Vinyl Vault: Hiroshima

The next episode of the Vinyl Vault will feature the debut album from the band Hiroshima. The album was released in 1979 on Arista Records.

 Hiroshima had a unique sound, blending jazz, rock, R&B and pop and layering that mixture with traditional Japanese instruments. Most prominent among those was the koto, a large stringed instrument with a distinctive sound. The band also used Japanese flutes and percussion including the taiko drum.

 The band was comprised primarily of Japanese Americans, some of whom were descendants of people interned in detainment camps in the United States during World War II. Dan Kuramoto was the leader, playing saxophone and the primary composer. June Kuramoto was the koto player. Other primary band members included Danny Yamamoto on drums and Johnny Mori on taiko.

We’ll also hear some music from the band’s seventh album, “East,” from 1989.

Join Geoff Anderson, on Tuesday, March 18 at 8:30 p.m. for the Vinyl Vault on KUVO JAZZ.

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