just before the gig,but then again he might have taken the day off,and i hope he did! HaseG will be meeting me at my place at about 6:30. We will then load all the gear up, and takre it to CorkHeads and begin setting up.

For tonight we havent done much publicity because there should be a crowd beyond capacity for the Halloween gig.I still will have to copy some fliers, and also somehandouts similar to namecards with our website and contact info. I will also prepare some copies of a recent article about us that appeared in the Joyo Shimbun.If I have time ill also try to make xeroxed copies of some of tanakas pictures from australia.I will also have to prepare some cds for sale and something to wear.

I`ll just try to stay calm and hope that everything goes well.

Thursday night was a mekhaye(a refreshing tonic). Tanaka,HaseG and I got together at song cycle for a song writing session. We basically when around the 3 of us, first HaseG then Tanaka and then myself, with each of us have to put out something for jam.HaseG`s Bossa Nova style line clicked instantly and I came up with a melody line and Tanaka played some very fitting guitar.The song is almost ready to go!!! I would feel comfortable with it tonight!!

We also practiced a song we havent played in a while,Capo Verde, and felt really good with it with HaseGs faster bass accompaniment.

Come tonight,if you can1 You might hear the fruits of that 2 hour session.

Thats all for now

Avi

The TenGooz Down-Under part 2

Our first gig in Melbourne really hit a chord (a very STRANGE chord) with the crowd. The reaction was overwhelmingly positive. And though as usual we had fudged up some of our songs, we were flying high. at least the other guys were. I was about to pass out. Maybe it was the heat or it could have been exhaustion.I had to put it into overdrive at the end of the show and I was pretty much running on fumes.As the band packed up the gear, I was trying to stay conscious!

In the end my condition could probably be attributed to hunger,since after we crossed the street and had some humus at the little fast food Greek place, I felt much better.

We were waiting for Ascelin to come out of the club. He had been talking to the manager and the sound man. the sound guy told him that Kenya had the best tone of any Trombonist he had ever heard in all his years, Ascelin also brought out our pay, which thrilled the guys because it would would help to recoup some of our expenses!

The next day, though,lacking in sleep,we were awakened by the excitement of the previous evening and anticipation of things to come. I was a bit worried however, because the next 2 gigs would be at MUCH smaller venues ,without any sound systems. That made me uneasy.

We met up with The TenGooz at The Queen Victoria Market where we sampled an assortment of tanatalizing morsels, including figs stuffed with goats cheese and immense brautwursts with the works for the guys.We then systematically went through the souvenir market,trying to stick together,but still losing tanaka somehow. He was so engrossed in his new hobby,photography, that he went astray for a while.we then headed for the Botanical garden after parking by the Yara and checking out the barbecue scene. The Last stop in our days sightseeong was the Espy in St Kilda where we relaxed for a bit,before cutting through the just turned icy winds to the seashore and then headed back to Ascelins.On the ,we got a call from Hidemi and Ayako(original TenGooz members(they were in Cairns for a wedding) and we all chatted with them for a bit and were disappointed to hear that they wouldnt be able to make it to the gig.

The guys dropped in at house before heading back to the Barleycorn to get ready.Asceloin ,Brett,Yukari and I dropped by a studio to pick up a pa for me. We then headed for the venue.I was very nervous for the reasons I mentioned above, bit Geronimo,joined by Jon and kenya stirred up a magic in the room and we started out with Saudade and played for a couple of hours. The crowd was friendly and the staff very hospitable.Brett and Ascelin played on Stranger,Running,Ofuro and Infatuation and all in all we had a real nice night.It was great to have my old friend Ryan, Anthony and Yukari at the gig.

We then headed off to find a party in a warehouse, which we finally located and squeezed into. We stayed for a couple of hours(that means about 4) and danced to a great reggae band and then a DJ. HaseG and the guys disappeared were sleeping in the car.I really needed some sleep too!

To be continued

Avi Landau

TenGooz Live in Australia!

East meets west as up-over goes down-under!The TenGooz have come back from their appearance at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. As always,I find that a trip to `MarvelousMelbourne` is a musical home-coming for me, as I have been so influenced by local musos Ascelin Gordon and Brett Johnson. This years pilgrimage was extra special,since all the TenGooz, Kenya,Tanaka,HaseG and Jon all Joined for the festivities.

We had a little scheduling trouble, and unfortunately the guys could not stat as long as I could,but they arrived in Oz 2 days before I did and had many adventures in their rented car, which they took out on the famous Great Ocean Road.

This was HaseG`s first time out of Japan and his first time on an airplane,and I was really happy that he could have such an experience and that his great bass playing skills could be seen and heard by people outside Japan.

I arrived on a Wednesday morning and had trouble getting in touch with the guys.Ascelin hadnt heard from them either.so we were a TAD anxious.Fortunately, with the abundance of internet cafes in the city and the able assistance of webmaster Sarah we finally got hooked up, and agreed to meet in front of a club at which Brett would be playing with his old friend.It was a memorably joyful moment to find HaseG enjoying a cigarette out front. We stayed for that gig and saw Brett and Met his girlfriend Yukari and then went by cab to Bar-Open,our first venue, and caught one of Adam Simmons groups playing jazz and shakuhachi duets.

We were amazed by the control of color and realized we had to PRACTICE! The next day we had a special morning practice,arranged by Ascelins special connections, at a studio inside an old warehouse. I loved the place and its rustic wabi-sabi interiors. We went through our songs and for some reason had trouble with BOMBS AWAY and decided not to do it in the show. As usual, we couldnt make up a set list, but came up with a provisional one,

during a coffee break. after practice,the guys headed out to Philip Island where they hoped to see the famous little penguins(which I think they never did!)

The next day we also had a rehearsal scheduled and i arrived quite early(as opposed to the previous day on which I was very tardy!),but the guys didnt show up for over an hour! I was really starting to panic! What if they had an accident! Just when I was at about to really have a stroke,the TenGooz pulled up, unharmed.

Our practice did not sound good at all. Kenya then told everyone to play more softly ,listen to each other and work as a team,not as individuals. That changed things and from that point on we felt more confident.

We had to rent drums, and it wasnt cheap! Getting the equipment upstairs at Bar-Open was no picnic either.Anyway, we started at 10 and had a really good crowd.They were into it right from the start and got more and more into it as the show went on. Ascelin and Brett played on Running and Ofuro and Infatuation.

We also had the help of a GREAT soundman who was a true magician.He later said that in all his years of mixing,Kenyas trombone tone was the best he had heard. Kenya certainly put on a show and people loved him!

As usual, Innishmoor got the crowd all together for a stomp. Ascelin said he had never seen that before at a club like that.

Anyway, to put it succinctly, the audience response was terrific.I was knocked out by the heat and hunger and was in bad shape by the end of the show.

Thats all fgor now. i will continue to document the trip over the next few days and hope the guys will also post their stories. Goodbye for now

Avi Landau

TenGooz in Australia, Avi`s country drive

Four Tengooz left Narita yesterday and are assumed to be in Melbourne. I spoke to the guys at the airport and it seems

that Tanaka and HaseG were having trouble getting through the metal detector and had to pass through it 4 or 5 times until they were finally cleared! I've been worried about them all day and there has still been no email from them. Well, no news is good news!

I will be leaving tomorrow night and decided to spend my last day(and a beautiful day it was!) taking a drive in the countryside. It was refreshing and invigorating indeed!

Japan is truly a land of many faces and within minutes off the main road. It was like entering a new world through a time slip. Huge traditional farmhouses,shrines,temples and roadside gods. I will post a couple of Pics so that the guys can get a glimpse of home. A nice view of Mt Tsukuba(should bring tears to their eyes!) and a roadside Jizo with straw sandal offerings.

See you soon TenGooz!

Avi Landau

Great gig after a bad start!Tickles lazy day!

I had been wondering what the effect of such a long hiatus would be on our performance. Well, now we have confirmed that the lack of rehearsal time left us more than a tad RUSTY, and it took us a whole set to start getting things rolling.

When we got to the club, there were much fewer people than there usually are and that also might have had the guys low.We decided to begin with a slow set, starting things off with Perfect Wave. Everyone seemed to be completely lost at the beginning but the song, but somehow it came together and we got through a first set of Lost in Translation, The Chills ,Time flow before Jon finished things on a strong note with Smash it.

Crowds stated to trickle in until it was quite FULL and the joint really stated to JUMP! Hardcore TenGooz fans sang along with Face to Face, Running, Innishmoor, and Mio Mine, and as usual. The dancing reached its fever pitch during Innishmoor when the usual line dance(with me in it!) was more intense than usual.

Mickey came by early in the morning to help me put away our gear. what a great guy! Thanks Mick!

Though I went to bed at 4am I was too overexcited to really get any sleep, so ive been up since early, doing chores in my peculiar,little by little, way.

Im happy that for once, i didnt have any schedule the day after a big gig.Tickles took it easy too!

I hope we can raise that kind of excitement in Melbourne!

Until next time!

Avi Landau

Wildlife around the ice palace!

In winter, the other members of the TenGoz usually refuse any invitation to my home, always coming up with a convenient excuse to avoid the frosty drafts and icy floors.
Summers though also put off many friends because of the plethora of creatures residiing in and around the house!
Last week, while hiking through the ancient Malayan rainforest, I couldn't help mentioning to european fellow hikers gawking at the plant and wildlife, that they would be much more astonished by a viait to my place in Tukuba!
Here is a beautiful spider which guard my front door. The rear is protected by this 2meter long snake which usually spends the afternoon sunbathing on top of the tool shed.

Well, it's time to start packing up for tonights gig. We haven't rehearsed in a while. Let's see if that has a good or bad effect on our show.

Only time will tell.

Avi Landau

Taman negara adventure!

Hello again,faithfull TenGoophiles ! How have you been?

Hase G and I were at the studio last Sunday, putting the final touches on our upcoming album, Its Time! After the recording session I had to head off to Abiko to catch a rakugo performance by my friend Tonraku. Rakugo is traditional Japanese comic story telling and its a great way to learn about traditional Japanese culture. The dinner box was also excellent and i was invited backstage after the show for some sashimi and fruit.tonraku performs in Abiko every 3rd Saturday. Let's go again soon.

The next day, I set out for Singapore,as the first step in finally getting to one of my dream destinations,Taman Negara, an ancient virgin rainforest in the center of the Malay Peninsula. Though I had been to malaysia several times I still hadn't made it to the great reserve,home to adundant plant and wildlife and hunting ground for a tiny tribe of aboriginal people.

It was great to be back in Singapore, a place many visitors,for some reason, call sterile and boring. For me,it is

a place of wonder and discovery, and no matter how many times Ive been there( about 20) I never get tired of it.This time as usual I stayed in my favorite of the city states neighborhoods ,Little India, where I found(and recorded) some great temple musicians and partook of the splendid south Indian fare.

On Tuesday, I boarded the so called Jungle Train and spent the next 8 hours slowly moving Northward over the Malay Peninsula, reading, writing and enjoying the scenery.stayed overnight in a town called Jerantut where the hotel I stayed at(what great luck!) provided all the info I needed for my sojourn into the jungle.

The next morning, an hour by bus and then a 3 hour motorized canoe trip upriver to the park.

Met lots of good people, and saw lots of wildlife. Monkeys, sambar deer, mouse deer ,widboar,eagles,etc. Also did a cave excursion and found myself completey covered with bat dung!

I hope to go back again for some longer more strenous hikes.

If anyone wants to know more about Taman Negara, how to get there,etc, please send me an email.

Back in Singapore after a harrowing overnight train journey in which i was saved from the frosty air-con by a blanket of newspapers, I went right from the Woodlands immigration terminal to the Sungei Buloh wetlands Resarve where

I enjoyed the mangrove swamp and immense monitor lizards sunning on the extensive trails.

Hope to post again soon.

Avi Landau

Climbing Mt Fuji and 5 hour rehearsal!

This past Sunday, the TenGooz gathered at 5:00pm

once again for a five hour,gruelling rehearsal as part of our preparation for our gigs in Melbourne Australia.Next time you catch our show you'll be surprised at what we've done with Jin Jin as well as some other songs which we have been making changes with.

Let me take this opportunity to recount one of the highlights of summer 2006 and I might add, one of the standout experiences in all my travels. many of you might be surprised by this, but im talking about a climb to the top of Mt Fuji! I know many of you think that the ascent up the

highest mountain in Japan was tainted by piles of trash,huge crowds and boring scenery.That image is what kept from taking the climb for all these years.
Luckilly,my friend and avid trekker taguma San suggested that we do Fuji(she had made it to the top several times) and I unenthusiastically agreed, since I thought it might be good to just get it over with and finally be able to say that I had made the climb. Taguma San would also be providing logistics and transport which made things sound convenient and a little more tempting.Just before stting off, I started building up a little excitement and convinced my buddy rick Weisburd to join us and fortunately he came along.

Fortunately for the two of us, despite the pessimism and badmouthing of the sacred mountain by numerous people, we found the trip to be dramatic inspirationaland at times thrilling and we found the trails spotlessly clean,convenient facilities and great folks climbing with us.

We set out from Tsukuba by car and due to traffic in Tokyo,made it to the parking lot at the 5th level(half way up)

by 1:00pm. from there we just startd walking.It about one hour between each station(Fuji is divided into ten stations)and we decided to take a rest at the 8th station as the sun was setting.This part of the trip posed the only negative aspect of our climb.For 8000yen you get a hurried meal(there isnt enough room for all the guests to eat at once so we have to take meals in shifts!) and after eating I wanted to sleep for a few hours before making the final assault up the slope. This however proved impossible for me as we had to sleep za ko ne or as we might describe it

sleeping like sardines in a tin!It was impossible for me to relax with a strangers face almost pressing against mine.

So I decided to just sit up for a few hours and set out at 11

By 11 I mean 11pm ! We set out in total darkness using our flashlights to try to avoid misteps. My light burned out after what seemed like only an hour.The last stage proved to be the hardest as the sandy trail made the going slow and the high altitude brought on breathlessness after a few steps.

Before we knew it,though we were at the summit waiting to see the sunrise(goraiko).unfortunately we arrived an hour too early and had to endurefreezing temperatures and extreme drowsiness before the exciting and teasingly slow appearance of the sun.its something i will not forget soon and im thinking I might do it again next year.

care to join me?

Great gig...then off to Mikurajima!

Hi,all you faithfull Tengoophiles! Many of you have been checking the blog for months, only to be disappointed to find that there were no new postings. All I can cough up as an excuse is that so much had been happening with the music,travelling and studies that to tell you honestly, I didnt write because I just didnt know where to begin! After a summer packed with musical encounters and UNUSUAL adventures I realized that I simply have to restart the blog. So.... here we go!

Today I will begin with the most recent events. We had a marathon 5 hour rehearsal,as part of our preparation for our Australian road trip.Before that,on August 26th was our LIVE at Corkheads, where we have built up our most loyal following and have had some of our greatest nights. Though we made some mistkes here and there, the show went over really well.People know our songs and sing along with a few of them, especially Face to Face, Johnny I and Running. We played on till about 1 am and them brought all the gear back to my place and I packed up for my adventure on Mikurajima(御蔵島 if you have Japanese fonts).

Mikurajima

Few Japanese people have even heard of this small Pacific island only 200 km from Tokyo,so it is a true hidden treasure.Mikurajima offers 3 major attractions:ancient gnarled trees amid lush and expansive forest,a huge flock

of shearwaters(ohmizunagidori), a pelagic bird which can't take off without climbing up trees to get a jumping start,

and most importantly, probably the best dolphin swimming in the world.

I caught an hour or two of sleep before starting off by plane and helicopter. There is no airport, so access is either by ferry or heli. I got some interesting vies of the Izu islands and landed for a few minutes on volcano devastated Miyake Island. I was dropped off(alone) at the heliport on Mikura and left alone on the landing pad as the chopper headed back home.

To land on Mikura you need to have a reservation at one of the ten or so small guest houses. When coming by ferry, the sole policeman on the island makes sure you have one. He didnt come to greet me at the heliport, so I mozied down the path in what I hoped was the right direction,until I was met by Mio, who had arrived a day earlier by ferry with 9 other friends.

The dolphin swimming was spectacular. The island is unique in that there are ALWAYS groups of dolphins swimming close to the shore.In 4 days we could experience a full range of dolphin behavior.The views of the coast were reminiscent of Polynesia and alone would have made the trip worthwhile.

We also enjoyed a pleasant hike to admire some of the ancient trees, and as usual I drew energy and inspiration from being among and touching such ancient living things.

If you have any qustions about Mikura,please contact me for more details. Its definitely a place you should go to if you enjoy NATURE and getting away from it all!

I will be back with more about my trip to Hokkaido and Aomori and also my climb to the top of MT Fuji.